The counterpoint would be that over 2 years, neither Whittaker nor Willis have improved on their PRs set at the end of high school. Obviously his main task isn't times but getting his athletes into top scoring positions, so in that sense he's certainly succeeded with them, but objectively speaking, I think we do need to consider this other factor.
The counterpoint would be that over 2 years, neither Whittaker nor Willis have improved on their PRs set at the end of high school. Obviously his main task isn't times but getting his athletes into top scoring positions, so in that sense he's certainly succeeded with them, but objectively speaking, I think we do need to consider this other factor.
W&W have set indoor prs under JJ: Roisin with her 2023 NCAA win, Juliette with her 2024 NCAA win.
Outdoors -- given Roisin's health issues last year while Juliette has been racing 1500s last year and this -- only now since high school are they both healthy and fit and racing the 800 at the same time.
So, objectively speaking, we do not need to consider they haven't set outdoor prs under JJ -- for the simple reason W&W have yet to race professionals in 800 meter time trial races.
Also, since their prs are already 1:59.04/Juliette & 1:59:13/Roisin coming out of high school, both were better than anyone in college save Michaela Rose. And, Juliette is now 3-0 while Roisin is 2-2 vs Rose at NCAA championships.
So ends the blathering nonsense re: Michaela being a heavy NCAA favorite.
W&W -- and Rose -- have excellent chances to advance to the Trials finals, as last year's quarters and semis were won in approx 2-flat. In the finals -- with (presumably) Mu pulling everyone along through a 57-or-faster opener -- likely new prs will be found there.
He did it 24 years ago when Jearl, Joetta & Hazel swept the 2000 Oly Trials.
Did it again today at NCAAs with W&W.
And, has two outstanding frosh distance runners in Bunnage & Kennedy with Kennedy setting new prs seemingly every race.
In one way, similar to Andy Powell/WA -- good overall head coach, but the nation's best at one particular event.
J J Clark is not the best 800 coach. All of the women in yesterday's NCAA final have run faster in college than in high school except for the 2 Stanford women.
Lots of coaches can coach runners to run slower than they did 2 years ago. Nothing special about that.
He's a good recruiter. But a lot of his recruiting ability is because he's at Stanford. It's really the Stanford name that recruits all those top high school girls. Put any other coach at Stanford and they would be able to recruit a ton of top girls too.
And if he was so smart with the 800 then he wouldn't have switched Juliette Whittaker to the 1500 last spring when she wasn't even able to qualify for the NCAA Championships. You would think that a top 800 coach would be able to figure out that the 1500 wasn't Whittaker's best event.
It's not JJ Clark's coaching ability that is making Whittaker and Willis run fast. They were already fast before they went to Stanford.
He did it 24 years ago when Jearl, Joetta & Hazel swept the 2000 Oly Trials.
Did it again today at NCAAs with W&W.
And, has two outstanding frosh distance runners in Bunnage & Kennedy with Kennedy setting new prs seemingly every race.
In one way, similar to Andy Powell/WA -- good overall head coach, but the nation's best at one particular event.
J J Clark is not the best 800 coach. All of the women in yesterday's NCAA final have run faster in college than in high school except for the 2 Stanford women.
Lots of coaches can coach runners to run slower than they did 2 years ago. Nothing special about that.
He's a good recruiter. But a lot of his recruiting ability is because he's at Stanford. It's really the Stanford name that recruits all those top high school girls. Put any other coach at Stanford and they would be able to recruit a ton of top girls too.
And if he was so smart with the 800 then he wouldn't have switched Juliette Whittaker to the 1500 last spring when she wasn't even able to qualify for the NCAA Championships. You would think that a top 800 coach would be able to figure out that the 1500 wasn't Whittaker's best event.
It's not JJ Clark's coaching ability that is making Whittaker and Willis run fast. They were already fast before they went to Stanford.
The thing is Juliette Whittaker was fast in High School, but if you actually watched her race in championship races, she was terrible. She never knew how to maintain her position, she was constantly being pushed around and being squeezed to the back of the pack and had to make a lot of surges during a race to get nearer the front and she ran well below her talent level in quite a few races in 2022 and 2023. She even lost to Abigail Ives in the World Under 20 championships semi-finals, who was over 2.8 seconds slower than her going into it. But basically all of her races this year have been completely different. She maintained her position the entire NCAA Championship race when everyone else around her, Gorrarian, Rose, Galbadyte etc, were making so many unnecessary moves up and down the pack. She basically had a perfect ride in third place for the entire run and was able to make the move when it counted. So maybe she hasn't improved in terms of PRs, but as an actual racer, she's miles better than she was in high school.
The counterpoint would be that over 2 years, neither Whittaker nor Willis have improved on their PRs set at the end of high school. Obviously his main task isn't times but getting his athletes into top scoring positions, so in that sense he's certainly succeeded with them, but objectively speaking, I think we do need to consider this other factor.
If you think that women runners -- even world class ones -- should improve linearly in first two years out of high school, you know nothing about female physiology. Go read Lauren Fleshman's book.
If you think that women runners -- even world class ones -- should improve linearly in first two years out of high school, you know nothing about female physiology. Go read Lauren Fleshman's book.
How so? Train any 1:59 - 2:00 800 runner the same, whether they’re a great college female or good HS male
When you are the head coach at Tennessee and Stanford you get the very best athletes in the country. How hard is it to coach super-talented incoming athletes? He didn't get that level of talent at UConn and so he didn't do as well. The very best middle-distance collegiate coach in the country is Mike McGuire at Michigan. And its not even close. The dude has taken both walk-ons, low-level scholarship athletes, and super-talented incoming athletes and done an incredible job. He doesn't politic and just does his job.
J J Clark is not the best 800 coach. All of the women in yesterday's NCAA final have run faster in college than in high school except for the 2 Stanford women.
Lots of coaches can coach runners to run slower than they did 2 years ago. Nothing special about that.
He's a good recruiter. But a lot of his recruiting ability is because he's at Stanford. It's really the Stanford name that recruits all those top high school girls. Put any other coach at Stanford and they would be able to recruit a ton of top girls too.
And if he was so smart with the 800 then he wouldn't have switched Juliette Whittaker to the 1500 last spring when she wasn't even able to qualify for the NCAA Championships. You would think that a top 800 coach would be able to figure out that the 1500 wasn't Whittaker's best event.
It's not JJ Clark's coaching ability that is making Whittaker and Willis run fast. They were already fast before they went to Stanford.
With their weight compared to HS, he’s doing a great job
When you are the head coach at Tennessee and Stanford you get the very best athletes in the country. How hard is it to coach super-talented incoming athletes? He didn't get that level of talent at UConn and so he didn't do as well.
Because he couldn't recruit the same level of athletes to UCONN, athletes make coaches look good.
Show me the best coaches and I'll show you the best athletes. Thing is they would be good with almost anyone, except maybe Jerry.
Why couldn't he get top athletes to UCONN? They've had tremendous middle distance success in the past for both the men and women. He had 18 women's scholarships. Their basketball teams are the best in the nation.
The UCONN team got worse every single year he was there.
Because he couldn't recruit the same level of athletes to UCONN, athletes make coaches look good.
Show me the best coaches and I'll show you the best athletes. Thing is they would be good with almost anyone, except maybe Jerry.
Why couldn't he get top athletes to UCONN? They've had tremendous middle distance success in the past for both the men and women. He had 18 women's scholarships. Their basketball teams are the best in the nation.
The UCONN team got worse every single year he was there.
How does the success of a basketball team matter for track athletes?
Besides, you're a moran if you can't see why it'd be much easier to recruit to Stanford
Why couldn't he get top athletes to UCONN? They've had tremendous middle distance success in the past for both the men and women. He had 18 women's scholarships. Their basketball teams are the best in the nation.
The UCONN team got worse every single year he was there.
How does the success of a basketball team matter for track athletes?
Besides, you're a moran if you can't see why it'd be much easier to recruit to Stanford
If a school can have a great basketball team, they can have a great track team.
Students like to go to schools with other successful sports because going to Duke basketball games and Alabama football games in extremely fun. You can bring recruits to those games and they will commit instantly.
It's easy to recruit at Stanford but they also have disadvantages. How many of the Arkansas women in the 400 could have gotten into Stanford? Do you think Parker Valby could have gotten into Stanford? What about Cohen of UVA getting into grad school at Stanford from a really bad academic D2 school? Or Schacari Richardson getting into Stanford?
He did it 24 years ago when Jearl, Joetta & Hazel swept the 2000 Oly Trials.
Did it again today at NCAAs with W&W.
And, has two outstanding frosh distance runners in Bunnage & Kennedy with Kennedy setting new prs seemingly every race.
In one way, similar to Andy Powell/WA -- good overall head coach, but the nation's best at one particular event.
J J Clark is not the best 800 coach. All of the women in yesterday's NCAA final have run faster in college than in high school except for the 2 Stanford women.
Lots of coaches can coach runners to run slower than they did 2 years ago. Nothing special about that.
He's a good recruiter. But a lot of his recruiting ability is because he's at Stanford. It's really the Stanford name that recruits all those top high school girls. Put any other coach at Stanford and they would be able to recruit a ton of top girls too.
And if he was so smart with the 800 then he wouldn't have switched Juliette Whittaker to the 1500 last spring when she wasn't even able to qualify for the NCAA Championships. You would think that a top 800 coach would be able to figure out that the 1500 wasn't Whittaker's best event.
It's not JJ Clark's coaching ability that is making Whittaker and Willis run fast. They were already fast before they went to Stanford.
re: "It's not JJ Clark's coaching ability that is making Whittaker and Willis run fast. They were already fast before they went to Stanford."
You would have a valid point except only a few female high school phenoms go on to win NCAA titles. In fact, about half of them make very little to no improvement from high school. There are over 300 D1 schools with track programs and many talented athletes; with such a large pool, there are lot of things that have to go right to win an NCAA title. It's crazy to suggest coaching is one of the things that have to right to succeed.
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