Honestly, this isn't going to be PA based conversation really so if you aren't prepared for that feel free to ignore this post. However, I must warn you that the context of this post should get you really excited for the Millrose games. I know I just read something that made me want to hop in the car right now and buy tickets.
First off I'll just throw a couple of things out there that are noteworthy. Strath Haven and Notre Dame were both invited for the girls 4x800m race, while Penncrest and Strath Haven were invited on the men's side. Great Valley is a 4x800m alternate right now, not quite sure if they will get in.
Strath Haven and Penncrest both have serious shots at sub 8 minute 4x8s at this meet with ideal competition. CBA is entered and they just had two guys in the open go 1:55 and 1:56 I believe. They are also defending national champions in cross country. 4 other teams come in with sub 8 minute seed times.
I have to think Strath Haven is the PA team to watch in this one with guys like Huemmler and Seelaus running great of late, but Penncrest is a team of relative unknowns with a lot of potential to surprise.
In the women's professional mile, reigning world champion Jenny Simpson is entered. It should be exciting to see her world class kick in action against the field.
The men's 5k field is what really gets me charged up. Check out the names: Andy Baddley, Sam Chelenga, Ed Cheserek, Chris Derrick, Elliot Heath, Leonard Korir, Bernard Lagat, Lawi Lalang, and Steven Sambu. A field of All-Americans and record holders of all sorts. The meet record, american record, collegiate record and high school record are all on the line. Chris Derrick is one of my personal favorite runners, Chelenga is making a pro debut as far as I know (he is not an american citizen yet, so he is running for Kenya), Cheserek has been a boss of late and there is a lot of potential for a sub 14, Baddley just one a mile at the armory in world leading time, Heath and Korir are defending indoor national champions, Lalang is the reigning dominant XC national champion and Sambu does alright for himself as well.
I think Lagat really wants the American record back from Rupp and therefore this race should set up with the potential for someone (probably Lagat) to run 13:10ish. I don't know who out of the collegiates will hang on to this kind of pace, but we know Lalang has a lot of strength and if Korir is there he has a big kick.
Not sure how Cheserek will fair in this race. He will probably go out super hard (he has a knack for doing that, as anyone who was at the penn relays knows) and in this kind of field that could mean 4:20s for the opening mile, in which case I'm not sure Cheserek can hang on for 2 miles+ after that kind of opening effort.
Maybe he will just run his own race, kind of Lukas when he went after the national indoor 2 mile record at the Armory (and missed, Cheserek will probably break it this year, but that's besides the point), but I can't see Cheserek running like that. He mixes it up with anybody and he is not afraid of anyone. He has 4:02 and 8:43 kinda times under his belt this season. Huge all time top 5 kind of times. The potential is there to see history.
As for some other events that don't excite me as much, Sanya Richards is in the 400m, Sam Nadel leads a very good girl's high school field that includes PA's own Tori Gerlach and Maria Seykora, and Zavon Watkins heads a boys field that includes PA's new state record holder over 800m Ned Willig who can bring PA it's first win since Jason Weller.
As for the Men's Wanamaker mile, the winner will not be Bernard Lagat! Not sure how often that can be said over the past decade or so, but it doesn't mean the race won't be exciting. Collegiates like Miles Batty, Kyler Merber (who has a Millrose win under his belt from high school), Erik Van Ingen and Chris O'Hare are all sub 4 kinda names. Plus (my personal exciting part), Matt Centrowitz is making his Pro debut after earning a bronze medal at Worlds a few months back. Really excited to see what the guy can do.
February 11th. Get your popcorn ready.
Penncrest and Strath Haven did not get invited for the 4x800. They are only inviting NJ and NY teams.
ReplyDeleteInteresting note is that cheserek only seems to go out crazy fast vs. weaker competition (relatively speaking)(basically everyone but Futsum and professionals). Notice how conservatively he played Nationals- he was a bit afraid of Futsum and the pace reflected that. I think he goes out a bit more conservative than we think, but still roughly 4:25 (aka record pace and fast)
ReplyDeleteCorrection on the top comment. Both teams got invited, but Penncrest is not going. Strath Haven, however, I think is going.
ReplyDeleteLashawn Merritt is also going to be running at Millrose trying to become the first man to break 1 minute in the 500 meter dash indoors.
ReplyDeleteFor field events, Jesse Williams will be contending for the high jump win after being the national champion last year and placing well at Worlds. Plus Jenn Suhr will be competing in the Pole vault.
Really looking forward to seeing how Cheserek does in the 5000 against Lagat. If I were him I would have run the HS mile or the Wanamaker mile, but I applaud him for taking the intiative and getting to say that he has raced Bernard Lagat.
For the record, all the information that I got is from the Millrose game's meet website.
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