Should NCAA Superstars skip NC's for USATF?

[jazzcyclist]

I am certain that was not entirely her decision.

Well, I doubt that it takes much arm twisting for a college coach to convince one of his/her athletes to run in the Prefontaine Classic against world-class competition, especially that athlete is a distance runner. On the other hand, I don't that a coach would do such a thing if his/her team was in the hunt for a team title.

[reggaeirie1234]

What about when Jenny Simpson set the collegiate 1500 record at the Prefontaine Classic just four days before the NCAA Championships?

I am certain that was not entirely her decision.

[Atticus]

And more power to anyone that chooses to do that. But certainly do not EXPECT them to.

[jazzcyclist]

What about when Jenny Simpson set the collegiate 1500 record at the Prefontaine Classic just four days before the NCAA Championships?

[gh]

back in the day they used to do it all the time.

Cherry is a recent example, I believe, because Mississippi State doesn't sponsor indoor track, so he couldn't run the SEC. But NCAA did allow him into nationals.

[ATK]

Has anyone done an analysis on how many NCAA athletes have competed at USA indoors the times they did not conflict?

I remember 3 years ago D'Angelo Cherry won the 60 at both.

[booond]

Not at all. I plan on following both closely and I'm sure I will be highly entertained by what happens at both. For the athletes that choose to go to either, it's a really big deal.
But then look at all the elite athletes who bypass them. What does that tell you?
Elites don't bypass the OT or the OG, which are, by far (!) MORE important meets for US athletes.

And this is exactly how I feel.

[booond]

Lots of negativity about both the INdoor USATF and INdoor WC here!

Go meet Vin Lananna for lunch, and tell that to his face!!

LOL

If he's buying I'm available.

[highjumpfan]

Take a look at Shawn barbers schedule this indoor season. He had like 4 meets in a week at one point. He competed on February 14 in Boston, 17 in Germany, 20 in Scotland and 21 in France!

[NotDutra5]

Definitely on the indoor circuit in the 70's and 80's with Friday/Saturday doubles.

[gh]

countless times, particularly on the indoor circuit.... Back around '80 I went to Millrose (NYC), Ottawa and Montréal on a Friday/Saturday/Sunday.

Didn't Bowling Green around '71 run Drake and Penn 4xMiles on back-to-back days?

[aaronk]

The meets could have changed their schedules so that said HJer could jump in one meet one day and the other another day.

A bit off subject, but hasn't that been done before---whether indoors or out---where an athlete has competed in 2 meets in 2 separate cities (or states, or even countries!) on consecutive days?
Can't recall exact examples.

[NotDutra5]

NotDutra5: You obviously did not read what I wrote carefully. We discussed "opposite" weekends as to NOT conflict with conference championships.

Appears to me you did not write what you meant carefully as it is still unclear which weekend you mean. What is an "opposite" weekend? You mean the week in between conference and nationals or the weekend prior to conference? That would be clear.

There are a couple of events this could work in. The overwhelming majority of running events it does not and may not work with some of the jumping events as well. However, you're going to move an entire meet to get one or two guys a shot? The meets could have changed their schedules so that said HJer could jump in one meet one day and the other another day.

[tm71]

aaron, you're laboring under the misconception that those on the collegiate side (be they coaches or athletes) particularly have a meet like the World Indoor on their radar. Never have, never will, and the collegiate calendar isn't in any way constructed with that meet in mind.

Over the last 15 yrs the world indoor and indoor NCAA meets have been on that same weekend which made it an impossibility anyway.

[Rich22]

NotDutra5: You obviously did not read what I wrote carefully. We discussed "opposite" weekends as to NOT conflict with conference championships. Many collegiate programs compete the weekend prior to conference championships, albeit with a lighter load, and some of you may have forgotten the recently departed "last chance" meets that collegians competed in. Certainly, not everyone would be interested in competing in both USATF and the NCAA Championships, but I have to believe that it wouldn't be that difficult if intelligent people on both ends sat and discussed how to make them both better. I don't find a problem with that. I know that I have had quite a few athletes that would have competed in both had they had the opportunity. Its not for everyone, but why hurt lets say a 7' 6" high jumper who would like to do both. It simply would be nice.