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The Week Ahead


Nathan Haskins
January 17, 2008

Hey Flotrackers! Here we go into the 2008 collegiate indoor season. It will be packed with historic performances and bitter disappointments. Already Virginia Tech’s Women’s 4x200-meter relay team has set a new collegiate record with a time of 1:36.43 and we are only a few weeks into the season! Speaking of getting out fast how about last year 60-meter national champion Travis Padgett from Clemson getting an automatic qualifying mark in the 60-meter dash in his first meet of the season with a 6.62? Well we have all heard about the American resurgence in distance running already one of these forerunners collegiate runner Josh McDougal doubled running two incredible races of 7:56.60/13:43.26 in the 3k/5k. Proving he is not sitting and waiting for anyone else to bust a time, McDougal wants to set the standard.

With all that said this weekend is upon us and it promises to bring more championship qualifying times and a few surprises. After the XC national championships Galen Rupp had routine plica band surgery on his right knee now he looks to come back and take another shot at breaking the holy “four minute mile”. He plans on breaking 4 at the 2008 Dempsey Indoor Preview at the University of Washington this weekend.

“This has been a long-term project for me,” said Rupp, who turns 22 in May. “My goal is to run under four minutes. I’m more than capable of doing that right now. My training has been going well, with a lot more speed work than ever before.”

However, this is just one of the 47 meets that will be held all over the United States. Every year we can’t wait for the Ohio State vs. Michigan game well we get to see it all over again, but this time instead between their men’s track teams. Other meets to make sure to check out will be Auburn opening the season at Clemson, Houston, LSU, Maryland, Nebraska, eighth ranked Northern Iowa, Penn State, and second ranked Washington meet. The highlight of all the meets taking place this weekend is the SEC-Big Ten Challenge. On Saturday, January 19, 2008 some of the best programs in America will descend upon the Harry Gladstein Fieldhouse in Bloomington, Ind. These teams will include number three-ranked Tennessee and fourth ranked Florida on the men’s side and on the women’s side ninth ranked Arkansas and thirteenth-ranked Florida will be competing for the SEC. Illinois’s women will be the only top 25 team competing at the SEC-Big Ten Challenge for the Big Ten side.

This is just the first of a series were I will preview and recap each weekend’s results. Please let me know anything you would like to see by just putting a comment on my wall or sending me a message. Good luck to all of the teams competing this weekend!

(picture is from letsrun.com)

Nathan Haskins

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#4
Pat Hitchins   January 19, 2008 at 7:06pm
nice article
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#3
Andrew ORourke   January 17, 2008 at 8:16pm
I'm pumped. This indoor season should be a good one.
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#2
Nathan Haskins   January 17, 2008 at 5:42pm
No I didnt.
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#1
Photo Credit   January 17, 2008 at 5:22pm
Did you take that photo?
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