NXN is back, but RunningLane never left🧐
Hoppel is a champ, Kassanavoid doesn't miss out this time around, and Keter is consistent
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“Making coaches’ lives a lot easier.” Garmin Clipboard is in the business of convenience, and was built and designed to bring all of the data you could possibly want to one place. It takes less than four minutes to set everything up, including creating your team, adding your athletes, and getting the ball rolling. Clipboard user Mario Reyes has been using the app for roughly a year, and is coaching over one-hundred athletes through Clipboard.
How did you hear about Garmin Clipboard? How long have you been using it?
I found out through social networks (Instagram), and immediately I was struck by the product proposal. I've been using it for a little over 12 months.
What prompted you to start using Clipboard? What feature or features were you most interested in?
The proposal to integrate all athletes in one place and be able to see and analyze their workouts is something that every coach looks for and that is offered by clipboard.
Being able to see more than just pace or speed and distance is something I value a lot in Clipboard. Seeing workouts by specific dates, athletes and comparing exercises is very important to me as well.
How has Clipboard made your job as a coach easier compared to coaching before using the app? How big of a role has Clipboard played in the improvement of your athletes’ performances?
Nowadays, being able to analyze the training and performance of the athlete is much easier with Clipboard. Having all of the athletes and all their information is vital. With Clipboard I can send more and better feedback to my athletes, and at the same time they can train better and from there start to make better processes and be better athletes.
Let us remember that we train human beings, and we must not only support them but treat and feed them with useful and easy-to-understand information.
How do your athletes feel about Clipboard, and has it made their experience more convenient?
They have adapted very well, and they liked very much that I can share the image of their workouts with my appreciations, suggestions and even with emojis….
We do this through messages on the WhatsApp network.
After using the app for a while, what has become your favorite aspect of Clipboard?
Having all of the major and basic information of my athletes is what I most appreciate from Clipboard.
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Heading back to Eugene 🌻 x 🌎
Last week, from Thursday-Sunday (06/23-06/26), the best athletes in America flew out to Tracktown USA and battled it out for the top three spots in their respective event(s), with the hopes of making Team USA for the 2022 World Championships. From what I could find, sixteen athletes with Kansas ties competed at the senior championships, with ten more competing at the U-20 Championships simultaneously. There is a strong chance I could have missed some athletes, so do not hesitate to let me know if there is someone who did not get any recognition.
Once the dust settled, Kansas alumni had produced one national title, a runner-up, and a third-place finish. Former Jayhawk Bryce Hoppel, Kansas State grad Janee’ Kassanavoid, and former Cloud County Thunderbird Benard Keter will be donning the red, white and blue in a few weeks, right back where they competed a week ago.
Hoppel is no stranger to the international stage, as this will be his third World Championship team membership (Doha 2019, Belgrade 2022) and his fourth overall appearance for Team USA, after his inaugural Olympic appearance last summer in Tokyo. Hoppel is the only Olympian from a year ago who made the team this year, as Isaiah Jewett didn’t make it out of the first round, and Clayton Murphy finished just out of third by .04 seconds. As I watched Hoppel run in the first round, there was very little doubt in my mind that he would make the team. He won his heat during the first round, jogging a 1:48.12, then coasted in again in the semi-finals, finishing second to his Team USA teammate, Brandon Miller. In the final, Hoppel ran his race just like he wanted, going out in a 51.68, the second fastest first lap of the field, then ran 52.92 to edge out a late charging Jonah Koech, who finished second. The trio of Hoppel, Koech, and Miller will join American record holder and defending champion Donovan Brazier, who had an automatic bid as he just ran the first round to secure his automatic bid, being the reigning champ. The quartet will enter the championships as one of the strongest groups in the world, hoping to win a medal or two on American soil. This was Hoppel’s third U.S. title, but his first one during the outdoor season.
After finishing fourth a year ago at the USA Olympic Trials, Janee’ Kassanavoid left no doubt that she belonged on this team. In May, Kassanavoid threw the #3 all-time mark in the women’s hammer, immediately entering her name into the conversation for a national title. Last Thursday, Kassanavoid handily placed second, seven and a half feet ahead of third. Ahead of her was Brooke Anderson, and behind her were Annette Echikunwoke and defending world and national champion DeAnna Price. Heading into Worlds, the former Wildcat owns the third best mark in the world.
The final qualifier, Benard Keter, held his own again, facing the greatest steeplechasers in American history, as he is the 19th fastest man in the event. Keter came extremely close to a PR in the men’s final, running 8:19.16, a little over two seconds away from the 8:17.31 PR he set last year in Tokyo. In the heats, Keter comfortably punched his ticket to the final, winning his heat in 8:28.92, earning the big Q. During the final, Keter never let the race get out of hand, staying close to the front for nearly all of it. His last 1k was a 2:42.54, propelled by his bell lap of 63.89. Keter finished over a second ahead of collegian Duncan Hamilton, and will have the chance to represent his country for the second straight year with hopes to make the final yet again. He’s joining national champion Hillary Bor, and American record holder Evan Jager, who all sit in the top 27 in the world this season. All three men look to be hitting their stride at the right time and are sure to make a splash in a few weeks.
Though they didn’t qualify for the World Championships, a strong group of Kansas alumni left their mark on the meet, giving their all and leaving no doubt that they are some of the best in the country. Here’s a rapid recap of the thirteen other athletes who competed in one of the most competitive meets in the world.
Brett Meyer — 1500m/3:46.38/7th (Fort Hays State)
“Someone” who had a weekend to remember, ended the meet as the 7th fastest man in America, .52 seconds away from a national title. Don’t forget his name, cause he isn’t going anywhere.
Caleb Jackson — 100m/10.65/30th (Butler CC)
Fresh off a third-place finish in the NJCAA 100m and a national title as a member of the 4x100m, the Butler Community College star ended his outdoor season on the country’s biggest stage, going up against the fastest men in the world.
Zach Bradford — Pole Vault/18-4.5/T-7th (Kansas)
In his last competition as a Jayhawk, the multiple time All-American and 2019 World Championship qualifier set as season best, showing why he is one of the best in the country. He’ll be heading to Texas Tech to finish his collegiate eligibility.
A’Keyla Mitchell — 200m/22.39/6th (Kansas State)
In arguably the best weekend of her life in terms of track & field, this Kansas State graduate finished as the 6th fastest woman in America over 200m. In the first round, Mitchell ran 22.43, a PR and the WCS (World Championship Standard), and then ran 22.44 in the semi-finals, before PR’ing again in the final, when she ran 22.39, under half of a second out of third.
Christina Clemons — 100mH/12.89/13th (Kansas)
The former Jayhawk gave it her all in a TOUGH field, running 12.89, roughly a third of a second shy of her season best. Clemons just missed the last time qualifier by .13.
Louis Rollins — 110mH/13.58/14th (Pittsburg State)
Put some respect on DII! The DII national champion in the event made it out of the first round, ending his outdoor season as the 14th fastest man in America, the country with the four fastest men in the world this season, along with the 5th-7th, and 15th. I’d say he held his own!
L.J. Kiner — Triple Jump/51-11.75/14th (Pittsburg State)
The DII indoor national champion and outdoor runner-up took his talents to the big leagues last weekend. Kiner was competing against guys that were jumping over a meter farther than him, and he’s no scrub. Kiner left his mark as he competed against the best in the world.
Rylee Anderson — High Jump/5-11.5/9th (Kansas)
Depending on how you look at it, Anderson tied for 5th, but based on the number of attempts and misses and all of that good stuff, she was 9th at her first outdoor national championships.
Michael Bryan — Hammer/225-7/18th (Wichita State)
The Shocker All-American fouled his first two throws, but got on the board on his third and final effort, coming up under ten feet shy of his PR he set from the same ring a few weeks prior.
Brett Thompson — Javelin/236-8/9th (Pittsburg State)
An All-American while at Pittsburg State, Thompson came up just three feet short of making the finals. He’ll look to try for an international team again next summer.
Gabrielle Diederich — Javelin/173-11/7th (Salina-Sacred Heart)
A graduate of Salina-Sacred Heart and a Notre Dame graduate, she finished 7th in her first USA National Championship, a pretty successful showing for a collegian.
Sydney Conley — Long Jump (Kansas)
The former Jayhawk fouled on each of her three attempts, but the privilege and opportunity to compete on that stage is one of the greatest honors one can earn! Conley will be back and hungry, mark my words.
Ashley Petr — Discus/178-0/9th (Kansas State)
Suffering the same fate as Thompson, Petr was just on the outside of the final qualifiers, under a foot and a half away from 8th. The Kansas State graduate will look to follow Kassanavoid’s route, and use the result as a goal for next year.
If I missed any of the senior athletes, let me know and I’ll get them added so we can give them the respect and recognition they deserve!
USATF U20 National Championships🇺🇸
Overshadowed by the senior championships, the nation’s top youth track & field athletes competed during the first three days of the senior championships, with the goal of qualifying for the 2022 World Athletics U20 Championships in Santiago de Cali, Colombia, from August 1-6. Two Kansas athletes earned automatic tickets to Colombia, and they were both representing Pittsburg State. Blakelee Winn was the national champion in the heptathlon, totaling 5473 points, edging out second by roughly seventy points. Winn capped off a fantastic freshman outing with a national championship, after two third place finishes at the indoor pentathlon and the outdoor heptathlon at the NCAA DII Championships. The freshman Gorilla won the 100mH, 200m, long jump, and javelin during the heptathlon, which helped her pull just far enough ahead to claim the gold.
Her teammate TJ Caldwell competed in the 110mH, taking second in a huge PR of 13.34, lowering his best from 13.89, a time he set at the NCAA DII Outdoor Championships where he placed 3rd. I talked a little bit with Caldwell, and he plans on competing in the championship meet, and as anyone would be, he’s very excited. Caldwell was .06 seconds shy of a national title, but he’s got plenty of time to make up the time, and I’m pretty confident he will.
Eight other Kansas athletes competed at Hayward over the weekend in ten different events. Similarly to before, here’s a brief recap of how they did, and if I forgot anyone, please let me know.
Quenton Walion — 1500m/3:53.70/5th (Kansas)
Peter Walsdorf — 5k & 3k/15:09.11 & 8:43.87/16th & 9th (Kansas)
Derek Harbin — 200m & 100m/22.29 & 10.73/13th & 14th (NW Kansas Technical)
Ridge Estes — Discus/196-10/3rd (Wichita State)
William Jones — 400m/47.82/9th (Blue Valley HS)
Jaden Patterson — Triple Jump/48-1.25/3rd (Kansas)
Christopher Stone — 3000mS/9:38.56/8th (Kansas)
Kyla Davis — Pole Vault/13-3.5/5th (Pittsburg State)
NXN is back, but RunningLane never left🏃
After a two-year hiatus with compliments to the global pandemic, Nike Cross Nationals will return this fall in hopes of taking their place back on top of the amateur postseason cross country championships. For NXN, it will be no easy task, as the Garmin RunningLane Cross Country Championships slid in to take the place of the meet to be at, after states finish their respective seasons.
In July of 2020, NXN announced that there would be no national meet in Portland, along with the cancellation of all eight regional meets as well. This was not taken lightly by coaches and programs around the country, as many took to Twitter and LetsRun message boards to express their opinions over the decision. “This was not a decision taken lightly, but the health and safety of our athletes, families, fans and employees is our top priority. We understand NXN has provided a platform for intense competition, showcased some of the sport’s greatest talent, and gathered a strong community to celebrate their shared love for running.” Later that year in October, Foot Locker announced that they were canceling their championship meet (now sponsored by Eastbay) and regionals as well, leaving primed and fit athletes with no post-state racing.
*RunningLane has entered the chat*
As the door had opened as wide as it could, RunningLane did not a beat miss, entering the scene as the marquee cross country championships of the year. In 2020, kids ran fast and had a good time while doing it. In the Boys Gold division, 32 athletes broke 15, with another 121 dipping below 16. In the Girls Gold race, current BYU freshman Jenna Hutchins became the first ever high school girl to break the sixteen minute barrier in cross country, as the at-the-time junior ran 15:58.42, besting recent DI 5k National Champion Katelyn Tuohy’s previous record of 16:06.87. A freshman from Niwot, Mia Prok ran 16:56.97, followed by 21 more girls who broke 17. Solidified by the national record, RunningLane stock was beginning to rise, more than any of us could have even expected.
Flash forward to 2021, and RunningLane now had some stiff competition. With the world seemingly on the path to an idea of normalcy, both Nike and Eastbay made the decision to revive their post-season meets, but there was a catch. Nike would only put on the Nike Cross Regional meets, and hold out on having a championship meet for the second consecutive year. They did introduce a California Regional, but that was still far from enough for many coaches, parents, athletes, and basically anyone who was in favor of post-season competition. Foot Locker returned to their old ways, reviving their national championship, but shifted to an Eastbay led campaign. With NXN canceled, and Eastbay being a different format, RunningLane had another opportunity to be the trademark meet of the 2021 season.
Update: It was.
Things were already heating up for the championship, but were amped up when Garmin hopped on board as the lead sponsor, and the greatest high school team of all-time booked their tickets for Huntsville, AL. Fans were expecting a fast race, but I’m not sure if anyone was expecting the results we saw.
Four boys, three wearing the same uniform, all ran under the previous national record that had stood since 2000, by former American record holder, Olympian, and current OAC Coach, Dathan Ritzenhein. NAU commit and Newbury Park frontman Colin Sahlman led the way, running 14:03.29, to crush the previous record. Twins and teammates Leo and Lex Young were close behind, running 14:05.07 and 14:05.49. Zane Bergen was the fourth and final boy under the record, running 14:09.91. Riley Hough was oh-so-close, running 14:10.56. If a national record wasn’t enough, the Boys Gold race saw 73 athletes break 15, an additional 193 break 16, and 307 under 18. Not to mention, Newbury Park’s top five averaged 14:14 (14:03.29, 14:05.07, 14:05.49, 14:14.38, 14:44.92) , and their top seven were all under fifteen. On the girl’s side, Natalie Cook of Flower Mound ran the second fastest cross country 5000m ever, clocking 16:03.93. 19 more athletes broke 17, 109 more broke 18, and another 100 broke 19. Regardless of the course, conditions or any other factor, the times speak for themselves. To no surprise, many people claimed that “the course must be short”, along with a number of additional bogus arguments. Come on guys, really? Do you think a national championship meet that is hosting the best schools in the country, along with the greatest team to ever exist is going to drop the ball on accurately measuring the course? If you’re sitting there debating the question, I’ll save you some time. No. I’ve already written about that before, but I digress.
A few days ago, it was announced that NXN would be making its long awaited return, but based off ;the comment section alone, not many are welcoming the meet back with open arms. The biggest difference between the two is the method of getting into the meet. NXN has a tough qualifying system, but Garmin RunningLane lets any athlete enter. Time will tell what championship meet athletes and coaches seek out in a few months, and it will also be interesting to see if RunningLane adds anything or makes some moves to keep their momentum. Eastbay doesn’t really need to worry about either one, considering they don’t have team qualifiers, only individuals. To make things interesting, let’s do a vote. If you are going to be supporting Garmin RunningLane, subscribe to the newsletter, and if you are going to stick with NXN, subscribe to the newsletter!
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