As I sit in anticipation of the action warming up on the track here in the next few weeks, I’m wondering if we will see anyone rise up to challenge the “Dynamic Duo” of Usain Bolt and Tyson Gay in the men’s sprints. After all, this is an off season and it’s not uncommon to see athletes make major strides when all they have to do is train and compete without the confines of worrying about being ready for one particular competition – like the Olympics or World Championships. Of course to answer that question, one has to realize that the sprint game has changed dramatically over the last several…

As the outdoor season slowly gets going there were two clear standouts on the track. First would be Iowa State’s Lisa Koll who set a collegiate record in the 10,000 meters. Koll set a new record of 31:18.07 at the Stanford Invitational, taking down the previous best of 31:25.45 set back in 2008. Koll’s mark was a world leader and made her the sixth fastest American ever over the distance. More importantly it puts her very close to the 31:00 barrier, which if she can get under that would put her in true world class and make her competitive against the rest of the world’s top distance runners. Running this…

As I’ve said previously, this early portion of the season is dominated by relay meets at almost every level. Even what is generally the big kick off to the elite portion of the outdoor season (Penn Relays) features a “USA vs the World” section of relay events. However, with there being no global major this year and virtually no meets on the European Circuit offering relays, the Penn meet may just be the highlight of the season as far as international relay units are concerned. As much as I love relay competition, that may not be a bad thing for our US squads this year. Looking back at the last…

Such a quiet week in the sport. Coming off the indoor season it takes a minute before the elite athletes really begin to roll. We probably won’t see them really hit their stride until some time after the Penn Relays in late April. So what to do til then? No brainer – high school and college meets! This is actually my favorite time of year when it comes to track and field, because it’s the time of year when I can get up close and personal with the sport. With elite track and field there are few opportunities to go out and watch the athletes compete. Penn, Drake, Pre, Carson,…

As I start to look ahead at the season, one of the first things I’ve taken a look at is the new Diamond League. Of course, as has become the trend in the sport, the meets tend to be abbreviated versions of a “real” track meet – various events left out in an attempt to shorten/quicken the pace of the meet. While I fiercely am against that practice I will discuss it another time – it deserves its own attention. However, one of the things that I DO think should be included in the Diamond League competitions are – relays! Relays are typically one of the most exciting events at…

Temperatures here on the West Coast are entering the 70’s, and with the close of the indoor season that means that the spring portion of the track season is getting under way. I say the spring portion because that’s the time of year dominated primarily by relay meets and the collegiate season – the summer being dominated by the Grand Prix Circuit in Europe. Since there is no major global championship this year, the season should be one of high level competition as athletes will not be “saving” themselves for the Olympics or Worlds. As such “off seasons” tend to see a lot of athlete development – and we begin…

This was how the indoor season was supposed to be – closed in personal setting with lots of excitement. Give me eight to ten weeks of this every winter and I would be one happy camper. As a matter of fact, this is what track and field is supposed to be about – loaded fields and top notch competition competing in ALL of the available events! All available track event, all available field events and fans will stay glued all weekend long (let alone a full single day) as long as the competition is there! Plenty of articles out there covering all of the action, so I will hit what…

Another event where the NCAA meet could top the World Championships will be the men’s 400 meters. The world leader along with half of the top 10 in the world will be in Fayetteville to square off. Top entrants with their seasonal bests: 45.03 – Torrin Lawrence, Georgia45.24 – Kirani James, Alabama45.61 – Calvin Smith, Florida45.81 – Tabarie Henry, Texas A&M45.91 – Tony McQuay, Florida This is as deep an indoor college race as I’ve ever seen. Lawrence moved to #6 all time with his 45.03 and is on the verge of breaking the 45 second barrier. To solidify his status as the favorite he’s also run 45.10 as well…

The World Indoor Championships won’t be the only “big meet” taking place this weekend. Half a world away the NCAA will also be holding its indoor championships in Fayetteville Arkansas. Always an exciting meet in it’s own right, the NCAA could have one of the hottest races of the weekend – the men’s 200. Top Entrants with their seasonal bests: 20.67 – Calvin Smith (Florida)20.67 – Charles Clark (Florida St)20.69 – Curtis Mitchell (Texas A&M)20.76 – Marcus Rowland (Auburn)20.77 – Rondell Sorrillo (Kentucky) This race has 16 entrants with seasonal bests squeezed between 20.67 and 20.97 – talk about a loaded event! Curtis Mitchell started the season hot running his…

The indoor season will end this weekend with the World Indoor Championships in Doha, Qatar. While the season itself has been somewhat unspectacular, the grand finale should be quite exciting as there are several high quality match ups. Perhaps the hottest match up of the weekend could be the men’s 60 hurdles. Top Entrants with their seasonal bests: 7.41 – Terrance Trammell (USA)7.44 – Dayron Robles (CUB)7.44 – Petr Svboda (CZE)7.49 – David Oliver (USA) The world leader on the clock, Terrence Trammell has been swift all season. He has burst from the blocks and taken control of every race he’s been in early – forcing the rest of the…