#120 - Numb Arm Special Edition

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Inside This Issue

• First, An Explanation

• Michigan at World U20s

• Also on Friday, Hobbs Kessler

• Junior Olympics Excitement

• USATF Championships

• Other Highlights

• Other Things

First, An Explanation

Did I tell you about the rotting deck in my backyard or my over-energetic puppy who chewed a hole into it so big that he fell through? Yeah, so that’s where I’ve been every spare minute the last few weeks, tearing the deck down and rebuilding it singlehandedly. It’s a job I had hoped to postpone until next summer, but that dog…

So it was all going well until a key point in the tear-down process when I found myself swinging a small sledgehammer and then developing excruciating pain in my right shoulder. The next morning, the doctor confirmed that I had a partial tear in my rotator cuff. That pain soon died down as the doctor had predicted. It was a minor tear and would not need surgery. However, there’s a badly pinched nerve involved, and since then my right arm and hand is numb much of the time. Not just numb… you know that crazy pain when your arm/leg/whatever is asleep and it hurts like hell? That.

I’m right handed, so that has made the writing/work process a little bit challenging. The doctor says not to worry, it’ll go away. But the doctor is not a track fan, and he doesn’t care if my newsletter gets out. He’s more worried about his sone quitting his job to become a professional poker player.

Anyway, I’m sorry for the late newsletter, and for all the news I have missed, and for the fact that this is going to be a short and incomplete one. Bear with me.

Michigan At World U20 Championships

If you’re new to this idea, trust us that the World U20 Championships is hugely important. Doing well there is far more crucial than any New Balance or Nike Nationals. This is the where many of our future Olympic medalists are going into competition against the best that the world has to offer. Go back and look at lists of past medalists at U20s and you’ll get the idea.

Anyway, we’ve got some seriously good talent representing Michigan in Eugene. The headliner is Zacchaeus Brocks, who figures to tangle with Le’ezra Brown for the 110 hurdle gold. And yes, there’s every chance that the records will be rewritten again, and the only high schooler to ever break 13 for the hurdles will go even faster.

Here’s a look at our competitors and when you’ll see them (all times Eastern):

• Katie Blue - pole vault - qualifying - Wednesday 9pm; final Saturday 9:20pm

• Jack Bidwell - 5000 - final - Wednesday 11:20pm.

• Sydney Kuhn - mixed 4×4 alternate - final Wednesday 11:50pm.

• Henry Dixon - 1500 - heats Thursday 9:30pm; final Sunday 5:25pm.

• Zacchaeus Brocks - 110H - heats Friday 2:30pm; final Saturday 10:43pm

• Quincy Isaac - long jump - qualifying Friday 3:43pm; final Saturday 10:25pm.

The meet is being televised on NBC/Peacock. TV schedule:

• Wednesday, Aug. 5: Day session at 9:40 a.m. | Night session at 5:40 p.m.

• Thursday, Aug. 6: Day session at 9:40 a.m. | Night session at 5:45 p.m.

• Friday, Aug. 7: Day session at 9:40 a.m. | Night session at 4:40 p.m.

• Saturday, Aug. 8: Day session at 9:40 a.m. | Night session at 5:40 p.m.

• Sunday, Aug. 9 - Starting at 11:45.

From the USATF Preview…

m1500-Michigan's Henry Dixon has a chance to break the drought of U.S. medals in the event, as an American has never made the podium and fifth is the highest place ever for the red, white and blue. Dixon set his PB of 3:38.70 at the Raleigh Relays in March but will need to make a quantum leap to take on Ethiopia's Destaw Tade, a rather unknown quantity who has a best of 3:36.41.

m5000-World Cross Country U20 champ Frankline Kibet of Kenya is another clear favorite for a nation with a rich history of distance running dominance. He set a 13:08.32 PB at the Paris Diamond League meet in June and ran 13:10.70 in Nairobi in April. The Japanese duo of Yota Mashiko and Ryo Kurimura are serious medal contenders with sub-13:22 bests, and Kenya has another solid entrant in Nehemiah Kipngeno. American hopes for a first-ever medal rest on Juan Gonzalez of Oregon and Jack Bidwell of Michigan.

m110H-Probably the best event on the track at the USATF U20 meet, the sprint hurdles saw Georgia's Le'Ezra Brown rocket to a 12.95 American U20 record in the heats before losing a hairsbreadth decision to Zacchaeus Brocks in the final. Brocks set a national high school record of 12.98, the same time awarded to Brown, and the dynamic duo hope to repeat the 1-2 sweep by Ja'Kobe Tharp and Andre Korbmacher in 2024. Brown is No. 2 on the world all-time U2- performer list, with Brocks at No. 5. Japan's Asian U20 champ Jeremy Koga is the closest to the Americans on time with a best of 13.05.

mLJ-India looks like the nation to beat with the top two entrants in Shahnavaz Khan, the national championships runner-up with a PB leap of 8.30, and R.C. Jithin Arnujan, an 8.12 performer in '26. 2024 bronze medalist Mason McGroder of Australia is back and has a best of 7.77 this season. Michigan's Quincy Isaac was the Big 10 silver medalist, setting his PB of 7.89, and he matched that distance at the NCAA East meet. He went on to take ninth at the NCAA Championships. Carter Reckelberg of North Dakota State was the Summit League outdoor silver medalist and after placing seventh at the USATF U20 Champs his 7.61 indoor PB earned him his qualifier for this meet.

wPV-Czechia U20 and open champ Nicole Krutilova sits atop the entry list with the 4.52 PB she set in early July, but most of her other meets were in the 4.40 and below range. Krutilova was seventh in 2024, so at least she has some experience at this level. Similarly, South Africa's Ansume De Beer, the African champion, has one great meet, a 4.50 PB at the end of June, preceded by many clearances at 4.30 or lower. France's Moana Peyrard has a PB of 4.46 and a 4.45 to back that up, while Team USATF's Kylie Neira (4.25) and Katie Blue (4.28i PB) will need to make a couple higher bars to be in the medal chase.

Also On Friday… Hobbs Kessler

Our guy from Ann Arbor will be the headliner at the Sir Walter Miler event in Raleigh, North Carolina. The meet record is 3:50.80. Kessler’s slowest time this year is 3:49.13. Race time for the elite men is 9:30pm.

To watch the race will take a RunnerSpace+ subscription.

Junior Olympics Excitement

Last week was the USATF version, and to be honest, I haven’t had a minute to even look at results. This week the AAU version is happening—and that’s the one that draws the biggest Michigan talent. We’ll try to have a full report next week, but to whet your whistle, here’s a few things I’ve seen already:

• Aubrey Burt won the age 14 800 in 2:11.88.

• In the 15-16 800, Janae Coleman (2:12.16) and Niesha Gomez (2:13.74) went 1-2.

• De-mani Roberts ran 21.69 to make the finals of the 15-16 200.

• Willow Mason ran 23.81 to make the 17-18 finals at 200 (and 11.70w in the 100).

• Peyton Trammer ran 10.46 to make the 100 finals for 17-18.

That’s just scratching the surface. A lot more great performances are coming in the next few days.

USATF Championships

With no team berths on the line, this was a weird one. Many of the top Americans chose not to bother with it. Some events were pretty darn weak, while others remained quite competitive. Michigan participation was also quite mixed.

• Hobbs Kessler: 3rd in the 800 in 1:45.00 after a 1:45.93 heat.

• Miles Brown: 3rd in his heat of the 800 in 1:46.90, not advancing.

• Donavan Brazier: 4th in his heat (behind Brown) in 1:46.93.

• Grant Fisher: 2nd in the 10,000 in 30:14.46, outkicked by Woody Kincaid.

• Evan Bishop: 9th in the 10,000 in 30:49.39.

• Blake Vier: 5th in his 110H heat in 13.85, not advancing.

• Freddie Crittenden: 7th in his 110H heat in 15.38.

• Myles Kerner: 7th in the shot put at 66-9.25.

• Brian Williams: 6th in the discus at 202-9.

• Chandler Ault: 7th in the javelin at 227-3.

• Heath Baldwin: Not sure what his intent was coming in, but he only complete two of the 10 events before dropping out: 11.05 in the 100 and 22-9 in the long jump, both well off what he did in Austria in May.

• Anavia Battle: 4th in the 100 at 11.02 (11.00w heat, 10.99 semi).

• Kaila Jackson: 7th in the 100 at 11.11 (11.50 heat, 11.10 semi). 6th in 200 at 22.87 (23.05 heat).

• Sophie Novak: 8th in steeple in 9:37.25.

• Emily Paupore: 13th in steeple in 9:52.93.

• Klaudia O’Malley: 12th in 5000 in 15:41.97.

• Anna Cockrell: 1st in 400H in 52.94 (53.65 heat).

• Gabriela Leon: =4th in pole vault at 15-1.

• Jessica Mercier: no height in PV.

• Abby Russell: 9th in shot at 54-3.25.

• Erika Beistle: 3rd in discus at 214-2.

And in the Para Nationals, Jaydin Blackwell won the 400 in a World Record 47.23 and placed 3rd in the 100 in 10.87.

Other Highlights

• Ryan Shay Road Mile: Once again some great times in Charlevoix, if a bit downhill. Jack Anstey won the men’s race in 3:50.2; top Michigander was Dominic Suliman at 3:53.4, with 14 under 4:00. Women’s title went to Huron/UM alum Samantha Hastie in 4:30.4. High school titles to Hunter Eaton of Charlevoix in 4:10.3, with El McMahon leading the girls in 4:43.3.

• Commonwealth Games: Udodi Onwuzurike won silver in the 200 in 20.09, and bronze in the 4×1, anchoring Nigeria to a 38.12. Alex Rose placed 4th in the discus at 207-9.

• European U18 Championships: Competing for Poland, Pioneer’s Natasza Dudek won a silver medal in the 3000 in 9:21.02 in Rieti, Italy.

• Vulcan Vault: Evie Mathis jumped a PR 13-6.25 to win the event in Birmingham, Alabama.

Other Things

• Malise Brown: From her blazing MHSAA win to her nationals title, the Cass Tech grad saw her stock rise considerably. She has now switched her college commitment to USC and will be running with the big dogs!

• Cindy Sember: The Ann Arbor Huron grad, a 3-time British Olympian, has retired at age 31. She has not competed since 2024.

• Freddie Crittenden: The heats at the USATF meet were the final race in the career of the Olympic hurdler. I’d like to say that his 12.93 PR will last for a long time as the best-ever by a Michigander, but Braxton Brann and Zacchaeus Brocks are coming for it!

• Cheyenne Nesbitt: Our favorite heptathlete is now an assistant coach and director of operations at Duke.

• RIP Caleb Metcalf: Flushing is mourning the loss of the recent graduate and football star (and high jumper), who was a passenger in a car that had a high-speed crash.

• Emma Steele: Has transferred to WMU.

• Layla Phillips: The Cass Tech star has signed with Prairie View A&M.

• Kylee King: The former Oak Park star, who has been on three conference championship relays at Hampton, has transferred to Howard.

• Wayne State: Has added 2 grad assistants for the coming year, Brendan Marcum & Reagan Justice.

• Western Michigan: Has named Dexter alum Nathan Larson as an assistant coach.

• Madonna: Has promoted Olivia Rice to be head coach of XC and assistant in track.

• Oakland U: Has promoted Tre Brown to associate head coach.

• Baker College/Owosso: Will be adding men’s and women’s XC in the fall of 2027.

• Novi: the district is breaking ground this fall on a new activity center that will feature a 300m track. More on this at a later date!

• A New One for Us! A high schooler declaring that he is in the “transfer portal” for his senior year, and listing three schools that are apparently competing to get him! I’m not 100% up to date on MHSAA rules but I suspect this might be perceived as a problem.

• State Outdoor Records - Girls - Boys

• Outdoor Top 25 All-Time List - Girls - Boys

• Michigan TF/XC Hall of Fame

• Comments, suggestions, and all that stuff? Email [email protected].