Big 12 XC Championships

[jenuine13]

Originally Posted by runfast_runfar

The first half of the course was clean. Apparently it was bad in the second half.

The course repeats some loops, so it wasn't really a first/second half thing. It wasn't super muddy, it was just really wet and a few of the lower laying parts near the creeks got a bit torn up by the end of the day. It's a golf course and rarely used for XC, so going into the races the ground wasn't torn up at all, just saturated with water.

As for the whole German thing...he got dropped between 5 and 6k by quite a bit, but managed to close that gap by the end of the race.

[Yuri in the Alcoves]

Originally Posted by 400m3200m

German is THE MOST talented runner that we have seen for a long time. It seems like whenever people put doubt on german fernandez this is when he especially does well. He may have gotten "dropped" or he might be saving a little something for NCAA's. Id be willing to bet its the second option tho

Come on down! Join the queue for a rousing game of "Pin the Fawning Groupie Tonsils on German Fernandez' Scrotum"! Hopefully you are patient as you are certainly not the first in line.

[Scotty]

Originally Posted by king99

Scotty sticking to his guns, would I expect anyting less. I love that ****.

I think with German the way I shake out on this, is the following:

All Time greats in any aspect of any season rarely lose , let alone get beaten by a bit by their contemporaries .

Especially not in XC.

The All Timers as I rate them, and this does not have to be anyones list:

Lindgren

Prefontaine

Kennedy

Ritz


Never got beat in some Invite , they just never ever let that happen.

I think what you are seeing now is that Derrick might be close to being one of those guys in XC.


German clearly is not , for whatever that factors.

He is dominant on the track, was in HS, but has never been quite the guy in XC(save World Juniors where he did run well.) , he was third at Fl as the 8:34 guy he would become. Heck ,Alan Webb in a strong field that year lost to no one as a frosh until Nats where he was 11th at NC's at 10K , with NO 5K profile.

Facts are that Fernandez is the TWO time US Junior XC Champion, and he was the first US finisher in both World Jr races. This is nothing short of exceptional. The record speaks for itself. Let's give credit when/where its due.

[runfast_runfar]

Originally Posted by jenuine13

The course repeats some loops, so it wasn't really a first/second half thing. It wasn't super muddy, it was just really wet and a few of the lower laying parts near the creeks got a bit torn up by the end of the day. It's a golf course and rarely used for XC, so going into the races the ground wasn't torn up at all, just saturated with water.

As for the whole German thing...he got dropped between 5 and 6k by quite a bit, but managed to close that gap by the end of the race.

I messed what my teammates were telling me up. Since they were in the front for the 1st half of the race they didn't get dirty until the second 4k.

[maverick]

Originally Posted by 400m3200m

German is THE MOST talented runner that we have seen for a long time. It seems like whenever people put doubt on german fernandez this is when he especially does well. He may have gotten "dropped" or he might be saving a little something for NCAA's. Id be willing to bet its the second option tho

what would saving himself over the last 2k of an 8k race a month before nationals accomplish?

[Heracles]

Originally Posted by maverick

what would saving himself over the last 2k of an 8k race a month before nationals accomplish?

It was obviously a workout .

[TrackCoach]

I would not put too much stock in who won the race, with about 200 to go, Vail's body language is the only one of the OS guys who seemed totally focused on victory. And, someone mentioned that GF fell off the pace and caught back up as if that is an indication of GF's lack of fitness when in actualility, it's more difficult to to fall off the pace and catch back up than it is too stay on pace. I am not saying GF is going to beat CD or Chelanga at Nationals, but you certainly can't go by that Big 12 race for ceveral reasons, first, I think OS wanted Vail to win and being that OS was head-and-shoulders above the competition, Coach Smith had the luxary or training for and running that race any way he wanted to.

With that said, I think CD and Chelanga will finish ahead of GF at Nationals not because GF is hurt or having a bad season; CD and Chelanga are probably better 10K XC runners. In watching the differences in how CD and GF look when they run, one clearly looks like a middle distance runner and the other a long distance athlete. Any time you run sub-23s on legit 8k courses w/o pausing in the chute or bending over to catch your breath, you are in a rare category. This is what CD is doing this year and btw, Heath is not too far behind him.

[THEANILATOR]

german missed about 8 weeks of running, of course hes not going to be 100% percent, he will likely still be top 15 at nationals

[king99]

Top 15 is about the most conservative estimate I have heard so far.


You would sure as **** hope so... pretty safe bet off last year or you have to think he will run well every other race, a billion guys have done that.

As a 3:55 mile/7:47/13:25 and two time Junior Cross winner, anything other than a top ten is what?

[Equinox2100]

Originally Posted by king99

Top 15 is about the most conservative estimate I have heard so far.


You would sure as **** hope so... pretty safe bet off last year or you have to think he will run well every other race, a billion guys have done that.

As a 3:55 mile/7:47/13:25 and two time Junior Cross winner, anything other than a top ten is what?

Originally Posted by king99

backsliding, while Derrick rolls forward

lol did you take a breath in there between posts king? lulz.

and yes, for someone who got 11th in the WORLD as a junior, he should easily be top 15.

Easily?

Easily.

well it wont be easy, but he would have to **** up not too.

Easily if he kills himself.