Click HERE for more information.  Visit Craig Virgin’s website HERE.

(image courtesy of T&F News)

The other big news in the article is that Bolt will be paid $300,000 in appearance money, along with $30,000 if he breaks the world record.  $300k is one of the biggest appearance fees ever, showing just how important it is to have the biggest star in the sport at an event.  Late last year reports had Bolt’s appearance value at $500,000, which could be seen later in the track season, especially if he continues to break world records this season.

Bolt to Run 300m at Ostrava Golden Spike (Universal Sports)

With the NCAA Championships this weekend, we’ll still provide college updates, as well as a few high school updates to go along with our NIN coverage.

Best of luck to everyone competing this weekend.

Previews: Boys Individual Preview / Girls Preview (Coming Soon)

NCC runners Kyle Brady (Wheaton Warrenville South H.S.) and Jacob Austin (Hinckley-Big Rock H.S.) rank second and tenth in their respective events (800m & 5,000m), with Brady having a great opportunity to challenge for the NCAA 5k title.

In the women’s DIII rankings, Illinois Wesleyan University will push once again for the NCAA team title.  Ranked US#4, IWU has shown they are a top three caliber team time and again this winter, as they score well across a variety of events.

Other nationally ranked squads including University of Chicago (US#7) and North Central College (US#11) on the women’s side, while Monmouth College (US#25) continues to be ranked on the men’s side.  The NCAA DIII Championships take place at DePauw University (IN) Friday and Saturday.

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In the women’s DI rankings, Southern Illinois University fell four spots this past week to US#16.  Led by a strong group of field event athletes, SIU looks to make a push for a top ten finish at the NCAA Championships this coming weekend at the University of Arkansas.

USTFCCCA Rankings: DI / DII / DIII

Team USA is headed to Doha, Qatar this coming weekend, as 53 members of the best track and field team in the world take part in the IAAF World Indoor Track and Field Championships.  As athletes arrive in Qatar, the hype will continue to grow, reaching the tipping point, as some of the best athletes in the world go head-to-head.

Three members of Team USA belong to the Oregon Track Club.  800m standout Nick Symmonds, long-distance star Galen Rupp and upstart miler Will Leer, each look to not only run well for the U.S., but challenge for a world championship medal.

The Register-Guard caught up with Leer and OTC coach Mark Rowland this week, as both shed insight as to how they feel heading into the weekend.  Leer, who is one of the rising stars in middle-distance running, seems poised and ready to role, while Rowland is confident in Leer and Symmonds, knowing both athletes are ready to challenge for big finishes.

OTC Stars Begin Journey to World Indoor (Register-Guard)

This past weekend the NACAC Cross Country Championships took place in Trinidad & Tobago, with former Illinois runners performing quite well.

Delilah DiCrescenzo (Burbank, IL) (pictured above in a Puma ad) won the senior women’s race in 20:49.5, finishing twelve seconds ahead of teammate Emily Harrison.  The 27 year old, former Queen of Peace H.S. standout, simply ran away to the individual title over the 6k course.

In the junior women’s race, current University of Washington freshman Lindsay Flanagan (Roselle, IL) placed sixth overall with a time of 14:07.3 (4k).  The former all-state runner from Lake Park High School was third runner for Team USA, while finishing 12 seconds out of third place.

Results: Junior Women / Junior Men / Senior Women / Senior Men

(photo courtesy of Puma Running)

For years now, fans of the sport have complained time and again with the television presentation of track and field.  Not enough races are shown, the announcers don’t know what they are talking about, the camera angles are bad, these are all major complaints that are heard after nearly every broadcast.

Much of the criticism with television coverage falls on the shoulders of USATF, the governing body of the sport, and the organization that helps put track and field on TV.  Well, USATF CEO Doug Logan blogged about track’s television coverage yesterday, noting that things have to change, and that they will change.

Our favorite quote is:

“My colleagues at work will tell you I frequently preach about the “moment.” Every event, particularly every sporting event, has the capacity for one or more moments. It is that point in the contest that you experience a catch in your breath, a pure emotional reaction, a feeling you are blessed to be there to bear witness, or, in the case of a television viewer, a regret that you weren’t there.”

So what does USATF need to do to make track and field on television more exciting, more enticing to watch?  What do you think?

(photo courtesy of futureatlas.com)

Iowa State Qualifier – Results

Two monster performances were put up by former Illinois state champions Jeff Thode (Conant H.S.) and Nick Kuczwara (York H.S.) (pictured left).  Thode, who’s been lowering his mile time all winter, beat an impressive field in the men’s mile, earning a new PR of 4:03.07.  Meanwhile, Kuczwara, who’s Thode’s teammate at the University of Iowa, ran a new personal best in the 800m dash, finishing fourth overall in 1:49.59.

Also running well, University of Iowa’s Nick Holmes (Limestone H.S.) finished fourth in the men’s mile, running right around the 4:10 mark again, this time crossing the finish line in 4:10.14.

Alex Wilson Last Chance Meet – Results

A handful of former Illinois distance stars took to the fast track at the University of Notre Dame over the weekend.  Leading the way yet again was Notre Dame senior Jack Howard (Libertyville H.S.).  Running against a loaded field of 800m talent, Howard finished seventh overall in a NCAA provisional qualifying time of 1:48.85.

Another big performance in the 800m dash came from University of Oklahoma junior Scott Cooper (O’Fallon H.S.).  Cooper, who’s had a rather quiet indoor campaign, finished 16th overall with a provisional qualifying time of 1:50.45.

Meanwhile, Notre Dame’s Rebecca Tracy (Barrington H.S.) had another busy weekend, this time helping her team’s DMR to a provisional qualifying mark of 11:20.34, while finishing 16th overall in a strong women’s mile field in 4:53.74.

Tracy’s teammate Abby Higgins (Benet Academy) placed 16th overall in the women’s 800m dash in 2:10.59, while Duke senior Cory Nanni (Normal West H.S.) finished 19th in the men’s mile with a time of 4:07.34.

Pointer Last Chance Meet – Results

While he isn’t one of the most talked about runners at North Central, senior Chris Kane (Plainfield South H.S.) came up big at UW Stevens Point on Saturday.  Running in the  men’s 5,000m, Kane ran away from the field, crossing the line in a new PR of 14:56.28, beating second place by just over seven seconds.  While NCC was rather quiet indoors this winter, Kane’s performance shows the depth of the program.

What an indoor season it’s been for NCAA milers.  To date, 18 U.S. collegiate and professional distance runners have joined the sub-4 mile club in 2010.  With indoors wrapping up, and few opportunities to run the mile outdoors available, the growth of the sub-4 list will surely slow, but the fact that so many runners are stepping up their performances and joining the club shows how strong American distance running is becoming.

The U.S. Sub-4 Club (T&F News)

In addition to the updated sub-4 listings, Track and Field News states that Stillwater H.S. in Minnesota now has four sub-4 minute milers to their name.  With University of Minnesota runner Ben Blankenship running under the magical mark this past weekend, Stillwater now leads the way nationally.  So, quick question…which Illinois high school leads the way with sub-4 milers?

A H.S. with Four Sub-Four Mile Alums (T&F News)

In year’s past, Team USA has run well in the international competition.  Squads from nine countries, including the likes of Canada, Jamaica and Puerto Rico, will take part, eyeing regional bragging rights.  Both Flanagan and DiCrescenzo are part of strong squads that will challenge for team titles.

Team USA Set for NACAC Cross Country Championships (USATF)