Monday, May 5, 2008

What They Didn't Tell You: Stanford

While everyone's gaze was turned to the Stanford Payton Jordan Time Trial out in the cool night air of California, there was some conference meet action back east. It made for a good weekend of action, with the following stories falling into the category of What They Didn't Tell You.

Shalane Flanagan rang up an American Record -- 30:34.49 -- in the 10k at Stanford, her first try at the distance. Taking notes Matt Tegenkamp?

Shalane's mark also got her a victory over Kiwi Kim Smith. And Banana, Chiquita. [ tugs shirt collar uncomfortably ]

Usain Bolt ran 9.76 for 100m, his best run in a distance other than 200m, and at a meet other than World Juniors. The knee-jerk message board reaction was, naturally, to assume he's been taking something. Matter of fact, I can confirm that he HAS been pumping his body full of a performance enhancing cocktail: Red Bull and Guinness. (No really, try it sometime. Apparently it's all the rage down in Jamaica.)

With all the hoopla at Stanford and around the country, one of the biggest upsets of the weekend went wholly unreported: that I housed former WR-holder Eamonn Coghlan in a local road race.

Unfortunately, in that same race, I got housed by a cadre of Ethiopians. With woman-parts.

And finally, we'd be remiss if we didn't at least give a tip of the cap to the hometown University of Cincinnati Bearcats who, just a few years removed from mid-major ignominy in the C-USA, managed to take 4th in the very, very tough Big East this weekend. What they didn't tell you, though, was that the UC coach lives on a street with a tree growing up out of the center of the road! No, really, it's true! It looks EXACTLY like this.

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Anyone with photographic evidence of this phenomenon is invited to post it below, or e-mail us.)

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Nice bird's nest. I'm sure Coach Schnier (sp??) will be impressed (as will your elementary school art teacher)!

Jeremy said...

That's what I said!

But Ben still wouldn't let me put it on the fridge.