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Start Lists (updated 6/20) Jim Spier's Junior Lists (eligibles for Beijing; updated 6/20) Previous Years |
Pedal to the MetalDanielle Tauro Has Been Unstoppable By SteveU Surely this will end at World Juniors in six weeks. Surely in Beijing there will be someone who will really, truly push her at 1500 meters, make her lose that serene look on her face, challenge that impeccable form, and make everyone wonder if she might actually lose at her specialty … won’t there?
Or maybe not. Maybe Danielle Tauro is destined to zoom smoothly past everyone she races against, as she did at USATF Saturday, as she did a week before at NON, as she has done all season, indoors and out. Indeed, it’s almost impossible to imagine the Southern Regional (Manahawkin) NJ jr. ever losing any more. Faced with a strong field that included Erin Bedell, a pretty awesome prep and first-year collegian in her own right, Tauro simply did as she’s done in every race this year – positioned herself in the right place, made her move at the right time, and won decisively in 4:24.53. Saying Danielle Tauro has a great kick feels kind of odd, because it doesn’t look like she’s really sprinting. Then you look at the watch and she’s done a 65 last 440 or 31 last 220, like she did in the NON mile last week, or a crushing 46.24 final 300, like she laid on Bedell and the rest of the field Saturday. She looks almost the same on her finish, except she’s moving a lot faster and her pursuers are fading behind her and (usually) losing their form. A healthy, truly fit Bedell might have offered a tougher challenge; as it was, Tauro had to run faster last week to overcome Anne St. Geme and Jordan Hasay. Here the pace went out in 72.84, led by University of Albany NY fr Jenna Ortman and Atholton MD jr Allison Smith. But there was no one in the Jordan Hasay role, willing to take the pace and push as hard as she could. So the next circuit slowed to 74.81 (2:27.65). Westfield (Spring) TX jr Nichole Jones, running her third race here, joined Smith and Ortman, running three abreast. The toughest thing Tauro had to do was get out of a box, which she had done by that point. Bedell, too, was boxed, but she tried to move on the inside after the 800 mark and lacked enough space. As the field came down the stretch toward the bell (3:20.3), Tauro gradually moved to the front. Finally, Bedell was loose and could run freely. 1200 meters went in 3:38.29 and the race was really on.
Around the final curve, Bedell seemed to be catching Tauro a bit, but the Southern Regional NJ junior’s kick is one of gradual acceleration. When she shifted into a higher gear in the final straight, it was all over. “It was slower than we thought it would be, but we make plans for every scenario,” she said. As fast as Tauro runs, and she has qualified time-wise for Beijing, the clock isn’t the top priority. “Getting a PB is always a goal … but it’s not really about the time.” She was a bit concerned about the box she got into, but “down the backstretch, I just kind of pushed my way out … and some people backed off so I could go to the outside.” Was Danielle nervous about the competition being a step beyond NON, at least in theory? “I was more nervous last week,” she said. “I’m becoming more confident. I felt pretty confident the last 200. “I’m really excited about going to China,” she added. “It will be my first big international trip.” As for Bedell, would she have liked to go earlier and not waited until so late? “It depended how the race played out,” she said. “There were plans to try and surge with 800 left, or 600 left. I decided to play it safe and wait until 200.” The Baylor freshman has been sick much of the spring and has struggled to get in consistent training, but instead of making excuses, she simply said, “Danielle is just amazing.” Well, that she is.
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