Piketon Results

[Track07]

Any team or indiv results?

[ironmen1987]

Baumspage now has the results listed for today

[BuckeyeNut10]

I see that it's still the fastest (probably shortest) course in the state. lol....Every kid somehow dropped like 45 seconds in a week over the 5k distance.

[jumphigh]

If you get the oppertunity to run the course you will be amazed at the course prep. The grass is maybe 1/2 tall. The course has been rolled repeatedly so it is as if you are running on a track plus the first mile is slightly downhill and the last 1200 meters it is easy for the athletes to see where they are in relation to other athletes.

[Track07]

Sorry its right on 3.1 miles measured it twice with my GPS watch. Both times measured 3.1.

[davewottle]

times really don't matter everyone will go head to head on the same courses in a few weeks and we can look back and verify. Every year runners go to Tiffin and run 16:15 and leave believing they are in the top 30 ruuners of the whole state in there division. Sadly, they average 16:58 the rest of the way and finish 60-80 at State.

[eagles73Taylor]

This course is fast for the reasons stated, not being the shortest though! lol Its flat as a fritter and well taken care of. Most kids and coaches know this and dont go getting the big head if they shave several seconds or minutes off of their time. This meet had around 560 competitors jr high up. Its a huge meet, ran by 3 officials and Coach Shepherd and many volunteers.

[BuckeyeNut10]

If it's 3.1 then it's 3.1....I just find it crazy for times to drop 45 seconds or more for most runners in a 7 day span and then come this weekend they will shoot right back up. That's all I'm saying. I'm really not hating of the meet or the course. I just find it weird for this to happen. I mean I wish I got on this course in high school....I could have broken 16 in high school I guess.

[coachcook]

Well, let's just look at league, Rio District and Regional times and see if the same runners run 16:20 again.

[tap in bogey]

I've measured it about 20 times and know it to be exactly 3.11. It is very flat, rolled well with only one place where momentum is broken at all. The grass is skinned down almost to the dirt and this year, the temperature dropped from the 80's where it had been all week - down to the 50's at race time. All that, along with good competition, leads to faster times. Cross country times should be taken with a grain of salt - they are all related to grass height, weather, hills, footing, competition and momentum busters (sharp turns, ditches etc).

I don't take offense to Paul's comments because, as long as I've been around this sport, I would also look at the race distance suspiciously. It's just that I set the course up over six years ago and have measured it so many times, I know it is dead on. However, the JH course is 1.97. That is my one regret - not making it precisely 2.00 from the beginning. But I won't change it now because the records wouldn't mean much.

[coachcook]

1.97 seems odd. Garmin watch or wheeled? I don't doubt the HS course if you say it is a true 3.1.

The rules actually say courses are not to exceed 3.1 miles for HS or 2.0 mile for MS. I looked at the past few years and runners ran 30 seconds slower or more at District and/or Regional vs Piketon.

I guess it is a very fast 3.1 miles at Piketon.

[tap in bogey]

It was Garmin measured. The regional last year at Pick North was very slow due to all the mud. The Rio course always runs slow regardless of conditions.

[Ironman92]

districts at Rio last year did not run the hill

[5kdude]

districts at Rio last year did not run the hill

i know when i was in high school the course was fast then and now its faster. i know its 3.1. its so fast bc the teams are very good and the course is flat

[coachcook]

take a look at what the top 5-6 guys from Piketon ran at this weekends league meets and next meet vs what they ran Piketon at

1 Mattie, Tanner Fairland 15:58.00 1 ran 16:56 next meet
2 McDonald, John McClain 16:18.00 2 ran 17:07 at SCOL league meet
3 Burns, Chris North Adams 16:23.00 3 ran 17:40 at SHL Meet
4 Gardner, Daniel Paint Valley 16:25.00 4 ran 16:41 at Ross County meet
5 Wireman, Raine Fairland 16:36.00 5 ran 17:32 next meet
6 Watts, Matt Gallia Academy 16:42.00 6 ran 16:59 at SCOAL meet


I am not doubting the course is 3.1. But, at the very least is is proably the fastest course in SE Ohio.

[BuckeyeNut10]

lol Either that or all these kids were peaking for the Piketon Invitational instead of their conference meet.

[Burg Track and CC Fan]

Part of the reason people run faster at Piketon is I think they believe they can run their best time. You guys that have been around for awhile know a lot of this is from the neck up. Wheelersburg's Conley ran 18:38 at Piketon and ran 18:56 two weeks later in the SOC at Northwest. Brian Stiers ran 19:01 at Piketon then ran 18:22 at Northwest. Alex Mullins ran 18:44 in both races. Different kids respond differently. I know Piketon is 3.1 because Coach Shepherd says it is.

[tap in bogey]

I can say without a doubt that Circleville (OV Christian Univ), Northwest, Westfall and Hilliard (where the big race was held on Oct. 2) are all as fast as Piketon's course. Unioto's course might be as well. This year we had excellent weather on Oct. 2. As explained earlier, footing, terrain, competition and grass height are all factors in how fast a course runs. Personally, I really wish it would run a little slower than it does - but it is what it is.

Paul, you are welcome to come up here and we can measure it anytime.

[BuckeyeNut10]

Just to put some numbers behind my words:
McDonald ran 40 sec's slower at Rio
Watts ran 33 sec's slower at Rio
Mattie ran 1:25 slower at Rio
Mootispaw ran 43 sec's slower at Rio
Trent Wolfe ran 43 sec's slower at Rio
Gardner ran 30 sec's slower at Rio

This is just a random sample of kids....Pretty much on a day where they are supposed to be "peaking" and in top form. For the most part they are running 30-45 seconds slower on average on a pretty easy course. If someone says Rio is a hard course then go run some other courses in the state is all I have to say.

I'm not doing this to bash on any course or any person. I just made the comment and people came back and said I was wrong in what I was saying....so I just wanted to back up my words with numbers.

[coachcook]

Just to put some numbers behind my words:
McDonald ran 40 sec's slower at Rio
Watts ran 33 sec's slower at Rio
Mattie ran 1:25 slower at Rio
Mootispaw ran 43 sec's slower at Rio
Trent Wolfe ran 43 sec's slower at Rio
Gardner ran 30 sec's slower at Rio

This is just a random sample of kids....Pretty much on a day where they are supposed to be "peaking" and in top form. For the most part they are running 30-45 seconds slower on average on a pretty easy course. If someone says Rio is a hard course then go run some other courses in the state is all I have to say.

I'm not doing this to bash on any course or any person. I just made the comment and people came back and said I was wrong in what I was saying....so I just wanted to back up my words with numbers.

Amen add..Add Burns North Adams plus 1:20 something