Happy and healthy 2019 (plus some reflections on 2018)...
After our break over the Christmas and New Year’s holiday to spend time with family and friends, I’d like to open 2019 by wishing each of you a Happy New and Healthy New Year!
While I don’t like talking about my own personal running much at all, I can say that unfortunately, 2019 is starting out the same way that 2018 started, with a bum right Achilles tendon that I tweaked at the end of November and aggravated in early December after taking a week off.
I’m being made to feel guilty every day not running by the constant reminder on my Apple Watch flashing the words, “Running Today?” along with the failure to complete the three rings, not to mention the shoes staring at me wondering when they get to go run.
Some reflections on 2018:
—Since her move to Pullman in mid-2017 to work with Brad Walker, the Washington State jumps coach and (still) American record holder in the pole vault, Katie Nageotte (above/photo by Paul Merca) has taken her vaulting to a new level, becoming the fourth American woman to clear 16 feet in winning the US indoor championships in Albuquerque at 16-1.25 (4.91m).
She then took fifth at the world indoors in Birmingham, got third at the USA championships outdoors in Des Moines, and won the NACAC title over world #1 Sandi Morris in Toronto.
Nagotte was ranked #6 in the world and #3 in the US by Track & Field News.
—Drew Windle of the Brooks Beasts followed up his 2017 season of making the London World Championships team with a second place finish indoors in the 800 meters at the USA championships.
In perhaps one of the wildest races of the IAAF world indoor championships in Birmingham, Windle finished second, was disqualified for pushing winner Adam Kszczot of Poland, then was reinstated after an hour of appeals and protests.
Unfortunately, he had some health issues after the world indoors, and could not build upon the success from the 2017 outdoor season and the 2018 indoor campaign, and ended up not being ranked in the US top 10 by Track & Field News, as his 1:45.52 at world indoors was his season best.
—2018 was the end of a long run by Greg Metcalf as head coach of the University of Washington track & field program, after taking over for Orin Richburg in 2002.
Metcalf, who was one of the longest-tenured head coaches in the Pac-12 Conference, stepped down after allegations published by the UW Daily involving physical and verbal harassment, encouraging unhealthy eating habits, weight shaming, making profane statements about team members, and creating an unhealthy team culture.
Shortly after the NCAA championships, the school hired the husband-and-wife team of Andy and Maurica Powell away from the University of Oregon to lead the Huskies.
In the short term, the move away from Metcalf has paid dividends, with both squads finishing in the top ten at the NCAA cross country championships in November, the highest combined finish in school history.
The question remains whether or not they can maintain that momentum through the indoor and outdoor track seasons, though the Huskies have picked up several high profile transfers, with the most notable being reigning NCAA pole vault champ Olivia Gruver from Kentucky, who followed her coach, Toby Stevenson, to Seattle. There are naturally going to be questions concerning the Husky sprint and hurdle crew, with Jeshua Anderson moving up from a volunteer coaching position to a full time gig replacing Eric Metcalf, along with the loss of sprinters Ryan Croson and Iman Brown, who transferred to Baylor, and Oregon.
—One of the biggest recruiting coups was pulled off by Gonzaga, who signed the number one prep distance runner in the country in James Mwaura of Lincoln/Tacoma, the national leader in the 3200 and two mile.
Mwaura won his first two races for the Bulldogs, but hung in against meaningful competition at the Wisconsin Pre-Nationals, West Coast Conference, and NCAA regional cross country races, finishing tenth at the NCAA regionals, just outside of advancing to nationals as an individual.
—Two post collegians who made significant breakthroughs on the national scene in 2018 were hurdler CJ Allen and javelin thrower Bethany Drake (left/photo by Paul Merca).
Allen, who graduated from Washington State, finished sixth at the USA outdoor championships in the 400 hurdles, and matched his personal best 49.40 in Heusden to earn a #6 ranking from Track & Field News.
Drake, a former NCAA D2 champion out of Western Washington, finished fourth at the USA championships in the javelin, and threw a personal best 179-6 (54.71) to take second at the NACAC championship meet in Toronto.
I want to end 2018 by thanking several folks for their help. Those include the sports information offices at Western Washington, Seattle Pacific, University of Washington, Seattle University, Saint Martin’s University, Central Washington, Eastern Washington, Gonzaga, and Washington State, along with the Great Northwest Athletic Conference, USA Track & Field and the USTFCCCA; photographers Howard Lao (howlaophotography.com), Kirby Lee (Image of Sport), Randy Miyazaki (trackandfieldphoto.com). Jeff Cohen (trackandfieldimage.com), and Michael Scott; as well as the media relations contacts at Nike, Oiselle, Brooks, adidas; various agents of pro athletes (you know who you are); and the countless number of individuals who have sent social media messages or emailed me with tips, news, complaints.
A special shout out to Mark Moschetti at Seattle Pacific for winning his second USTFCCCA Excellence in Communications award, along with Linda Chalich at Washington State, who retired from her position as the main sports information contact for track and cross country. Linda won’t have to put up with my requests for photos, and information on athletes anymore…enjoy retirement!
2019 is a world championship year; that said, the world championships are at the end of September/early October in Doha, Qatar, so the training and racing calendars of certain folks will be changed. Several meets on the IAAF Diamond League schedule have been pushed back; additionally, the USA outdoor championships will be at the end of July in Des Moines, Iowa.
The bow on the 2018 season will be tied on January 6th with the unveiling of the Mercanator Awards…who will get the Mercanator?
While I don’t like talking about my own personal running much at all, I can say that unfortunately, 2019 is starting out the same way that 2018 started, with a bum right Achilles tendon that I tweaked at the end of November and aggravated in early December after taking a week off.
I’m being made to feel guilty every day not running by the constant reminder on my Apple Watch flashing the words, “Running Today?” along with the failure to complete the three rings, not to mention the shoes staring at me wondering when they get to go run.
Some reflections on 2018:
She then took fifth at the world indoors in Birmingham, got third at the USA championships outdoors in Des Moines, and won the NACAC title over world #1 Sandi Morris in Toronto.
Nagotte was ranked #6 in the world and #3 in the US by Track & Field News.
—Drew Windle of the Brooks Beasts followed up his 2017 season of making the London World Championships team with a second place finish indoors in the 800 meters at the USA championships.
In perhaps one of the wildest races of the IAAF world indoor championships in Birmingham, Windle finished second, was disqualified for pushing winner Adam Kszczot of Poland, then was reinstated after an hour of appeals and protests.
Unfortunately, he had some health issues after the world indoors, and could not build upon the success from the 2017 outdoor season and the 2018 indoor campaign, and ended up not being ranked in the US top 10 by Track & Field News, as his 1:45.52 at world indoors was his season best.
—2018 was the end of a long run by Greg Metcalf as head coach of the University of Washington track & field program, after taking over for Orin Richburg in 2002.
Metcalf, who was one of the longest-tenured head coaches in the Pac-12 Conference, stepped down after allegations published by the UW Daily involving physical and verbal harassment, encouraging unhealthy eating habits, weight shaming, making profane statements about team members, and creating an unhealthy team culture.
Shortly after the NCAA championships, the school hired the husband-and-wife team of Andy and Maurica Powell away from the University of Oregon to lead the Huskies.
In the short term, the move away from Metcalf has paid dividends, with both squads finishing in the top ten at the NCAA cross country championships in November, the highest combined finish in school history.
The question remains whether or not they can maintain that momentum through the indoor and outdoor track seasons, though the Huskies have picked up several high profile transfers, with the most notable being reigning NCAA pole vault champ Olivia Gruver from Kentucky, who followed her coach, Toby Stevenson, to Seattle. There are naturally going to be questions concerning the Husky sprint and hurdle crew, with Jeshua Anderson moving up from a volunteer coaching position to a full time gig replacing Eric Metcalf, along with the loss of sprinters Ryan Croson and Iman Brown, who transferred to Baylor, and Oregon.
—One of the biggest recruiting coups was pulled off by Gonzaga, who signed the number one prep distance runner in the country in James Mwaura of Lincoln/Tacoma, the national leader in the 3200 and two mile.
Mwaura won his first two races for the Bulldogs, but hung in against meaningful competition at the Wisconsin Pre-Nationals, West Coast Conference, and NCAA regional cross country races, finishing tenth at the NCAA regionals, just outside of advancing to nationals as an individual.
Allen, who graduated from Washington State, finished sixth at the USA outdoor championships in the 400 hurdles, and matched his personal best 49.40 in Heusden to earn a #6 ranking from Track & Field News.
Drake, a former NCAA D2 champion out of Western Washington, finished fourth at the USA championships in the javelin, and threw a personal best 179-6 (54.71) to take second at the NACAC championship meet in Toronto.
I want to end 2018 by thanking several folks for their help. Those include the sports information offices at Western Washington, Seattle Pacific, University of Washington, Seattle University, Saint Martin’s University, Central Washington, Eastern Washington, Gonzaga, and Washington State, along with the Great Northwest Athletic Conference, USA Track & Field and the USTFCCCA; photographers Howard Lao (howlaophotography.com), Kirby Lee (Image of Sport), Randy Miyazaki (trackandfieldphoto.com). Jeff Cohen (trackandfieldimage.com), and Michael Scott; as well as the media relations contacts at Nike, Oiselle, Brooks, adidas; various agents of pro athletes (you know who you are); and the countless number of individuals who have sent social media messages or emailed me with tips, news, complaints.
A special shout out to Mark Moschetti at Seattle Pacific for winning his second USTFCCCA Excellence in Communications award, along with Linda Chalich at Washington State, who retired from her position as the main sports information contact for track and cross country. Linda won’t have to put up with my requests for photos, and information on athletes anymore…enjoy retirement!
2019 is a world championship year; that said, the world championships are at the end of September/early October in Doha, Qatar, so the training and racing calendars of certain folks will be changed. Several meets on the IAAF Diamond League schedule have been pushed back; additionally, the USA outdoor championships will be at the end of July in Des Moines, Iowa.
The bow on the 2018 season will be tied on January 6th with the unveiling of the Mercanator Awards…who will get the Mercanator?
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