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Monday Matters July 25, 2011

All Eyes are on Europe

The tragedy in Norway has overshadowed news from Europe this weekend, and our thoughts go out to the Norwegian people.

Dozens of American pro athletes competed in Monaco and Barcelona on Friday, and some amazing performances hinting at the level of readiness for Worlds in Deagu at the end of August. At the Pan American Junior Championships in Miramar, Florida, collegiate athletes excelled.

In news of athletes with TrackTown ties:

In Barcelona, Ben Bruce highlighted the OTC Elite action in the men’s 3,000-meter steeplechase. Bruce, who was a late add into the field, dropped over three-and-a-half seconds off his personal record, to take fifth in 8:19.10. His previous PB was 8:22.88.

“We were hopeful that he would get in, so when he got the late call, he shot down from Font Romeu and I think that took the anxiety out of it,” Rowland said. “The conditions were perfect and it fell beautifully for him. He hung on at the right time and was awarded with an outstanding PB.”

In the 800, Tyler Mulder and Geena Gall raced for the final time this season and closed out 2011 with two solid performances. Mulder tied his PB of 1:44.83 to take third. And Gall won the women’s 800 in 2:01.06.

“For Geena, it was nice to finish the season with a win, and Tyler put on a fantastic display throughout the last few weeks,” Rowland said. “Even though they didn’t get on the US team because of the high standard in America at this time, they’ve got the hunger and the fuel to challenge for the team next year.”

Also competing in Barcelona were OTC Elite’s Bridget Franek in the 3,000 steeplechase and Russell Brown in the 1,500. Franek finished fourth in 9:48.77. Brown was eighth in 3:36.34.

Racing at the Diamond League meet in Monaco on Friday, OTC Elite’s Nick Symmonds placed third behind world-record holder David Rudisha in a time of 1 minute, 43.83 seconds.

The mark was the second fastest of Symmonds’ career (his personal best is 1:43.76) and currently ranks him fourth in the world. Rudisha’s winning time of 1:42.61 was the fastest in the world this year. His fellow Kenyan Asbel Kiprop was second in 1:43.15.

“He’s strong and things are going well, but there’s still work to do,” OTC Elite head coach Mark Rowland said. “Everything’s going as planned going into Daegu. I’m happy with his shape and I think there’s still more to come.”

Symmonds’ teammate Andrew Wheating was also slated to appear in the 1,500 at Monaco but withdrew from the race prior to the start.

“Andrew had a tight upper hamstring. He warmed up but could not loosen up,” Wheating’s coach Vin Lananna said from Monaco. “He desperately wanted to run. He loves this meet, but he and I made the decision that the World Championships final continues to be the goal.”

Wheating’s former teammate at the University of Oregon, current Ducks’ senior, and the 2011 USA National Champion Matthew Centrowitz did run the 1,500 on Friday. He clocked his second-straight PB: 3:34.46, which was good for tenth place and a new school record.

At the Pan American Junior Championships, University of Oregon freshman Phyllis Francis took third in the final of the women’s 400 meters in 53.81. Jamaica’s Chrisann Gordan won in 52.62, with the Dimond Dixon of the U.S. second in 53.10.

Incoming Duck Allison Woodward was the runner-up in the women’s 3,000 meters in 9:31.83. Team USA teammate Kayla Beattie won the race in 9:30.63.

Jenna Prandini, who will enroll at Oregon this fall, finished fourth in the final of the women’s 100 meters in 11.56. She ran an impressive 11.44 in the semifinals Friday morning.

Prandini will also compete in the long jump on Saturday, while current Duck freshman Parker Stinson is in Saturday’s men’s 10,000 meters and signee Greg Skipper is in the men’s hammer on Sunday.

By Rita on July 25, 2011
This entry is filed under Monday Matters, News and tagged Barcelona, Bridget Franek, Geena Gall, Matt Centrowitz, Monaco, Nick Symmonds, Tyler Mulder.

Monday Matters July 11, 2011

Fast Americans

Congratulations to OTC Elite’s Tyler Mulder who won the men’s 800 in 1:45.10 Saturday in Madrid – the second-best time of his career! He beat Yuriy Borzakovskiy of Russia in his first race after finishing just off the podium at the U.S. Nationals in June.

In the other big race over last weekend, all four Americans in a star studded men’s 1500 meter race ran under 3:35 to meet the “A” standard for Worlds. The Team USA members — Matthew Centrowitz, Andrew Wheating and Leo Manzano — each chasing the standard after winning slots on the team at the 2011 U.S. Nationals meet at Hayward Field, traveled to Paris together (along with OTC Elite’s Russell Brown.) They competed at the IAAF Diamond League meet along with celebrities such as David Oliver, Usain Bolt and Caster Semenya.

But before the meet, the American speedsters spent a few days getting acclimated to Europe-time, and Andrew Wheating wrote a note about their activities: “So Russell, Centro, and I started our journey with a 5:45am flight, which is not an easy task. Russell used his status with United to nab himself a first class ticket from Portland to DC, “I’m pretty sure they had an oven up front to cook our steaks in” Russell would recall to us later.” Wheating writes about Settlers of Catan, the Masseur Cell Tower (aka the Eiffel Tower) and athletes bolting past on the track prior to the meet. His whole note is worth a read! And, having now read his entertaining style, we’ll be asking Andrew to do a bit of guest blogging for TrackTown USA in the coming months.

If you missed it, you can watch the race here, via Universal Sports:

By Rita on July 11, 2011
This entry is filed under Athlete Profiles, Monday Matters and tagged Andrew Wheating, Leo Manzano, Matthew Centrowitz, Tyler Mulder.

TrackTown Thursday News

NCAA West Regional meet at Hayward Field

Historic Hayward Field will be full of youth and speed and strength this weekend as the NCAA West Preliminary Round begins. The Oregon Ducks play host and, although there is no team competition this weekend, as Vin Lananna told the Register Guard, ““There is a team concept associated with the meet,” Lananna said. “If we’re going to have a shot at doing something as a team at NCAAs, it has to start right here. You can’t score (at NCAAs) unless you qualify.”

Prefontaine Classic Provides Possibilities for TrackTown against the World in the Men’s 800

“That headline might be a little dramatic. But certainly no race will have stronger Eugene-based representation than the men’s 800 meters in the 37^th annual Prefontaine Classic at historic Hayward Field on June 4^th.

Two-time Pre Classic winner Nick Symmonds, the Willamette University grad running for Oregon Track Club Elite, brings his No. 6 world ranking to the race, along with a personal best of 1:43.76 set last year. He will be joined by clubmate Tyler Mulder, who made a major breakthrough last Saturday with his second lifetime best of 2011, 1:44.83.

And the biggest Eugene wildcard of them all, Andrew Wheating, ranked No. 10 in the world at the 800 by Track & Field News magazine, will run either this 800 race or the Bowerman Mile, according to his coach Vin Lananna.” That’s the word from Pre Classic meet director Tom Jordan.

Ken Goe also writes about this OTC Elite showdown at Pre.

Maximizing Performance at Major Championships

An OTC Elite Event in conjunction with USATF

Monday Matters May 23, 2011

It was an amazing weekend in TrackTown and on tracks and fields all over the world.

Here at Hayward Field, the Oregon State high school meet was full of fabulous performances by the future of track and field. Future Ducks stole the show with Jack Galpin’s standout performance in the 200 and 400 meters, Thomas Tyner’s win in the 100 and a winning 5′-10″ high jump by Chancey Summers of Estacada.

Oxy High Performance Meet

Down at the Oxy High Performance Meet just east of Los Angeles, OTC Elite Tyler Mulder captured the IAAF “A” standard and broke 1:45 for the first time in his career, taking second with a time of 1:44.83 in the fastest men’s 800-meter race run in America this year. Mulder had been the focus of Ron Bellamy’s column on Thursday – perhaps giving him even more motivation for speed.

Men’s 1500 A Section Webcast Replay

Also at the Oxy, OTC Elite’s Andrew Wheating won the 1500 meters. Running in the final race of the night, Wheating kicked past Nike’s Kyle Miller on the home stretch to win his first open race of the season in 3:36.46. Only two seconds behind Wheating was OTC’s three-time US 800-meter champion Nick Symmonds, who clocked a lifetime-best in the 1,500 of 3:38.18. He placed eighth in the fast field, but was elated to see a previous best of 3:40.33 (which was set over two years ago) bettered. Runner’s Space and FloTrack carried the meet live via webcam.

Betty Heidler breaks the World Hammer Throw record

In Halle, Germany, Heidler threw the hammer 79.42 meters, eclipsing the previous mark of 78.30m set by reigning World champion Anita Wlodarczyk of Poland. According to IAAF News, “Heidler, who claimed the European title last year, produced a sensational series. Her opening round 77.19m throw improved her own national record by seven centimetres, and she followed up with another near 77-metre effort, reaching 76.98. Her World record effort came in the third round, before ending the competition with throws of 75.34m, 75.62m and 76.00m.”

What a weekend — and the outdoor season is really just beginning!

By Rita on May 23, 2011
This entry is filed under Athlete Profiles, Monday Matters, News and tagged Andrew Wheating, Betty Heidler, Hammer Throw, Oxy High Performance Meet, Tyler Mulder, World Record.