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dave devine | recovery lap

 >> Dave Devine ARCHIVES
06 . 04 . 09
We look at a lot of meet results here at DyeStat.  We process performances and attend meets and write about them on deadline.  Somewhere around the middle of the week, I'm always looking for a breather, a little break, a short recovery before the next onslaught of invites and mega-meets. Maybe watch a few videos. Surf the web. Find a good story or two. As a runner and a coach, I learned the value of rest between hard efforts. As an editor, I'm planning to bring you along.  Let's go run a lap.

Got something for the 'Lap? Send it HERE.
the top shot


Todd Beamer HS wins Washington 4A State Meet 4x100 - Photo by Robert Rosenberg  


prepping for pre

At the beginning of this week, organizers of the Prefontaine Classic announced that Lake Oswego OR senior and 800-meter junior class record-holder Elijah Greer was being added to the Sunday fast heat of the Mens 800.  Every year, the Pre Classic considers a handful of high schoolers for the high profile meet, but this year the fields are so outstanding and deep, there was speculation no preps would make the cut.  Greer's coach, Bob Williams, made a strong case to meet director Tom Jordan that Elijah is ready to break Michael Granville's 1996 national 800 record of 1:46.45, based on recent workouts which included a 1:18.3 600m time trial.   Even with his PR of 1:47.68, Elijah--who we profiled in a lengthy piece earlier this spring-- will be hard-pressed to keep up with a field which almost exclusively features Olympic-caliber athletes.

With Granville's record back in the spotlight, it's worth taking a look at a great interview conducted by Flotrack's Ryan Fenton that was recently posted on their site.  Hear how he dealt with the disappoinment of never getting faster in college, and what he's up to now.  Below, you'll also find what remains the greatest prep moment ever at the Pre Classic (and the last time a high schooler set a national record there): Alan Webb's otherworldly 3:53.43.  Say what you will about Webb's career since (and there are many with opinions), this is a run that still leaves you shaking your head.  Perhaps the best moment of all, however, is after the race, when El-G gives Webb a playful ear tweak and invites him on the victory lap.

Ryan Fenton's interview with Michael Granville:


Alan Webb sets the high school USR in the mile at the Pre Classic.




catching up with sjm1368

  Photo by Erik Palmer, trackwire.com



Longtime DyeStatters remember the frequent TrackTalk posts and rapid rise to miling fame of Texan Steve Magness, who went by "sjm1368" on the message boards.  Magness knows a thing or two about what it takes to compete with the pros at the Prefontaine Classic, as he was a participant in the Bowerman mile as a high school senior in 2003 (left).  Steve didn't break 4 minutes that day (4:01.02), and he hasn't since, after coming tantalizing close earlier in his high school senior campaign. 


But "Scuba Steve" is still getting after it, running post-collegiately in Washington DC now, with...yes, Alan Webb and Coach Scott Raczko, and maintaining his own training blogPreRaceJitters.com has posted an enlightening podcast this week featuring Magness, hosted by John W. Davis. This is what Davis has to say about the interview:

We discuss his new affiliation with DC Elite (Coach Raczko and Alan Webb), German Fernandez’s “It Factor” and how it feels to be a 24-year-old post collegiate runner with a mile PR from your Senior year in high school. (4:01.02 in the Mile at 2003 Prefontaine Classic).

Overall, Steve seems focused and in good spirits about truly giving post collegiate running, the goold ole’ college try that never seemed to translate on the track during his time at Rice University or the University of Houston.


state meet to cherish

I was up at the Washington 2A-3A-4A State Meet last weekend, hanging out for three days of track and field goodness with some of the other media types, including Flotrack's Ryan Fenton, who recorded the Granville interview above.  We talked to a lot of high school athletes over the course of three days, heard some great stories and witnessed some super accomplishments, but few interviews matched the exuberance, enthusiasm and overall mojo/moxy of Blaine High School freshman Cherish Morrison.  Not only did she win four golds (100, 200, 400 and leadoff of the 4x200) in leading her school to the 2A state title, she gives a great interview.  Still can't believe this girl is a freshman.  Ryan captured this great segment, right after I spoke with her on microphone.  She's certainly one to watch:





can i buy a vowel?

The National Spelling Bee was on ESPN this week, and while it's still debatable whether "Spelling" qualifies as a sport (in the same way that, say, Poker and Tire Flipping does), there's no doubt that this event annually delivers.  The big showdown this year hung on the word "apodyterium," and after last year's runner-up whiffed on that word, Kavya Shivashankar brought home the title by straight-up nailing "Laodicean."  If you're so inclined, you can watch a replay of the entire Bee on ESPN 360, but for my money, the highlight video below containing a montage of some of the best moments through the years, pretty much suffices. 

You have to love the kid who says, "I'm probably a goner."



one-woman team title

With the rescheduled Texas state meet starting up tomorrow, we also bring you this from ESPN RISE: the story of a girl from a tiny Class A Texas school who won the state meet by herself last year.   One of only three Texans in history to have won a solo state team title, Bonnie Richardson hails from Rochelle High, a school with an enrollment of 59 students. 


  Teresa Baker/ESPNRISE

Last year, reports ESPN RISE writer Jeff Miller, Richardson

knew her times in the 100- and 200-meter races at last year's Texas Class A state track meet wouldn't have meant much against the girls from the big schools. Same thing for her distances in the discus and long jump, and her height in the high jump.

But on the opening day of the two-day event at the University of Texas' Mike A. Myers Stadium in Austin, she finished second in the long jump, third in the discus and won the high jump. The next day, she placed second in the 100 and won the 200.

She was the only girl representing Rochelle High School. After the P.A. announcer asked the teams for Rochelle, Chilton and Seymour to report to the awards stand, Rochelle girls track coach Jym Dennis finally told her what he'd figured out only a few events before the finish.

Richardson had personally won the team championship, compiling 42 points in her five events.


Bonnie Richardson returns to the Texas state meet this year as a senior, having again qualified in all five events.  We'll see if she can repeat her feat.



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