HERE’S THE LATEST in the aches, pains & eligibility departments, plus our annual mid-season look at the “Where They Are Going” situation:
Three prominent collegians have turned pro early: Marco Arop & Anderson Peters of Mississippi State and Wadeline Jonathas of South Carolina. So have a pair of high-end HS sprinters, Tamari Davis and Briana Williams.
’16 Olympian Robby Andrews says that he is back to training at 100% after being stricken with Lyme Disease as well as other tick-borne infections in 2018.
JaCorian Duffield has retired from the high jumping wars at 27. Explains the 7-8 (2.34) performer, “I’ve had little injuries that kind of flared up. I just got tired of dealing with the injuries and training during the injuries, and so I just decided to move on and start the next chapter.”
After giving birth in August, quartermiler Natasha Hastings is back in training. Worried about the repercussions, she hid her pregnancy from her sponsors for 5 months.
Colorado junior Sage Hurta will miss at least the indoor season with a tibial stress fracture.
Jakob Ingebrigtsen of Norway apparently got injured at the European XC Championships and has canceled indoor plans.
After losing last year to a foot injury steeplechaser Evan Jager has resumed hurdling for the first time in 17 months
Kenyan marathoner Mary Keitany has declined an invite to Boston because of a back injury.
BYU distance star Conner Mantz reportedly has a stress fracture.
Dutch sprint ace Dafne Schippers says she has had some minor setbacks in training and will be skipping the indoor season.
Jonielle Smith, who ran on Jamaica’s gold medal 4×1 in Doha, sustained minor injuries in a Florida car crash but is back training.
Athlete Of The Decade Anita Włodarczyk, who had to undergo arthroscopic surgery on her left knee last summer, has returned to training, starting out in January at the Chula Vista training center.
Australian-born Sasha Zhoya, who holds the World Youth Record for the 110H (12.87 over 36-inchers), has opted to represent France internationally and will aim for the World Juniors this summer. The 17-year-old prodigy also holds the WYR in the vault at 18-2 ¾ (5.56).
Doping Bans:
4 years—Mousaab Balla (Qatar, 800), Mustapha El Aziz (Morocco, distance), Philip Kimutai (Kenya, distance), Nirmala Sheoran (India, 400);
2 years—Michelle Lee-Ahye (Trinidad, sprints);
19 months—Kateryna Tabashnyk (Ukraine, HJ);
16 months—Sammy Kitwara (Kenya, distance).
Provisional Doping Bans:
Al Mahjoub Dazza, the Moroccan marathon recordholder at 2:05:26, for biological passport issues;
Kenyan 800 star Alfred Kipketer, for whereabouts violations;
Former marathon WR holder Wilson Kipsang, for a whereabouts failure.
MID-YEAR MEN’S WTAG UPDATE
Arkansas
N—Johnathan Baker 24-10w; Cade Clark 10.50; Rhett Nelson 17-2¾. JC—Andrew Kibet’ (Ken) 3:47.89; Lesley Mahlakoane’ (SA) 46.41. T—*Emmanuel Cheboson 28:42.13; -Amon Kemboi 3:39.72, 7:44.77, 13:33.64, 28:55.46.
Arkansas Baptist
N—Kennedy Lightner 10.34(A), 20.48(A).
Auburn
T—*Brandon Smiley 20.67.
Barton County JC
N—Shakwon Coke’ (Jam) 25-4½, 51-¾; Alan De Falchi’ (Bra) 189-3 DT (jr); Tyrese Reid’ (Jam) 1:49.30; Johnny Rentería’ (Col) 10.18(A), 20.95(A).
Campbell
DNR— -Amon Kemboi 3:39.72, 7:44.77, 13:33.64, 28:55.46.
Cloud County JC
N—Andrew Betton’ (Jam) 48-7¼; Daniel Cope’ (Jam) 189-1 JrDT; Timothy Emo-Oghene’ (Ngr) 50.45; Courtney Lawrence’ (Jam) 66-3¼ (hs); Samuel Macklin 23-10¾w; Goga Maglakelidze’ (Geo) 52-9½; Richard Newman 7-¼; Elijah Wilson 6-10.
Coffeyville JC
N—Henry Kiner 49-4¼.
Drake
DNR—**Kundai Maguranyanga’ 20.67.
Florida State
Didn’t arrive—Enoch Adegoke’ (Ngr) 10.12, 21.07.
Georgia
T—*Delano Dunkley’ 10.35.
Hinds JC
N—Tyrese Cooper 10.32, 20.51, 45.38(A); Etaijen Easter 6-10, 24-4½; Morgan Jamison 20.98; Kurt Powdar 13.27; Omar Simpson 47.16; Daniel Williams’ (Guy) 10.48, 20.94, 46.72(A).
Indiana Tech
DNR—*Brandon Smiley 20.67.
Iowa Central JC
N—Dashinelle Dyer’ (Jam) 10.40, 51.68; Lee Eppie’ (Bot) 46.47; Tristen Hanna’ (Bah) 48-7½w.
Louisville
DNR—*Emmanuel Cheboson 28:42.13.
Maryland
N—Nick Cross (fb) 6.68i.
Mississippi State
Pro—*Marco Arop’ 1:44.25; *Anderson Peters’ 286-5.
New Mexico JC
N—Tyrell Edwards’ (Tri) 10.46; Djimon Gumbs’ (BVI) 182-3 DT; Javed Jones’ (Jam) 51.60; Ramon Lindo’ (Jam) 47.18; Jalen Purcell’ (Tri) 10.30, 21.03.
Ohio State
N—Adrian Curry’ (Bah) 10.42.
Southern–New Orleans
DNR—*Delano Dunkley’ 10.35.
TCU
N—Ethan Brown’ (GB) 46.44. T—**Kundai Maguranyanga’ 20.67.
Texas A&M
T—Adé Mason’ 53-8½.
Western Texas JC
N—Tyreke Bryan’ (Jam) 20.99; Akeem Cargill’ (Jam) 13.28(hs); Romel Plummer’ (Jam) 50.43.
MID-YEAR WOMEN’S WTAG UPDATE
Arkansas
T—*Krissy Gear 9:52.71St.
Barton County JC
N—Yara Amador’ (Mex) 59.91; Annia Ashley’ (Jam) 5-10½, 20-8; Ana da Silva’ (Bra) 49-2¼; Deisiane Teixeira’ (Bra) 172-5 JT.
Cal State Northridge
DNR—**Immanuela Aliu’ 11.50, 11.44w, 23.44.
Cloud County JC
N—Marie Forbes’ (Jam) 165-4 DT; Mercy Ntia-Obong’ (Ngr) 11.46, 23.17.
Coffeyville JC
N—Kristina Tchoumak’ (Can) 167-9 HT.
Colorado State
DNR—*Destinee Rocker 13.05.
Florida State
DNR—***Ava Peeples FLXC.
Furman
DNR—*Krissy Gear 9:52.71St.
Georgia
GT—Victoria Powell 52.79.
Hinds JC
N—Breanna Brown-Marshall 13.88/13.72w, 41.76, 5-10½; Ockera Myrie’ (Jam) 11.43, 23.04.
Iowa Central JC
N—Janae Barksdale 54.28; Abigail Brooks’ (Jam) 53.44; Eleanora Curtabbi’ (Ita) 4:28.40.
Maryland
N—Ashley Germain’ (Can) 19-9, 4831 (youth).
New Mexico JC
N—Mathilda Bjorklund’ (Swe) 186-11 HT; Susan Francis’ (Jam) 20-6½; Maria Simancas’ (Ven) 54.06; Ayla Stanisclaus’ (Tri) 11.58, 11.51w, 23.42.
Oregon
DNR—**Ruby Stauber 2:03.01.
South Carolina
T—*Destinee Rocker 13.05. DNR— **Mathilde Coquillaud Salomon’ 13.46, 5066; Pro— -Wadeline Jonathas 23.20, 49.60, 20-7¼i.
Stephen F. Austin
T—**Mathilde Coquillaud Salomon’ 13.46, 5066.
Texas
T—***Ava Peeples FLXC.
Texas A&M
T—**Immanuela Aliu’ 11.50, 11.44w, 23.44.
Vanderbilt
T—**Ruby Stauber 2:03.01.
Washington State
N—Leonie Reuter’ (Ger) 6-½.
Western Texas JC
N—Jovanna Gustave’ (Bar) 11.67. □
