I agree the conversion may seem slightly generous. However, Gregory has run a 4:09 1500. That's worth sub 4:30. She definitely has the chops to run a 4:24 1600 split. That 4:09 is probably worth a 4:26-4:27 1600 right there.
Regardless, what she did was very impressive yesterday even if it was a 4:31 anchor leg at sea level.
Apparently that was their plan entering the meet. I noticed the wording on one of their Instagram story photos the other day. It read, "...this is our DMR team + Amina Maatoug, who is also qualified for the mile and 3000."
It led me to believe she would not run the relay. But I think they might have been more greedy if Frias were still on the team.
thats because they count races at Boston as records when they should not. Too much bounce on that track and most people will not even equal their times outdoors this year.
I mostly disagree; having lived at altitude before may give her a mental boost as she knows what to expect, but there isn't much evidence that altitude adaptations last more than a few months after you leave, even if you spend your whole childhood there. It takes multiple generations of living at altitude for the adaptations to become lifelong (e.g., many Kenyan athletes have innate and lifelong altitude adaptations because their ancestors lived at altitude. A white American who moved to CO in the last generation would not.)
Gregory grew up at altitude (Fort Collins, CO), so her conversion is less than someone born and raised at sea level.
I mostly disagree; having lived at altitude before may give her a mental boost as she knows what to expect, but there isn't much evidence that altitude adaptations last more than a few months after you leave, even if you spend your whole childhood there. It takes multiple generations of living at altitude for the adaptations to become lifelong (e.g., many Kenyan athletes have innate and lifelong altitude adaptations because their ancestors lived at altitude. A white American who moved to CO in the last generation would not.)
Agreed for the most part. The main advantage Gregory has is that she's supremely talented.
perhaps true, but the 2 OR milers who ran good enough to make final didn't seem to do well in DMR at all (if the names are right). WA in general did not run good today either in individual events failing to qualify and then the dmr with the mixed up lineup. O'Sullivan who had the 3:16 earlier, anchored fresh and ran 4:55? something is going on we don't know about.
The problem is they led of a 3k/5k runner and probably were surprised to learn she's only in about 4:45 mile shape. Unless she ran some amazing 1200 time trial this is direct evidence they got too cute with their relay.
Then they moved Carley Thomas to the 400 leg at nationals even though she's MONEY for a 2:02 leg.
Anna Gibson probably should have stayed on the 1600 leg? Unless she was hurting from doubling or something? She ran decent in the mile heats but didn't make the final. She still ran a 4:41 in the heats. (She closed in a 2:15 800 by the way if my math is right). So supposedly she's too tired to anchor the 1600 leg because she ran a 2:15 800 after a 2:25?
They didn't even race Marlena Preigh, who is also money as an 800 leg.Maybe she's injured and that hurt them.
I don't know the 200m split times, but I'm guessing the mile leg went out super hard trying to catch people and died horribly then quit.
This is all speculation of course. My point is that I still think these coaches overthink things at altitude. Mia Barnett and Lauren Gregory both went out hard and HANDLED IT. Whitaker on the anchor for Stanford looked gassed after her leg, but she essentially soloed a 4:38 (4:31-4:32 converted) and then was forced to kick hard at the finish to boot. Moral of the story: Let your best runners be your best runners.
In an effort to get this back on track. My opinion is that I'd rather risk my top athletes being tired in a situation than start a lesser athlete. It's a little different for their men's team since they had a whole litter of milers to go with. Starting a fresh 4:45ish girl on a 1200 leg is not being smart when you have 4 other women who can probably go sub 3:25 when tired.
The problem is they led of a 3k/5k runner and probably were surprised to learn she's only in about 4:45 mile shape. Unless she ran some amazing 1200 time trial this is direct evidence they got too cute with their relay.
Then they moved Carley Thomas to the 400 leg at nationals even though she's MONEY for a 2:02 leg.
Anna Gibson probably should have stayed on the 1600 leg? Unless she was hurting from doubling or something? She ran decent in the mile heats but didn't make the final. She still ran a 4:41 in the heats. (She closed in a 2:15 800 by the way if my math is right). So supposedly she's too tired to anchor the 1600 leg because she ran a 2:15 800 after a 2:25?
They didn't even race Marlena Preigh, who is also money as an 800 leg.Maybe she's injured and that hurt them.
I don't know the 200m split times, but I'm guessing the mile leg went out super hard trying to catch people and died horribly then quit.
This is all speculation of course. My point is that I still think these coaches overthink things at altitude. Mia Barnett and Lauren Gregory both went out hard and HANDLED IT. Whitaker on the anchor for Stanford looked gassed after her leg, but she essentially soloed a 4:38 (4:31-4:32 converted) and then was forced to kick hard at the finish to boot. Moral of the story: Let your best runners be your best runners.
In an effort to get this back on track. My opinion is that I'd rather risk my top athletes being tired in a situation than start a lesser athlete. It's a little different for their men's team since they had a whole litter of milers to go with. Starting a fresh 4:45ish girl on a 1200 leg is not being smart when you have 4 other women who can probably go sub 3:25 when tired.
well it certainly did not work out well the way they played it....people say what they want about Stanford coaching but they certainly figured out a way for Willis and Whitaker to quadruple very well (but maybe work on that baton pass!)
In an effort to get this back on track. My opinion is that I'd rather risk my top athletes being tired in a situation than start a lesser athlete. It's a little different for their men's team since they had a whole litter of milers to go with. Starting a fresh 4:45ish girl on a 1200 leg is not being smart when you have 4 other women who can probably go sub 3:25 when tired.
well it certainly did not work out well the way they played it....people say what they want about Stanford coaching but they certainly figured out a way for Willis and Whitaker to quadruple very well (but maybe work on that baton pass!)
Agreed. I'm sure they'll be spending some time doing handoffs this upcoming outdoor season. The thing with Stanford is they didn't overthink it. JJ Clark let two of the US's top 800m athletes be two of the US's top 800m athletes. You aren't recruiting kids like them simply to have one national champion a year in the 800m, you bring those two in because you want to have two all-time greats wreck the NCAA and go for team titles. Anna Hall is another great example of someone you give free reign at an NCAA championship to gobble up points.