I apologize for the lack of posts this weekend. I was participating in the Big 10 Indoor Track and Field Championships at the University of Wisconsin. I'd never been to Madison before but it lived up to it's billing. It is an awesome college town with little restaraunts and shops lining the downtown streets. I don't know if I got to see all that Madison has to offer due to the two and a half feet of snow that, suprisingly, was everywhere except the sidewalks and roads but I digress...
The University of Wisconsin, which won it's record 8th straight Big 10 Indoor title over the weekend, has an obvious tradition of excellence. Many UW alumni returned to watch the meet and among them I recognized olympic hopefuls Chris Solinsky and Matt Tegenkamp. Both distance runners now run for Nike and have aspirations of making the olympic team this coming summer. The trials will be held in Eugene, Oregon at the University of Oregon's famed Hayward Field.
Solinsky, a 5-time national champion while running for the University of Wisconsin, had an outstanding track season last summer in what was his first track season as a professional. During his debut summer campaign, Solinsky ran personal best times in the 1500 (3:37.27), the 3000 (7:36.90), and the 5000 (13:12.24). He will more than likely vie for a spot on the U.S. team competing in the 5000 meters.
Tegenkamp, the American record holder in the two-mile run (8:07.07), was a mere four one-hundreths of a second away from becoming the first American to medal in any event over 1500 meters in decades, placing 4th in the 5000 meter run at the World Championships in Osaka, Japan last summer. He is probably American's best chance for a medal in the 5000 meters.
These two former Badgers are just a few of the many young American distance runner's that are raising a bar that has been low for so long.
No comments:
Post a Comment