Nike Track Nationals - Watch it live

[cnick]

www.niketracknationals.com It's live now!

[ORXCCoach]

I love what Nike has done for high school track and cross country, but this event seems like a waste of resources.

And, how about this:

US#3 3:49.50 junior men's 1500 for Loyola CA sr Elias Gedyon in an event that preceded start of the boys events here. Gedyon's time for his runner-up finish will be converted to 1600 to figure into team scoring

That seems more than a little Mickey Mouse, to me. While Gedyon was surely one of the best milers in the nation this year and certainly should have run the Junior 1500, he didn't run in the 1600 of the NTN meet. How can you convert his time for the longer race and then figure that into the team scoring?

[lefty_logan]

I love what Nike has done for high school track and cross country, but this event seems like a waste of resources.

And, how about this:

US#3 3:49.50 junior men's 1500 for Loyola CA sr Elias Gedyon in an event that preceded start of the boys events here. Gedyon's time for his runner-up finish will be converted to 1600 to figure into team scoring

That seems more than a little Mickey Mouse, to me. While Gedyon was surely one of the best milers in the nation this year and certainly should have run the Junior 1500, he didn't run in the 1600 of the NTN meet. How can you convert his time for the longer race and then figure that into the team scoring?

This kind of takes away from my teammate winning the actual 1600.

[Ray Ray]

This kind of takes away from my teammate winning the actual 1600.

Maybe your teammate should have trained harder and become a future posterchild for Oregon.

[palimmer]

I love what Nike has done for high school track and cross country, but this event seems like a waste of resources.

And, how about this:

US#3 3:49.50 junior men's 1500 for Loyola CA sr Elias Gedyon in an event that preceded start of the boys events here. Gedyon's time for his runner-up finish will be converted to 1600 to figure into team scoring

That seems more than a little Mickey Mouse, to me. While Gedyon was surely one of the best milers in the nation this year and certainly should have run the Junior 1500, he didn't run in the 1600 of the NTN meet. How can you convert his time for the longer race and then figure that into the team scoring?

Simple answer. Elias Gedyon was part of Loyola of LA's team...... he got the best of all worlds. He competed in the Juniors and was also able to score points for his winning NIKE Track Nationials team.....incidentally they won... incidentally Elias also qualified for the Junior team.
why would you argue with that?
Actually his time was converted to a mile I believe as that is what was run in NTN.... I was there so I should be pretty sure but......
by the way, who is to tell NIKE how to spend their resources? If one were to listen to critics there likely would not be Nike Cross Nationals and a number of other events that NIKE and NB, Brooks and Adidas promote to showcase their company and athletes.... at least 300 kids and coaches found NTrackN to be the time of their lives..... :)

[ORXCCoach]

Well, if I were at any meet with my team I would argue that A) he didn't run in the scoring race, so he should not score and B) you can't convert a mark earned in a shorter race to a mark for a longer race. I've never participated in a track and field meet sanctioned by either NFHS or USATF where either happened.

You're right: Nike and other companies who put these meets on do a great thing. Having been to NXN, I know that anyone who gets the invitation to participate in one of Nike's events is going to have "the time of their lives." My team's NXN uniform hangs framed on the wall of my classroom, in fact.

That doesn't mean, however, that Nike is going to hit a homerun with every event they conceive. This one gets less hype and generates less interest, as far as I can tell, because track and field is not really a team sport; it's a collection of individuals who happen to wear the same uniform. It occurs at the end of June, long after everyone else has finished with track and has moved on to something else. In my estimation, Nike would do better to rejigger this meet to reflect that, or they'd have the meet during the season, not long after graduation.

Did you notice any discussion anywhere about Nike Track Nationals? Not a thing here, nor even among the three or so people who still post at DyeStat. NXN and the old NIN and NON draw loads of interest on these boards and on all other boards out there. Something draws people to those other events but not to this one. What is that?

[Joe Lanzalotto]

Simple answer. Elias Gedyon was part of Loyola of LA's team...... he got the best of all worlds. He competed in the Juniors and was also able to score points for his winning NIKE Track Nationials team.....incidentally they won... incidentally Elias also qualified for the Junior team.
why would you argue with that?
Actually his time was converted to a mile I believe as that is what was run in NTN.... I was there so I should be pretty sure but......
by the way, who is to tell NIKE how to spend their resources? If one were to listen to critics there likely would not be Nike Cross Nationals and a number of other events that NIKE and NB, Brooks and Adidas promote to showcase their company and athletes.... at least 300 kids and coaches found NTrackN to be the time of their lives..... :)

Nike certainly has the right to spend their money the way they want and they do a great job with the events they put on. Every year working at NXN I am amazed at the job they do for the athletes. However, NTN has certainly been something less than what Nike wants it to be. I'm sure they will figure it out since they always do.

On Geydon competing in a separate race and counting for the team title - are you kidding? Again, it is Nike's event and they can do what they want but I can scarcely believe that you think that's okay. The essence of the sport is head-to-head competition not time trialing. Hell, we can save people a lot of trouble and travel in the future for all championships - just have them run at their own track, video and time it and e mail the results.

[king99]

why not make it a postal meet, they did those things back in the 70's

I for one, think these extra concepts while certainly within ANYONE's right to put on, just are not that viable.

This World Youth games thing as another example? Where there are like 4 participants in some events is a joke

People complain about how many times guys/gals run and this stuff is endless and other than a trip? In my mind not even relevant, people had their chances already to get in with the best, juts my opinion.....:D

[Joe Lanzalotto]

why not make it a postal meet, they did those things back in the 70's

I for one, think these extra concepts while certainly within ANYONE's right to put on, just are not that viable.

This World Youth games thing as another example? Where there are like 4 participants in some events is a joke

People complain about how many times guys/gals run and this stuff is endless and other than a trip? In my mind not even relevant, people had their chances already to get in with the best, juts my opinion.....:D

One thing with the World Youth Games is that numerous athletes competing there have made this their foremost target for the season. They raced lightly throughout the high school season pointing to this meet for a chance to make the team and the trip to France.

[ORXCCoach]

Even Gedyon can get booty-lock, just ask Christen Wurth-Thomas. Nothing is for sure until you cross the line for the entire race, not just 1500m of it.

I liked the Brooks PR concept. Makes more sense to me than a team track championship.

[lefty_logan]

Maybe your teammate should have trained harder and become a future posterchild for Oregon.

Hopefully my teammate is the future posterchild for BYU

[Leftfielder]

Interestingly, Ryan Crouser threw exactly the same as his outdoor PR at the meet and this discussion thread and his injuries made me wonder if he got to use his PR instead of throwing there. But in fact it was just a coincidence and he did exactly match his PR at the meet.

The other question was did Chapus and Weissenbach also have their marks converted from Junior Nationals as well.

The whole thing begs the question that with Crouser healthy again, should he have done the same as Geydon and thrown in the Junior competition and been scored with NTN?

[jpac511]

Interestingly, Ryan Crouser threw exactly the same as his outdoor PR at the meet and this discussion thread and his injuries made me wonder if he got to use his PR instead of throwing there. But in fact it was just a coincidence and he did exactly match his PR at the meet.

The other question was did Chapus and Weissenbach also have their marks converted from Junior Nationals as well.

The whole thing begs the question that with Crouser healthy again, should he have done the same as Geydon and thrown in the Junior competition and been scored with NTN?

He threw 77 again?

[Leftfielder]

Outdoor PR is 72-07.5

[usnspecialist]

Simple answer. Elias Gedyon was part of Loyola of LA's team...... he got the best of all worlds. He competed in the Juniors and was also able to score points for his winning NIKE Track Nationials team.....incidentally they won... incidentally Elias also qualified for the Junior team.
why would you argue with that?
Actually his time was converted to a mile I believe as that is what was run in NTN.... I was there so I should be pretty sure but......
by the way, who is to tell NIKE how to spend their resources? If one were to listen to critics there likely would not be Nike Cross Nationals and a number of other events that NIKE and NB, Brooks and Adidas promote to showcase their company and athletes.... at least 300 kids and coaches found NTrackN to be the time of their lives..... :)

Nobody is arguing that Nike hasnt done great things for sport, they certainly have. However to say that they are immune from criticism because of those things is just asinine. This is basically saying that mudd would have gotten 6th in the senior race with his time and should be placed accordingly. Do i think that gedyon would have won the 1600 had he entered, absolutely. However he didnt so he shouldnt be credited with it.

[Ray Ray]

Hopefully my teammate is the future posterchild for BYU

Poor kid