Weekend Action

It was a fairly busy day for me, and quite frankly there wasn't much action from this past weekend to get me super excited about going to work on this blog post. I realize that I have completely forgot to address anything from out west over the past few posts because there are plenty of those kinda guys who can make noise at states. BUT it doesn't look like the names that I thought would be out front are ready to take that next step.

Alex Moran came into this year in the same kind of realm as Willig and Magaha, I believed he could at least mix it up with those guys. But the fact of the matter is indoors is taken more seriously out here in the philly area and Moran is just not where he needs to be yet coming off this past XC season, which he probably was a little disappointed with in itself.

And this isn't all about Moran. Let's look at the mile field at TSTCAs this past weekend. We are talking about Moran, Bojarski, Smathers, Culley, and Lednak all guys with some big race experience and nice PRs and the guy who pulled out the W was Tyler Rigby? No offense, but I have never heard of this guy before.

But he should be on some people's radar now. Based off the seed time that was a pretty nice PR and he could be a factor for a state medal down the road if he continues to improve after what was probably his first race all winter.

As for the 3k, I was a little let down once again, but this is a great start for Kuchta. Maybe a little lower at XC states than he was hoping for/expecting but he ran a pretty solid opening 3k around 9:01 and winning comfortably. You have to remember he has the best 3200 PR out of anyone I can think of in PA without the last name Wilson. Maybe I'm wrong, but I think that is accurate.

As for Steiner and Moran a little disappointing on both fronts, but these guys will come around. Caleb Wakeley looks pretty good, he ended last season right around this point that he is at now. I could definitely see him qualifying for states and mixing it up for a 3k state medal. He, Steiner, and Kuchta all are on my list of guys I expect to hit the standard. Moran could hit it I think if he goes for it at the right meet.

These guys are going to improve, but I was just kind of hoping to see at least somebody open up fast like Rad or Gil, but hey, there is time.

As for the association meets on this side of the state, I was once again underwhelmed. Billotta ran nice, Kelly did ok, Harriman had a nice under distance win over some big names with some slow times. That's about all I got off the top of my head. A nice set of 4x8s at the D2 meet also with Henderson and Wiss running well.

I guess Glenn Mills really just isn't a fast track and without Ned and Drew to headline things I was just a little depressed I guess.

Oh and I suppose I should mention Dustin had a nice mile. But once again kind of underwhelming in result. He ran 4:17 last year around a similar time and he has already opened up in the 3k this season with a sub 8:50 performance. A 4:22 is kind of a let down. Obviously, probably slow race conditions, Watkins was also a slow time, so I give Dustin a pass and assume he got on the wrong side of a kicker's race.

But if he wants to do this event at states and give Ned a run for his money he can't let the winning time be 4:19.

This is all speculation of course. It is probably more likely Dustin will hang fresh for the 3k and try and go after the record indoors of 8:22 held by Craig Miller. I just want him to go after the mile and the 3k to make things a little more interesting from where I am sitting.

As much as I like pushes for record setting performances, I like seeing close races a bit better and right now on the Distance side if Ned runs mile and 8 and Dustin just runs the 3k I see 3 blow out wins coming and 3 misses (probably close misses, but all the same misses) of state records in the process.