[unclechuck]

The Stanford Invitational is this Friday and Saturday in Palo Alto. It's become a very good early season meet, particularly for distance events. Many of the top Pac12 athletes will be on hand. Stanford programs are in a rising phase after a couple years lull with a number of impressive athletes.

http://www.gostanford.com/sports/c-track...12aab.html

Moreover, we have verbal commits from two elite HS middle/distance runners for the women's team: 2 time CA state champ and current national record holder in the 800m Amy Weissenbach of LA's Harvard Westlake HS

http://www.athletic.net/TrackAndField/At...ID=1588409

Plus, in a real shocker, 17-year old high school senior, and Stanford commit, Cayla Hatton from the Phillips Academy in MA who ran a 33:17 10k over the weekend in a mixed gender race @ Tufts. That's an Olympic Trials B qualifier and the #2 all time best for high school.

Here's a really nice piece about her stunning return from a couple years of injury that kept her from competing:

http://espn.go.com/blog/high-school/trac...-10k-debut

Here's the race (Tufts Snowflake 10K), if you want to play it in the background while reading the article. Pretty entertaining as the announcer goes from repeating "and that woman is still up with the lead pack" to "oh wow, that female competitor is going to have a really good time."

www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrUY86...eature=youtu.be

[unclechuck]

The Stanford Invitational is this Friday and Saturday in Palo Alto. It's become a very good early season meet, particularly for distance events. Many of the top Pac12 athletes will be on hand. Stanford programs are in a rising phase after a couple years lull with a number of impressive athletes.

http://www.gostanford.com/sports/c-track...12aab.html

Moreover, we have verbal commits from two elite HS middle/distance runners for the women's team: 2 time CA state champ and current national record holder in the 800m Amy Weissenbach of LA's Harvard Westlake HS

http://www.athletic.net/TrackAndField/At...ID=1588409

Plus, in a real shocker, 17-year old high school senior, and Stanford commit, Cayla Hatton from the Phillips Academy in MA who ran a 33:17 10k over the weekend in a mixed gender race @ Tufts. That's an Olympic Trials B qualifier and the #2 all time best for high school.

Here's a really nice piece about her stunning return from a couple years of injury that kept her from competing:

http://espn.go.com/blog/high-school/trac...-10k-debut

Here's the race (Tufts Snowflake 10K), if you want to play it in the background while reading the article. Pretty entertaining as the announcer goes from repeating "and that woman is still up with the lead pack" to "oh wow, that female competitor is going to have a really good time."

www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrUY86...eature=youtu.be

[fullmetal]

One day there's going to be enough alumni interest to get a group together for the Texas Relays--the Stanford T&F teams did fairly well from what I read on gostanford.com.  They'll be back for NCAA Regionals in late May though, so perhaps there will be more interest (and less concern for crowds, etc--Texas Relays is considered an extremely crowded/boisterous weekend to be out in Austin).

[fullmetal]

One day there's going to be enough alumni interest to get a group together for the Texas Relays--the Stanford T&F teams did fairly well from what I read on gostanford.com.  They'll be back for NCAA Regionals in late May though, so perhaps there will be more interest (and less concern for crowds, etc--Texas Relays is considered an extremely crowded/boisterous weekend to be out in Austin).

[yvonne]

Uncle Chuck, keep the track news coming!

I competed in track, and for a long time, it was my favorite sport. It fell off as I was unable to keep up with the news. (Yeah, I worked for T&FN when I was straight out of Stanford.) I also got disillusioned during the doping scandals.

[yvonne]

Uncle Chuck, keep the track news coming!

I competed in track, and for a long time, it was my favorite sport. It fell off as I was unable to keep up with the news. (Yeah, I worked for T&FN when I was straight out of Stanford.) I also got disillusioned during the doping scandals.

[unclechuck]

Uncle Chuck, keep the track news coming!

I competed in track, and for a long time, it was my favorite sport. It fell off as I was unable to keep up with the news. (Yeah, I worked for T&FN when I was straight out of Stanford.) I also got disillusioned during the doping scandals.

My goodness, a former scribe for The Bible of the Sport; now I'm going to have to watch myself on this platform as well :-X

Similar background for me: very taken with T&F in 70s but the mendacious governing bodies and the doping biz lost me too. Plus, as you said, it was just hard to keep up with it.

North County San Diego has a lot of high quality high school T&F that gets pretty good coverage and I have friends whose kids compete so I started following it again a few years ago.

Current Stanford freshman middle distance runner Alli Billmeyer had a nice career just up the road from me, and in following her I became aware of another current freshman, New Yorker Aisling Cuffe, who was the top ranked HS girl in the 1600 and 3200 last year. So, starting to see kind of a nice pattern here - national recruiting working once again for the Farm.

Plus, internet access to meet results / videos continues to improve yearly, so the sport is becoming easier to follow from afar.

For me, T&F is somewhere between baseball and horse racing on the 'competition per minute' continuum so, as with those sports, a lot of the enjoyment is contingent on a reasonable knowledge of tactics, technique, training & goals, competitors' status etc. Pretty nerd-centric and lots of time between races / events to ruminate and speculate with other spectators between the bursts of activity, which can be breathtaking.

Will be happy to contribute when I can, but not sure I have lead dog capabilities.

[unclechuck]

Uncle Chuck, keep the track news coming!

I competed in track, and for a long time, it was my favorite sport. It fell off as I was unable to keep up with the news. (Yeah, I worked for T&FN when I was straight out of Stanford.) I also got disillusioned during the doping scandals.

My goodness, a former scribe for The Bible of the Sport; now I'm going to have to watch myself on this platform as well :-X

Similar background for me: very taken with T&F in 70s but the mendacious governing bodies and the doping biz lost me too. Plus, as you said, it was just hard to keep up with it.

North County San Diego has a lot of high quality high school T&F that gets pretty good coverage and I have friends whose kids compete so I started following it again a few years ago.

Current Stanford freshman middle distance runner Alli Billmeyer had a nice career just up the road from me, and in following her I became aware of another current freshman, New Yorker Aisling Cuffe, who was the top ranked HS girl in the 1600 and 3200 last year. So, starting to see kind of a nice pattern here - national recruiting working once again for the Farm.

Plus, internet access to meet results / videos continues to improve yearly, so the sport is becoming easier to follow from afar.

For me, T&F is somewhere between baseball and horse racing on the 'competition per minute' continuum so, as with those sports, a lot of the enjoyment is contingent on a reasonable knowledge of tactics, technique, training & goals, competitors' status etc. Pretty nerd-centric and lots of time between races / events to ruminate and speculate with other spectators between the bursts of activity, which can be breathtaking.

Will be happy to contribute when I can, but not sure I have lead dog capabilities.

[unclechuck]

One day there's going to be enough alumni interest to get a group together for the Texas Relays--the Stanford T&F teams did fairly well from what I read on gostanford.com.  They'll be back for NCAA Regionals in late May though, so perhaps there will be more interest (and less concern for crowds, etc--Texas Relays is considered an extremely crowded/boisterous weekend to be out in Austin).

That does look like a great meet. I saw the results of the men's 4X400 showdown between U.SC & TAMU; incredible race and stunning times for this early in the season. Cardinal men had a very nice 4X1500 as well.

[unclechuck]

One day there's going to be enough alumni interest to get a group together for the Texas Relays--the Stanford T&F teams did fairly well from what I read on gostanford.com.  They'll be back for NCAA Regionals in late May though, so perhaps there will be more interest (and less concern for crowds, etc--Texas Relays is considered an extremely crowded/boisterous weekend to be out in Austin).

That does look like a great meet. I saw the results of the men's 4X400 showdown between U.SC & TAMU; incredible race and stunning times for this early in the season. Cardinal men had a very nice 4X1500 as well.

[needle]

Does anyone have any thoughts on Regina Jacobs not being inducted into Stanford's Hall of Fame?

I doubt very much she will ever be inducted after being busted for doping in the twilight of her career.

At Stanford, she was a four-time cross country All-American.

[needle]

Does anyone have any thoughts on Regina Jacobs not being inducted into Stanford's Hall of Fame?

I doubt very much she will ever be inducted after being busted for doping in the twilight of her career.

At Stanford, she was a four-time cross country All-American.

[BobK]

I'm a brobdingnagian T&F fan and will spend the next two days and nights at Stanford.  Better be warmer than tonight, too cold for me to go to Sotfball.

I post my Big Meet Dope Sheet here late next week.  It's April 14, have to miss the Spring FOotball game.

[BobK]

I'm a brobdingnagian T&F fan and will spend the next two days and nights at Stanford.  Better be warmer than tonight, too cold for me to go to Sotfball.

I post my Big Meet Dope Sheet here late next week.  It's April 14, have to miss the Spring FOotball game.

[akiddoc]

Strange thing is, I see Jacobs here and there every year. In restaurants, grocery stores, etc. She's a real estate agent in the east bay. Used to say hi to her before the scandal, though she was very shy. Wouldn't know what to say now. Think she might have been coaching a little in the past. Saw her running with some kids at Merritt College.

[akiddoc]

Strange thing is, I see Jacobs here and there every year. In restaurants, grocery stores, etc. She's a real estate agent in the east bay. Used to say hi to her before the scandal, though she was very shy. Wouldn't know what to say now. Think she might have been coaching a little in the past. Saw her running with some kids at Merritt College.

[akiddoc]

33:17 on the track. That's crazy fast. Already in contention to win the 10,000 at the NCAA's - if she can learn to run in warmer weather. That race was under 40 degrees.

[akiddoc]

33:17 on the track. That's crazy fast. Already in contention to win the 10,000 at the NCAA's - if she can learn to run in warmer weather. That race was under 40 degrees.