5 Important Steps for the Track and Field Union

"I'd like to thanks my sponsor underneath this tape"
(Photo: TrackAndFieldPhoto)

After a brief, post-Olympic hiatus, I'm back. Lots to talk about with the cross country season now in full swing and the talk of track and field unionizing. This opinion piece is the byproduct of 32 ounces of dark roast Blue State Coffee and a true desire to help the sport thrive now, and in the future. Note: I am a supporting member of TFAA.

If you had't heard yet, Track and Field is unionizing. This has been brewing for a few years with the development of the Track and Field Athletes Association aka TFAA. What started as a small group of enthusiasts, has gained some major traction with the endorsement and membership of the biggest name in the sport, Usain Bolt. Now is the time to really push the agenda to truly professionalize the sport and give the athletes more ownership of their earning potential.

But what can they do? There's tons of ideas floating around and every athlete has different wants and needs. That in mind, these are the 5 things I think should be at the top of the agenda.

1. Make joining the union a necessity
For a union to work, everyone must be a part of it. Every player in the NFL is part of the players union. Same goes for any other major sport. This must be the same for track and field. You must have a united front to bargain with USATF, the IAAF and the IOC. If everyone is acting on their own, nothing will change. A united union must stand together and act as the only pool of athletes that the Diamond League can select from. Rogue athletes must be treated like scabs. Why so harsh you might ask? Go to #2.

2. Implement a stronger international drug testing pool
Aside from cycling, track and field comes under the most scrutiny for drug use. Just watch the Olympics and you'll see athletes come out of nowhere every four years, win medals, then never be heard from again. To thrive, the sport must police itself. A union must strengthen the relationship with WADA, USADA (in the US) and the national anti-doping organizations from every nation that has members in the union. The rules must be strict and must include every level of testing that is available (biological passport, human growth test, etc). Every athlete must back this force meet directors to shun those who choose not to participate in the necessary testing.

Lets make these OK to wear in a Diamond League meet

3. Get sponsor rules changed
For athletes to thrive, the rules must change so that they can make a living; not just get by. I spoke with Matt Scherer outside of the Wild Duck Cafe at the Olympic Trials and noticed he was wearing a Picky Bars sweatband. Five feet away was Lauren Fleshman. So I pulled them together and asked, "why not wear a Picky Bars singlet while your racing?" That turned into "you've gotta get Picky Bars approved as a club with USATF, then it can only go in the upper right hand corner of the singlet." Why can't Picky Bars or say, McDonald's or Subway be a title sponsor. Or dare I say Budweiser or New Belgium; a beer company with major ties to cycling. Lead sponsors should not be limited to shoe companies. If Nike or Adidas want to sign an athlete to an exclusive contract, that's great! But the union should agree upon a multi-spot sponsor design and present it to USATF nationally and the IAAF internationally. An example of a multi-spot sponsor could be logos the center of the singlet, the upper left hand corner (as the upper right is reserved for club affiliation), the back of the singlet and then any shoulder temporary tattoos or sweat/headbands. I am not tied to any particular arrangement, but this is something that should be agreed upon and presented before the 2013 outdoor season. Think PGA more so than NASCAR.

4. Force the IOC's hand for the 2016 Olympics
If track and field comes as a united front, they can overturn rule #40, or at least change it to better accommodate the athletes. Track and field is arguably the centerpiece of Olympic competition and the athletes should be able to profit. The Olympics is 10 to 11-figure business and the athletes get almost nothing. This isn't 1912, or even 1984 for that matter. If getting paid is too much to ask, athletes should be able to promote their sponsors during the Olympics. That is why companies sponsor athletes that compete in "Olympic Sports." You must provide them some return on investment or they won't invest during those other four years. This is where Usain Bolt's leverage will help, as he has been the star of the past two Olympiads and certainly will be a focal point in Rio. Is the IOC going to turn him away? I doubt it.

5. Develop the Track Club system in an organized manner
When the Oregon Track Club was performing so well at the 2008 Olympic Trials, everyone wanted OTC gear. Shirts, singlets, warmups, etc. They are and excellent example of a well developed club with a well developed brand. The Oregon Project is starting to do the same. I keep waiting for Jerry Schumacher's group to officially brand itself "Rip City TC." Everyone in the union should join a club if they aren't on one already. It's an excellent marketing tool and almost demands that the IAAF allow that upper right hand logo. Remember how cool the Santa Monica Track Club was? MVP Track Club should have the same brand identity. They've got the two top sprinters in the world! I've never even seen a logo. The union could develop and promote international club championships where athletes only wear specially designed club gear. Those would be big bragging rights that would certainly entice TV outlets.

While I know these things won't happen overnight, I am hopeful. Things are materializing. If you need any help Khadevis, or want me to sit on a board, I'm here for you. I'll be happen to elaborate on any of these points in long form, just email me.

And with all this in mind, any step forward is a positive step, so lets get moving!

UPDATE: I went on The Runaround on ESPN Radio Baltimore on 10/1 with TFAA President, Khadevis Robinson, to discuss the union. Listen to the recording here.

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My 2 Spikes Worth: Sponsorship from a Hobby Jogger's perspective

On my usual Thursday afternoon drive home from Winston-Salem to Raleigh, I usually stop off somewhere along the way for a nice trail run. Yesterday, it was the Woodlands trails in Chapel Hill. If traffic is light, I'll usually check out Twitter and see what's going on. One thing I noticed yesterday was Oregon Track Club's Tyler Mulder tweeting out that he's "one of the newest members to be a part of @PowerBar Team Elite! Excited to see how the nutritional side will help me gain some edge!" Believe it or not, I was invited to be part of PowerBar Team Elite as well. I'm going to assume it's more on the prowess of the blog than the flames coming off my shoes in a high seventeen minute 5k. But you know what? I applied for it and they picked me. As Wayne Gretzky said, "You miss 100% of the shots you don't take." From looking at the roster of runners for PowerBar Team Elite, there are some people shooting, and some that are not. Some names I recognized were: Sam Chelanga, Jeffrey Eggleston, Zoila Gomez, Fasil Bizuneh, Molly Pritz, Colleen DeReuck, Zach Hine, Jesse Armijo, Shayla Houlihan, Tyler McCandless, Erin Bedell, John Jefferson, Wendy Thomas, Ryan Vail, Mike McKeeman (Tar Heel), Jimmy Grabow, Ricky Flynn, Danny Mercado, Nick Arciniaga, Stephan Shay and my friend, Joe Moore, who had a great quote on his blog about the sponsorship. "Now all the money I blow on PowerBars, I can save to blow on something stupid. This is a good deal especially because PowerBar makes tons of different stuff. Should be sweet."

Many thanks to PowerBar for the two year sponsorship that is very generous. Hopefully more companies will follow their lead in such a large sponsorship campaign. And if you missed the boat this time, mark your calendar for fall 2013, when they'll open it back up. Lesson to be learned? Unless you've got a deal with another drink company, a la Gatorade, Hammer, etc, apply for stuff like this. The worst they can say is no. The application may take 30 minutes and the payout is worth it.

Another tweet that caught my eye this week was from steeplechaser Derek Scott. "Not fast enough for big shoe contract? Go seek out local options and rep your city. People are willing to help!" He's right. There are tons of great running specialty stores across the country that are willing to help fledgling elites (and non-running stores, for that matter). Once again, I am no elite, but have a nice sponsorship with Raleigh's Capital RunWalk (formerly The Athlete's Foot, Cameron Village). What does this get me? I get some nice gear, free entries to local races and a nice discount at the store. And if I were "elite," like the Elite Racing Team coordinator at the store, USATF 8k Champ and former World Cross competitor, Bobby Mack, I'd get travel to road races and bonuses based on performance. If you are going to the Olympic Trials this summer in Eugene or are on the cusp and trying to get a qualifier, go search out your local running store. I'm sure they'll make it worth your while to wear their kit or logo while you're winning road races and competing at big track meets around the country.

Finally, the elusive shoe deal. Who doesn't want one? We all hear about Matt Centrowitz or Jenny Simpson's deals and druel a little, but that's not reality for most folks. What is reality for many elites is some kind of gear deal or discounted gear deal, or if affiliated with a running store, a "we'll give you six pairs of shoes and three pairs of racing flats" kind of deal. If Ray Flynn isn't banging down your door to get a meeting together for you and Phil Knight, there are some nice options. The Brooks ID team is a nice one worth checking out if you are borderline elite/sub-elite and then there's the tier below that, which I am a part of, the Brooks Fanatics team. This still gets you some nice deals on races and monthly offers that are usually 30-40% off shoes and apparel at BrooksRunning.com. Nothing wrong with that! Also, companies like Running Warehouse offer excellent deals for clubs. I got my running club at work a fifteen percent discount code, which is great, and took five minutes to hammer out an email.

So what can you do to make yourself more marketable and get some of these deals?

1. Tweet
And when I say tweet, think "content is king." If you're Andrew Wheating and have run a 3:30 1500, you can get by with "Anybody else notice the Papa Johns guy always twitches his head when he says their slogan?? So annoying!" But if you're still coming up, try and put something out there that people can dig into a little bit.

2. Blog
You don't have to give a blow by blow on your training, but a little look into the crystal ball about how you get there will make people keep coming back.

3. Have a website
This doesn't have to be anything special and can be the host of your blog or just a link to your Twitter/Facebook/Email. When people search for you online after you rip a good race, this is what will pop up first in a Google search. Don't you want to control that and not have it link to some message board post?

4. Be available
This doesn't mean you have to answer every shoutout on twitter or fan request, but don't make it seem like you don't have time for anyone. A few years ago, when my right hamstring first started acting up, I was watching a meet on TV when Leo Manzano said he had been taking some downtime due to hamstring issues. I emailed him about it, and sure enough, he replied back in a few hours with some great information. That goes a long way. Pass on the knowledge!

5. Be yourself
Not everyone is a marketing guru like Josh Cox and trying to be something you're not may rub people the wrong way, or make you feel uncomfortable. If marketing isn't your thing, find a friend that's willing to help. Doesn't have to be a manager/agent type relationship, just someone who's willing to help you put together a plan and email some people. If you have any questions, feel free to email me. I'd be happy to help you, pro bono.

Footnote: But what if I outperform my "gear deal"
If you sign a small potatoes deal and outperform it, renegotiate, opt-out or have an escalator clause that says if I run x, I get y! If you've got a "deal" with Gary's Track Shack and Adidas wants an exclusive, it's gonna work out. I worked in the music business right out of college and had a showcase for one of my bands that ended up gaining them an offer of $50,000 for 50% of the publishing to four songs (from an executive of a company that makes bags that women like). The band had just signed a distribution deal and had never been on the radio. I said take it. They scoffed. The songs were recorded and a year later, the distro deal got weird and they couldn't ever release the songs. Money lost my friends. When money's on the table, take it! If you kill it and go to the Olympics, you're gonna get paid. Don't keep holding out for a better deal that may not be out there.

Now go find a sponsor, no matter how little. People want to align themselves with people that work hard and no one works harder than a competitive distance runner. And yeah, it's an Olympic year, milk it!

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My 2 Spikes Worth: Why Foot Locker and Nike Cross Nationals can coexist

Facing the choice, Edward Cheserek chose Foot Locker 

For years, I've been a staunch supporter of the Foot Locker Cross Country Championships. Being from Charlotte, I grew up around Foot Locker South. I ran it, my dad was the announcer and I even did my high school senior project on "the only true national championship in high school sports." When Nike came in, I wasn't sure what to think, but I didn't like the idea of watering down a unique event like Foot Locker.

At first, when Nike branded their new championship, "Nike Team Nationals," I didn't think twice. Cool, a national team championship. Being on a high school team that finished top five in the state three times in my four years, I liked the idea. Then Nike changed their tune. "Nike Cross Nationals" was the new name and they wanted it all. Why wouldn't they? Cross Country is the third most participated sport in high school sports (behind swimming and track), and that's a lot of consumers. It seemed like just last year that they may take over what Foot Locker had built, but after attending the Nike Cross Southeast Regional this weekend in Cary, NC, I see that Foot Locker is alive and well, but that Nike has indeed carved out a cool niche that is indeed their team factor.

There are a few major differences that I have observed from comparing the two championships that give both a great deal of viability and show why both can exist:

1. Multiple Locations
Having multiple venues caters to (almost) everyone that wants to participate in a post-season meet. Nike is set up more like the NCAA system, with eight regional championships (plus auto qualifiers from the California state meet). This particularly serves runners in areas like Texas, who host the Nike Cross South Regional, but would have to travel all the way to Charlotte to compete at Foot Locker. That's certainly not in everyone's budget and it's nice that Nike Cross Regionals are more spread out. Foot Locker only has four. Aside from New York (which hosts Foot Locker Northeast, Nike Cross Northeast and Nike Cross New York) and North Carolina (which hosts Nike Cross Southeast and Foot Locker South), the regional meets are held in different states, to make travel as easy and as affordable as possible.

2. Nike is a true team championship, qualifying for the regional alone is impressive
At the Nike Cross Southeast Regional, I saw some the best teams I've ever seen in person. Having to qualify as a top 20 team is not something to be taken lightly. Like winning a state championship, this is an accomplishment in itself. The team that won the meet on the boys side, Belen Jesuit (aka the Miami Magis), is by far the most impressive high school team I've ever seen. Their top five went 14:58, 15:32, 15:50, 15:52 and 15:56 on the honest Wake Med course. The winning girls team, Tatnall (aka Wilmington XC Club), went 17:11, 17:53, 18:16, 18:16, 18:31. Unreal! The fifth girls individual qualifier ran 18:22, which tells you all you need to know about how good Tatnall is and how much of a team competition, and not an individual competition Nike is. Also, their were only five races and the meet was much, much smaller than the Foot Locker meet 150 miles west. What lacked in quantity (with all of Foot Locker's grade races), was made up with the quality of the teams participating in the championship race.

3. Foot Locker is the true individual championship
It seems that the top preps were going back and forth for a few years, but it looks now that the best of the best (not affiliated with high performing teams), are choosing Foot Locker again. Why? Foot Locker is a true individual championship. 40 of the best boys and girls in the nation compete every year at historic Balboa Park in front of the top collegiate coaches in America, as well as their families, friends and rabid running fans. The course is excellent for sorting out the best of the best and the presentation is second to none. On the regional level, there are freshman races, sophomore races, middle school races, etc. It's all about the individual, and it gives everyone a chance to shine that may have been tucked back on their team all season. Here in North Carolina, two time Foot Locker National Qualifier, Thomas Graham, has chosen to forego racing in his hometown of Cary, NC, where Nike Cross Southeast is held, to race at Foot Locker South. That dream of making it to San Diego drives many individuals to Foot Locker; to follow in the footsteps of Chris Solinsky, Meb Keflezighi, Jordan Hasay and the many others that have stayed at the Hotel Del Coronado en route to prep glory.

Whichever your preference... both will be broadcast free online over the next few weeks. Nike Cross Nationals will be broadcast at 12:30 eastern, this Saturday, December 3rd, at NikeXC.com. Foot Locker will be live at 12:00 eastern, next Saturday, December 10th at http://footlockercc.com

I'll be excited to watch both!

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My 2 Spikes Worth: The not so mysterious case of Lukas Verzbicas

World Champion Triathlete, National Champion Runner

When you heard the news yesterday that Lukas Verzbicas had dropped out of the University of Oregon to focus on the triathlon full time, how surprised were you? Me, a little surprised, but not shocked. While I hate to see someone with so much running talent partially abandon his running career and head for the dark side that is the triathlon (kidding, of course), I am rational enough to understand why.

While Verzbicas had dominated the prep running scene in the United States for the last three years, his times don't measure up to what's going on internationally. In the triathlon, they do. One of the biggest factors that had to have been looming in his mind while he slogged through at few disappointing 8k's this fall, was the fact that just a few months earlier, he had won the World Junior Championship in the Triathlon.

"Decided to pursue my olympic dream and dedicate myself fully as a triathlete with the intention of making the 2012 USA Olympic team." 

-Verzbicas, yesterday on Twitter

Verzbicas reunites with Step-Father/Old coach in CO

While Verzbicas had committed to running full time earlier in the spring when he accepted a scholarship to run at the University of Oregon, he had not, at the time, claimed a World Championship. Also, over the summer, his step-father, and former co-coach, Romas Bertulis, was named head coach at the Elite Triathlon Academy in Colorado Springs, CO. The stars were aligning for a way out, if the whole collegiate running thing didn't go the way that Verzbicas had hoped. Unfortunately, for running fans, it didn't, but something tells me the wheels were in motion the day that Bertulis accepted the job in Colorado.

One of two races as an Oregon Duck

So what now for Verzbicas? He mentioned that his immediate goal is to begin training for the 2012 Olympics. One question I have is, could it not have waited two weeks? He will suffer some well deserved backlash for leaving his fellow Oregon Ducks a few days before regionals to follow his dream. Also, as Competitor's Mario Fraoili mentioned yesterday on Twitter, Verzbicas is not a US Citizen. While I am sure this is something that can be fast-tracked (no pun intended) for someone like Verzbicas, it is still a hurdle. Between that and moving up the ranks in the complicated Olympic qualifying process that the USA Triathlon has, he'll have his hands full.

Will Gatorade come calling?

And what about the sponsors? Who will be first aboard? Will Nike, the underbelly of the school he just shunned get into the Triathlon game, step up and be the first? I doubt it, at least not yet. Verzbicas is an undeniable star, but his abrupt exit from the running game will rub many fans the wrong way. There's been a lot of initial backlash from the community that doesn't necessary "get the triathlon."  If the Triathlon continues to grow, Nike will likely get more involved, but my guess is that his early options will be more along the K-Swiss or Newton level, with obvious potential opportunities with Gatorade, GU, Speedo, Trek, Specialized, etc.

Personally, I can't blame Verzbicas for doing what he's best in. I don't like the timing, but as Hunter S. Thompson said, "When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro." I don't think there could be a more fitting quote about the subject, as with all the speculation over the past few days before the announcement, things were most certainly weird. I certainly wish Verzbicas the best and hope he does make the 2012 Olympic team. It will give me more of a reason to follow the sport, but don't expect there to be a whole lot of coverage here or adoption by most US running fans. I've run and followed the sport of Track and Field for twenty years. I will watch the Ironman replay when it's on NBC. That's how I, and many, many running fans feel about the Tri. I hope Verzbicas realizes this when the throngs of running fans begin to look for the next big thing and let him do his three a days in peace.

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My 2 Spikes Worth: What does the US Women's Soccer run mean for Track?

Here today, gone tomorrow?

As a former soccer player and a fan of Team USA, I loved the run the women went on that ended a few PK's short of a World Cup title. I equally enjoyed the Men's run in 2010. Most Americans enjoy soccer during the World Cup as well. The question always turns to, what will this mean for soccer in the US beyond the World Cup? The same thing seems to happen with Track and Field around the Olympics. People get excited about certain people and certain stories. In Beijing, it was certainly Usain Bolt, his world records and his lightning bolt pose. In Atlanta, it was Michael Johnson, his unbelievable 200 and of course, his golden shoes. Will there be a moment where Track takes over Twitter like the US Women's Soccer team did yesterday during the 2012 London Olympics? More importantly, will it matter if they do beyond that moment?

There is a lot of chatter about whether or not Track matters anymore to the public and "what can we do to make Track more popular to the average person." I don't particularly think Track will ever catch on in the public spectrum and I'm okay with it.

Do you remember me?

First off, when track was popular, there weren't as many options. ABC's Wide World of Sports showed Track all the time and was almost required viewing. Now we have over 1000 channels. The NHL had to shut down for over a year to fix itself (and it has an entire country behind it). The NBA looks like it's about to take a long vacation as well.

Now while I am okay with track's current status, my only worry is the question of : Is Track sustainable in it's current state? I sure hope so. I was pretty bummed when Dick Patrick was let go from USA Today. But I was pretty happy when NBC won the bid for the Olympics through 2020. Why you ask? Well, that pretty much ensures that Universal Sports (an NBC imprint) will be around until then. Universal Sports shows the Diamond League, which is essentially the Premier League for Track. In some shape or form, NBC also owns Versus, home of the Tour de France, which in my opinion, is the best endurance event on television.

Also, there are people outside of the mainstream that are keeping Track poplular amongst it's current fanbase. One can hardly imagine a world without the "World Famous Message Boards" of LetsRun.com. I can't say enough about what I think Flotrack and Runnerspace have done for the sport. I can only imagine the hours that people like Ryan Fenton and Ian Terpin have put in to cover high school to professional running. There are a few professional journalists out there, including Ken Goe and Doug Binder, that do an excellent job of covering the sport. Then there are plenty of cottage industry types, like Jesse Squire (the Track & Field Superfan), that have other jobs and cover the sport because they love it. As long as there are people like this, Track will survive.

The Men's Marathon will close the London Olympics

When I was in Eugene covering the Prefontaine Classic this year, I met a bunch of high schoolers on a road trip. They had driven from Minnesota to Coos Bay to Eugene, and were heading to Portland after Pre for a nighttime 5k road race. That reminded me that Cross Country is the one of the most popular high school sports in America. The potential cult fan base will always be there. If you are a coach, show your team the Prefontaine movies, show them Chris Solinsky's 26:59 on Flotrack, have a showing at school for the Boston Marathon and tell them about the Diamond League (the professional track circuit). The USATF may be a mess, but that doesn't mean the rest of us have to sit around and wait for Track to be shown in Prime Time again. Enjoy the sport and spread your passion and Track will be just fine where it is. And the Olympic year bump will be just gravy!

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My 2 Spikes Worth: Track & Field overload this weekend!

Now as much as I love the sport of Track & Field, I feel somewhat overloaded this week. I know things are planned very well in advance and that there are a lot of moving parts at play, but to have the NCAA Division I Championships, the Bislett Games and the Adidas Grand Prix all over the course of three days seems like overkill.

The Bislett Games has always been a showcase event for Track & Field, and still is for that matter. It just doesn't feel the same with everything else going on stateside. I personally loved the old stadium with the 6-lane track. It was great for distance events as the crowd was right up on the field. In 1999, Sports Illustrated declared the old Bislett Stadium one of the top 20 sports venues of the 20th century, so I am not alone! It was always a highlight of the year to watch the Dream Mile at the end of the meet as there was always a watch on for a possible world record. Not to sound too American, but without any Americans to root for, this years Dream Mile seems a little less dreamy. I know that the race will be excellent with Britain's Andy Baddeley, Kenya's Silas Kiplagat, Asbel Kiprop, Haron Keitany and Augustine Choge, Australia's Jeff Riseley and Ethiopia's Mekonnen Gebremedhin toeing the line to take a crack at mid 3:40's, but is it too much to ask for just one measly yank to root for? I know that recent graduates and Team New Balance rookies Craig Miller and Jack Bolas are running the 1500m (Oslo's equivalent of the International Mile at Prefontaine) and with 3:37 PR's, and would likely be hard pressed to hang on to this field, but can someone call Alan Webb or at least get David Krumenacker to rabbit? My patriotism aside, this will be a great event, but is no longer the meet closer as there will be some guy named Bolt running the half lap to drive the Norwegians into a frenzy to close the show!

The Adidas Grand Prix is where all the American milers will be that aren't named Matt Centrowitz, Dorian Ulrey, AJ Acosta or Miles Batty. Where in years past the Prefontaine Classic has been the Nike showcase meet and the Adidas Grand Prix has been the, uh, Adidas showcase meet, there has been a little cross pollination this year. One noticeable example of this was Nike athlete Shannon Rowbury passing on Pre and showing up on the startlist of the very strong women's 1500m at Adidas. The field is stacked with top Americans Jenny Simpson, Anna Pierce, Molly Huddle, Morgan Uceny, Treniere Moser and Brie Felnagle, as well as Kenya's (via OTC) Sally Kipyego, Jamaica's Kenia Sinclair, Britain's Hannah England and Ethiopia's Gelete Burka. Let's hope the Americans fight for the win and don't treat it like a championship race in a second pack like the sometimes do when too many of them get together.

Finally, the NCAA's are going on in Des Moines, IA. Not that they'd be taking away from either of the Diamond League meets, but it's just another great event going on where we should be showcasing our collegians. I know getting events planned in New York City is tough, but hopefully they'll take that into consideration next year as dividing up an already small market share isn't helping anyone. One thing to take note of specifically at the NCAA meet is how strong the men's 400 is going to be. Florida's Tony McQuay ran a time in the semi's (44.87) that would have won Pre by a few steps last week, and that it took 45.51 just to make the finals, a time that would have gotten you 3rd at Pre, a Diamond League meet. Just an example of the talent we have in the university system.

All complaining about having too much to watch, you better bet I'll be watching as much as I can. I've already moved an engagement Saturday back an hour so that I can watch all of the Adidas Grand Prix and have DVR'd every showing of the NCAA's and Oslo, just in case I miss something. So happy viewing folks, enjoy it while it lasts as we have a few weeks off after this to prepare for the USA Championships!

400 semi's at NCAA's:

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My 2 Spikes Worth: What's not to like about the NCAA Track Championship process?

photo TrackAndFieldPhoto

Let me start off by saying this, Vin Lanana is a very smart man. He has done an excellent job with the US Olympic Trials ('08 and '12), he's done a great job coaching the Oregon Ducks and alumni like Andrew Wheating and more importantly, he's an overall excellent ambassador of the sport of Track & Field. When I heard he was in the running for the CEO of USATF, of course I thought he or Mary Wittenberg (of NYRR) would be excellent choices, but that both would probably pass as they both already have excellent, well-paying jobs, with no "problematic" boards to answer to. All this being said, I think Vin is wrong in disliking the new-ish NCAA Track Championship qualifying rounds.

The way I see it, the old system rewarded those that ran excellent times with almost a pass through to the NCAA semi-final (and sometimes final). The new system rewards those that are in the top 48 (in many cases) in their region and lets them battle it out like the NCAA Basketball Tournament does; the same tourney that puts the nation into a frenzy in March every year. The new system gives the little guys a chance, albeit a small one, and rewards those that peak at the right time, under pressure. Check out the brackets!

Case in point: Jordan Neil from East Carolina University ran a 3:43.43 for the 1500 meters at the Florida Relays this year; an excellent time and likely close to a school record. In the past, after conference, Neil's season could have come to an end. Now he is the underdog (a la Butler Bulldogs), but he does have a chance to compete for it. Another point here is that teams like ECU don't always get into the great meets like Stanford, so they have to chase times at meets with often lackluster competition. Teams like Oregon, Stanford, UCLA or even my alma mater of North Carolina don't have to worry about this. Not to beat a dead horse, but they don't even have a track at ECU. They started building it maybe last January or so and it's not done yet, so they've been training on the local high school track a few miles from campus.

Maybe I am a fan of underdogs, but the cream should rise to the top, right? And at minimum, this will get our best collegians ready for the pressure of rounds at USA's, Worlds or even the Olympics! I guess we'll find out soon enough as the NCAA Regionals get fired up today!

Here's a few links for coverage:

• Start Lists
• East Results
• East Video
• West Video

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