Plus Hunter wrote:
Hunter running 7:39.85 for 3,000m at 21 years old. Just a reminder, he finished high school a year behind Grant Fisher. This could actually be his redshirt sophomore season if he had wanted it to be.
Let that sink in. Also, just reiterates that he DID make the right decision taking the money in bypassing the NCAA. His investments compounding and reinvesting dividends over those 4-5 years that would have been in the NCAA will be thanking him.
Also, he would have dealt with an Oregon coach that left for Washington. All in all, signing early isn't always bad. Congratulations, Drew.
LOL- Why would you say "redshirt sophomore"? He'd be a "junior". Including a redshirt is not the standard reference.
Graduating from Stanford with an engineering degree is going to destroy those early "4-5 years of investments" down the road. It's not going to even be close.
He'll be 22 in a few months (he was always on the older side for his grade). He's not such a youngster anymore, especially as an athlete training as a pro rather than going NCAA route.
7:40 is a great time and all, but how much better is it than the 7:42 Fisher and McDonald ran on an indoor 200m track in February? Basically the same, and without being pulled along in a major DL race.
When it comes to potential, I can't help but bring up German Fernandez running a huge negative-split 7:47 indoors at 18 years and 3 months. Then running indoor 3:55 mile completely solo. Then finishing 11th at world junior cross after wearing a boot the weeks leading up to the race a month or so later. That was at an age over 3 years younger than Hunter currently is. 3 years younger! That kid was the greatest US talent of our generation, by far. Those legs were beautiful thing to see in full flight.