Cardinal T&F Freshman Ethan Bush Chops Down his 800m PR Again!!!
Cardinal T&F Freshman Ethan Bush Chops Down his 800m PR Again!!!
John Hopkins/Loyola meet continues to serve Cardinal T&F team well
The week leading up to Saturday April 22nd was one of the best in terms of training according to Head T&F Coach Mark Pryor. The weather was great and everyone's spirits were high. Coach Pryor has been utilizing both the pool and grass fields to keep his student-athletes legs fresh but at the same time keeping the track workouts crisps so the athletes maintain their rythym and pace on the 400 meter oval. That combination has been working well in terms of fitness level and their aerobic capacity. So it's been merely about finding the right meet with good conditions for the athletes to perform well.
The Towson Invitational on April 8th was the first indication as the weather was in the high 70s with a good mixture of NCAA Division-I competition. Both freshman Ethan Bush and Keynaud Randolph enjoyed stellar performances. With the last three track meets on the Cardinals schedule all consisting of NCAA caliber competition, Coach Pryor was looking for breakthrough performances. Bush did not disappoint at this weekend's John Hopkins / Loyola Invitational.
The forecast for Saturday was rain storm but later in the day. The Hopkins meet director did his best to try and get all if not most of the events completed before the storm hit Baltimore. As the heats of the women's 800 meter event was being run at 3:00pm, everyone could see the dark clouds overhead and then the thunder and lightning roared. The meet was delayed and all the teams ran for cover. After the down pour and thunder subsided, the meet resumed at 5:00pm. Coach Pryor instructed his athletes how to do a sudo-warm up that wouldn't take long but be effective in preparing them to race. Bush and Randolph raced in the same heat as 18 athletes lined up from 10 different schools who also waited for the weather to improve. It was still raining but the sun was out with warm temperatures.
Since the start of the outdoor season, Coach Pryor has been steadily teaching his athletes the strategy behind each event and how to run them successfully in races. The 800 meter event can be difficult as it requires both speed and strength or as it's called "middle distance". One of the keys to an 800 meter race is positioning and knowing when to make a spirited drive for the finish line. If you judge wrong and your final drive is too soon or too late, the results can drive you crazy. But if you run the race the right way, no matter the conditions or competition; the athlete will be rewarded with a crediatble time. Bush ran the 1st lap with little effort positioning himself on the outside of the crowded field of 18. As he reached the back stretch, Bush made a move towards the front and hit the 600m mark with plenty of gas in in tank. Over the last 150 meters, Bush passed at least 6-7 athletes with his final drive towards the finish line timed just right.
At Franklin High School in Reisterstown MD, Ethan Bush competed in both the 400m and 800m events. He was one of the best on his team but he still needed a lot of fine tuning and to learn that much-needed lesson on strategy. At John Hopkins, Coach Pryor said that Bush ran an excellent strategic race which resulted in a :4 sec improvement. So in 14 days, Ethan has lowered his 800 meter time from 2:06.31 to 2:03.08 to a now respectable 1:59.18.
Needless to say, Ethan was super excited. He noted that the last 200 meters of his race on Saturday were like a blur as he sprinted and passed his competitors in wholesale fashion like they were standing still. Coach Pryor also noted that the NJCAA National Outdoor T&F Championship qualifying time for the 800 meter event is 1:54.80.
Here is the link to the full results of all events at the Hopkins/Loyola Invitational: TFRRS | Hopkins Loyola Invitational - Meet Results
The team's next meet on it's schedule will be this coming Saturday, April 29th at the Paul Kaiser Classic hosted by Shippensburg Univ in PA. Shippensburg is one of the best D-II schools on the east coast specializing in middle and long distance with it's head cross country coach being a former Olympic & World Championship medalist Steve Spence. The first event will begin at 9:00am.
GO CARDINALS!!!!!! #JUCOPRODUCT