#94 - Battle & Cockrell Looking For Medals

Inside This Issue

• Battle Blazing

• Onwuzurike Makes Semis

• Cockrell Makes Semis

• Brazier Gets Boxed

• Every Michigander To Compete At Worlds Ever

• The Media 800 PTSD

Women’s 200: Battle Blazing

Heats: Anavia Battle led of the qualifiers in the first round of the 200, blasting a 22.07, the second-fastest time of her life (0.1 wind). Next on the qualifiers list was 100 gold medalist Melissa Jefferson-Wooden at 22.24. Running in the same heat as battle was Ann Arbor Huron grad Fatouma Conde, who finished 8th in 23.42, a national record for Guinea. She did not advance to the semis. (No 100 splits for this one; Seiko screwed them up and said all the runners hit 6-seconds for the first half.)

Semis: Battle won her semi in 22.09, the fourth-fastest time overall. Wind -0.3. Her 100 splits were 11.24 / 10.85. My guess is that Jefferson-Wooden is the strong favorite for the final, but I think Battle will be in the thick of the fight for the remaining medals.

“Things have been going as I planned,” she said. “Over 200m it's important to put all things together. I did an amazing job on and off the turn, but I've got to get the start right. Building confidence from the beginning of the season really helps me to be where I'm at now. The women's 200m is very competitive and I'm excited to go out there and dominate tomorrow. Three USA girls are in the final - a whole bunch of us. May the best woman win.”

Men’s 200: Onwuzurike Makes Semis

Heats: Udodi Onwuzurike, the Brother Rice grad who won an NCAA title for Stanford, drew a bad lane for the first round, lane 2. Of course, one of the podium favorites, Kenny Bednarek, was next to him in lane 3. Bednarek ended up winning in 19.98, with Onwuzurike closing well for 2nd in 20.27 (-0.3 wind). Organizers are publishing 100m splits for the 200, which can be interesting. Onwuzurike was 10.45 / 9.82.

Semis: Onwuzurike got a better lane, 5. In a much tougher field, he placed 7th so will not make the final. He ran 20.26 (1.0 wind). His 100 splits—10.39 / 9.87.

Women’s 400H: Cockrell Makes Semis

Anna Cockrell continued to look likely to make the podium in the 400 hurdles. She won her semi in an unpressed 53.28. That ranked her No. 6 overall, but she had more under the hood, clearly.

Cockrell: “It is very exciting that two of my training partners, Dalilah (Muhammad) and Gianna (Woodruff) have also made it to the final. We all work hard. We push each other so much. So I think it is a real testament to our group that three of us are through. To do well in the final always takes incredible poise and an incredible competitive edge. I have to stick to my plan to the best of my ability and follow what my coach says. I expect the times are going to be fast, they have been fast for the last 10 years. It is going to be a hot race. It is going to be competitive. It is going to go down to the wire. It will come down to poise and execution. Last year, my first Olympic medal took a lot of grit. It is going to be the same thing this time. I love running rounds. I am not a one and done girl. I love the ability to get better and better every round.”

Men’s 800: Brazier Gets Boxed

Heats: Donavan Brazier continued his amazing comeback, winning his heat comfortably in 1:44.66, the fastest time out of all the heats. Splits: 52.50 / 52.16.

Semis: Brazier got trapped on the inside and badly blocked. It was only through shear luck that a pathway opened up for him on the final straight. He closed well to finish 3rd in 1:43.82. Splits: 51.81 / 52.01. Would that be enough to be one of the two time qualifiers? Close, but no banana. The final semi was deeper, and the 4th-place time there of 1:43.80 bumped Brazier out of the final by 0.02. A sad end to this meet for the Kenowa Hills alum, but we are hoping that we see much more of him in the future.

“I got caught on the inside trying to make a move,” he said. “I should have made a move when things opened up earlier, but I didn't and I paid the price. The season was good, but not as good when you know you have the potential to be on the world stage. I am pleased to be back, but I'm a greedy guy. I want it all. I have been gone from home for a while so I can't wait to see my fiancee.”

Stats: Michigan At The Worlds, 1983 - 2023 

Since the first IAAF World Championships in 1983, we have had at least one alumni of Michigan high schools compete in every single edition, representing six different nations (Great Britain, Guinea, Liberia, Samoa, St Lucia, USA)

Results key: h=preliminary heat; qf=quarter-final (if 4 rounds); s=semi; q=field event qualifying.

1983 - Helsinki

• m400 - Eliot Tabron (Detroit Murray-Wright) 4h-46.68; 6qf-46.54

• mSteeplechase - Brian Diemer (Grand Rapids South Christian) 6h-8:24.92; 8s-8:23.39

• w400H - Judi Brown King (East Lansing) 4h-57.14; 7s-57.98

1987 - Rome

• mSteeplechase - Brian Diemer (Grand Rapids South Christian) 4h-8:21.32; 4-8:14.46

• m10,000 - Gerard Donakowski (Dearborn Heights Riverside) did not start

• w800 - Delisa (Walton) Floyd (Detroit Mackenzie) 2h-2:02.76; 5s-2:02.45

• w400H - Judi Brown King (East Lansing) 1h-55.35; 4s-55.55; 8-56.10

1991 - Tokyo

• mSteeplechase - Brian Diemer (Grand Rapids South Christian) 5h-8:18.29; 5-8:17.76

• w800 - Delisa (Walton) Floyd (Detroit Mackenzie) DQ-h (2:00.05)

• wDiscus - Penny Neer (North Adams) 23q-54.26/178-0

1993 - Stuttgart

• mSteeplechase - Brian Diemer (Grand Rapids South Christian) 10h-9:01.88

• m10,000 - Todd Williams (Monroe) 4h-28:28.62; 7-28:30.49

1995 - Goteborg

• m400 - Darnell Hall (Detroit Pershing) 3h-45.34; 1qf-45.09; 3s-45.07; 6-44.83

• m1500 - Paul McMullen (Cadillac) 5h-3:48.70; 7s-3:38.54; 10-3:38.23

• m1500 - Brian Hyde (East Kentwood) 7h-3:43.29

• m10,000 - Todd Williams (Monroe) 8h-28:13.83; 9-27:52.87

• m4x400 - Darnell Hall (Detroit Pershing) GOLD MEDAL 1h-2:58.23 (45.22 anchor) (dnc-final)

• w5000 - Laura (Matson) Mykytok (Bloomfield Hills Andover) 10h-15:48.95

1997 - Athens

• m4x100 - Kouty Mawenh (Pentwater-Liberia) 8h-39.90 (leadoff)

• w800 - Kathi (Harris) Rounds (Walled Lake Central) 4h-2:03.33

1999 - Seville

• m4x100 - Kouty Mawenh (Pentwater-Liberia) 5h-40.89 (leadoff)

2001 - Edmonton

• m1500 – Paul McMullen (Cadillac) 5h-3:38.48; 6s-3:40.57; 10-3:39.35

• mSteeplechase - Tom Chorny (Fruitport) 11h-8:51.74

• mDecathlon - Phil McMullen (Cadillac) 15-8079

• m4x100 - Kouty Mawenh (Pentwater-Liberia) h-dnf (leadoff)

2003 - Paris

• mMarathon - Clint Verran (Lake Orion) 39-2:16:42

• mMarathon - Ryan Shay (Central Lake) dnf

• mDiscus - Carl Brown (Albion) 10q-63.01/206-8; 9-62.66/205-7

• mDecathlon - Paul Terek (Livonia Franklin) 12-7503

• m4x100 - Kouty Mawenh (Pentwater-Liberia) 5h-40.08 (leg 2)

• wHigh Jump - Gwen Wentland (Grand Blanc) did not compete

2005 - Helsinki

• mMarathon - Clint Verran (Lake Orion) 22-2:17:42

• mDiscus - Carl Brown (Albion) 16q-61.91/203-1

• mDecathlon - Paul Terek (Livonia Franklin) 13-7921

• mDecathlon - Phil McMullen (Cadillac) 17-6832

• wDiscus - Becky Breisch (Edwardsburg) 18q-57.16/187-6

2007 - Osaka

• m10,000 - Dathan Ritzenhein (Rockford) 9-28:28.59

• mDecathlon - Paul Terek (Livonia Franklin) 10-8120

• wDiscus - Becky Breisch (Edwardsburg) 18q-58.42

2009 - Berlin

• m10,000 - Dathan Ritzenhein (Rockford) 6-27:22.28

• w800 - Geena Gall (Grand Blanc) 2h-2:02.63; 6s-2:01.30

• wDiscus - Becky Breisch (Edwardsburg) 22q-58.50/191-11

• wHeptathlon - Bettie Wade (Farmington) 24-5134

2011 - Daegu

• w100H - Tiffany (Ofili) Porter (Ypsilanti-Great Britain) 1h-12.84; 1s-12.56; 4-12.63

2013 - Moscow

• m10,000 - Dathan Ritzenhein (Rockford) 10-27:37.90

• mDiscus - Alex Rose (Ogemaw Heights-Samoa) 29q-56.19/184-4

• wSteeplechase - Nicole Bush (Wyoming Kelloggsville) 13h-9:58.03

• w100H - Tiffany (Ofili) Porter (Ypsilanti-Great Britain) BRONZE MEDAL 1h-12.72; 1s-12.63; 3-12.55

• wSP - Tia Brooks (East Kentwood) 11q-17.92/58-9½; 8-18.09/59-4¼

• wHept - Bettie Wade (Farmington) 27-5768

2015 – Beijing

• mDiscus - Alex Rose (Ogemaw Heights-Samoa) 25q-59.07/193-9

• w100H - Tiffany (Ofili) Porter (Ypsilanti-Great Britain) 1h-12.73; 1s-12.62; 5-12.68

• w100H – Cindy Ofili (Ann Arbor Huron-Great Britain) 4h-12.97; 6s-12.91

• wShot – Tia Brooks (East Kentwood) 13q 17.71/58-1.25

2017 – London

• m800 – Donavan Brazier (Kenowa Hills) 1h-1:45.65; 7s-1:46.27

• mDiscus – Andrew Evans (Portage Northern) 20q – 61.32/201-2

• mDiscus – Alex Rose (Ogemaw Heights-Samoa) 19q – 61.62/202-2

• w100H - Tiffany (Ofili) Porter (Ypsilanti-Great Britain) 6h – 13.18

2019 – Doha

• m800 – Donavan Brazier (Kenowa Hills) GOLD 1h-1:46.04; 1s-1:44.87; 1-1:42.34 AR

• mDiscus – Alex Rose (Ogemaw Heights-Samoa) 21q – 61.80/202-9

• mDiscus – Brian Williams (Fraser) 27q – 60.48/198-5

2022 - Eugene

• m800 – Donavan Brazier (Kenowa Hills) 6h – 1:46.72

• m5000 – Grant Fisher (Grand Blanc) 2h-13:24.44; 6-13:11.65

• m10,000 – Grant Fisher (Grand Blanc) 4-27:28.14

• mDiscus – Alex Rose (Ogemaw Heights-Samoa) 8-65.57/215-1

• mDiscus – Andrew Evans (Portage Northern) 18q-62.20/204-1

• mDiscus – Brian Williams (Fraser) 28q-58.25/191-1

• mDecathlon – Steven Bastien (Saline) 16-7939

• w100H – Cindy (Ofili) Sember (Ann Arbor Huron) 1h-12.97; 6s-12.95

• wPole Vault – Gabriela Leon (East Kentwood) 12-4.30/14-1.25

2023 - Budapest

• m110H – Freddie Crittenden (Utica) 2h – 13.40 (0.0); 1s – 13.17 (-0.1); 4 – 13.16 (0.0)

• mDT – Brian Williams (Fraser) 9 – 63.62/208-9

• mDT – Alex Rose (Ogemaw Heights-Samoa) 12 – 61.69/202-4

• w100H – Cindy (Ofili) Sember (Ann Arbor Huron-Great Britain) 4h – 12.83 (0.1); 6s – 12.97 (0.5)

• w400H – Anna Cockrell (Country Day MS) 2h – 54.68; 2s – 53.63; 5 – 53.34

The Media 800

Now, I’m not going to write about this year’s media 800, an event they have every World Championships so that the journalists who still have a shred of running fitness can embarrass themselves. I swore off participating in it more than 20 years ago, mostly as a result of my amazing history of injuries.

But I would be less than honest if I didn’t share that the 2001 Edmonton race permanently scarred me. I actually trained a little for it, doing enough track work to figure out what a reasonable pace would be for me. There were a bunch of heats, and I ran in about the middle of the pack in mine. The trauma came after my finish in 2:46, when I got outkicked by a French woman. No misogynist I—it wasn’t a problem getting beat by a woman. It was a problem that she immediately sat down and lit up a cigarette!

Afterward, I got a chance to talk with the legendary runner Haile Gebrselassie, who had watched the whole event. I asked him if he was impressed by the athletic skills the journalists had shown. He laughed and laughed, and finally composed himself enough to say, “No, no. This was really very funny.”