The CHill Zone of T&F: Conway's View From the Finish Line

USATF Championships Review

Jul 31st, 2019
1:57 pm PDT

For four days America's best track and field athletes got together in Des Moines Iowa to decide who would represent the US at the World Championships. Lots to say, some good, some bad, so let's start with the bad. I'm not sure what the selection process is for championship sites, and I understand that this meet is going to be held in the summer, but how many times have I seen this meet affected by rain? So on Championship Sunday we're hit by rain yet again Read More...

USATF Preview

Jul 16th, 2019
11:10 am PDT

We're a little over a week from the USATF Championships. No more competitions to watch. The time has finally arrived. And after months of meets - we still don't know much! With Worlds being so late, some athletes have been very cautious. Then there are the collegiate kids that have already peaked for a championship Read More...

Can the US Top the Podium After A Decade

Jun 13th, 2019
12:54 pm PDT

Ten years. A decade. A lot can happen in 10 years. Ten years ago, the iPhone made its debut - now no one can remember how we lived WITHOUT smartphones. Before that Blackberry and Nokia ruled the cell phone world, and if you were really cool you owned a Razr! Young people today can't remember either of those names with a market dominated by iPhones and Galaxy's Read More...

Ten Predictions for 2019

Dec 31st, 2018
8:55 am PST

I'm going to start the new year right. One, I'll be posting more. Not as much as I used to because I'm coaching. But a lot more than I have since my illnesses/surgeries. That said, I'm going to start with my predictions for 2019 - the first being that it's going to be a fun year for track and field. We've got a whole lot of new talent all over the track (& field) and many will be competing in their first World Championships Read More...

Pulling Up the Last Leg of 2018

Aug 10th, 2018
7:21 pm PDT

This has been a very interesting season. We knew that it would be, given that it's an off year and off seasons are usually marked by change - and 2018 has seen lots. As a matter of fact, we're looking at a nearly wholesale revamping on the men's side. I can't remember this great a reboot since BALCO laid waste to the landscape back just after the turn of the century Read More...

The Sprints New World Order

Jul 22nd, 2018
2:53 pm PDT

The "Old Guard" is officially gone. It took a long time as athletes have longer careers than in the past, but it still happens. The athletes that have dominated the world stage since 2004 have finally given way to the new generation of sprinters and hurdlers. When the next championship cycle begins in 2019, there will be a slew of new young athletes taking the podium Read More...

Future NOW

Jul 7th, 2018
1:23 pm PDT

The US sprint corp has been aging for some time now. The world has been mourning the retirement of Usain Bolt, but the truth is that America's best for more than a decade are right behind him. Consider that our top sprinter last year, World Champion Justin Gatlin, was 25 years old. Remarkably his title came 13 years after his Olympic title in Athens! Our global medal hopes have been in the hands of Gatlin, Allyson Felix, Tyson Gay, LaShawn Merritt, Sanya Richards Ross, Wallace Spearmon, and a few others for well over a decade Read More...

USATF Match Ups

Jun 21st, 2017
1:18 pm PDT

The NCAA's are in the books, and it was exciting as usual. There's something about the combination of great head to head match ups; team scoring; and relays that makes track and field everything it's supposed to be. At its core; it's why the Olympics are so exciting and well watched. Pay attention USATF and IAAF - especially Sebastian Coe Read More...

Where is US Sprinting Headed?

Nov 10th, 2016
12:03 pm PST

The US scored a huge medal haul in Rio - something always expected, but not always materialized. The expectations are always there because of our purported sprint and hurdle prowess. I say purported because in Rio it was our middle and long distance crew that led the way, as our sprint and hurdle crew has gotten a bit long in the tooth Read More...