PreRaceJitters Podcast: Tennessee’s Phoebe Wright making all the right moves

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Jay Hicks talks with Tennessee’s Phoebe Wright about going from walk on to world record holder, training at the University and her race against the clock to run 2:00 or faster.

PreRaceJitters Podcast: Tabarie Henry making the smooth transition

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The Aggies have not won a Big 12 400m title before he stepped on campus.  Jay Hicks talks with Tabarie Henry about knocking off rivals Baylor University, transitioning to Texas A&M, likely outcome at the 2010 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships. Plus Henry weighs in on the Aggies team chemistry and more.

Excuse the PreRaceJitters Dust

No matter whether you are moving up an event or trying something new– it is a constant.  Growing pains are an unavoidable consquence that goes with the territory.

PreRaceJitters is not going anywhere but up.

So please excuse our mess right now, as we work hard to bring you an upgraded website with more features and content.

We appreciate your patience, I know the content has been slow to appear on the site.  The upgrade is taking longer than anticipated but then again that is probably not a surprise to our friends and colleagues.

Thank you to all that have inquired about what is next for PRJ.  We hope to provide a vehicle that is more interactive and dynamic.

In the mean time, please keep coming back and let your friends that we will be providing new content while the new PreRaceJitter is being developed.

Thanks again for your support and just know we can not wait to increase your PreRaceJitters experience.

PRJ Podcast: Molly Beckwith battles injuries to Get to Top

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You may not know her name; chances are after the 2010 NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championship - you will know the name Molly Beckwith. She already owns a 2:02.51 outdoor personal best at 800m and is dead set on being the best.

A handful of knee surgeries. New Sport. New Coach. None of the aforementioned obstacles were enough to derail the Indiana’s Molly Beckwith mission to get to top the of 800m rankings.

Were it not for a career ending knee injury, Beckwith may have played out her career as a soccer player. Yet because she would not quit, bend or break, she may stand as a testament to perseverance.

The Worthington, Ohio native is leading a top-ranked Indiana squad into the Big 10 indoor conference and NCAA Championships with high hopes of coming out on top.

Beckwith shares with PreRaceJitters how she fought her way at Indiana University to become one of college track and field’s elite collegiate runner and one of the best in school history.

Special thanks to Indiana University. Song Bye Bye Bye courtesy of echoed.

PRJ Podcast: For Georgia’s Torrin Lawrence, Peaking at Nationals Is the Plan

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2010 Indoor Season’s Best

• 200 meters: 20.80, Virginia Tech Elite, 2/5/10
• 300 meters: 32.32, Hokie Invitational, Collegiate Record, 1/23/10
• 400 meters: 45.03, Tyson Invite, World Leader, 2/11/10

If you aren’t familiar with him, you had better ask somebody about the pure-talent 200 / 400m runner.

For all accounts, Georgia’s Torrin Lawrence is having an historic season, running at pace that can’t be ignored. Earlier this season, the sophomore rattled off a new indoor 300m collegiate record and currently lays claim to the fastest 400 meter time in the world.

But he is not satisfied. Lawrence is focused and determined to deliver his best 400m performance to win his first NCAA title at the 2010 NCAA Indoor Championships at the Randal Tyson Track Center in Fayetteville, Arkansas and bringing up the Bulldogs program in the process.

In this exclusive interview, Lawrence discusses gunning for an NCAA Champion and how good this Georgia Bulldog squad can be this season.

Special thanks to the University of Georgia. Song Bye Bye Bye courtesy of echoed.

Top Elite Track Athlete of the Year: The Next Challenge

For the next couple weeks everyone will be talking about who had the biggest season. And for good reason. Usain Bolt had a mind boggling season that shocked even his most ardent critics. Yes, Sanya Richards sealed her legacy in the sport and Kenenisa Bekele added another chapter to an already hall of fame career.

But this debate is officially closed.

This year Usain Bolt’s answered the one of the last questions for the Jamaican superstar. The Jamaican megastar proved that he can win great competition in the 100 meter race and also shattered his own 100 and 200 meter world records. It’s the litmus test of greatness. Carl did it. Michael did it. At the World Champions in August, Bolt bettered a Tyson Gay who said before the meet that he was in the best of his life by a comfortable margin.

That’s what the great ones do.

The other pressing issue is whether Bolt is big enough to save the sport. Sure it’s a lot of pressure for any athlete and especially in track and field. Legend Michael Johnson remarked this summer that he believes the sport is in decline. Rather than another article bemoaning the sport’s ills, we should focus on the man who can do something about changing the tide.

Sure Usain Bolt astonishes every time he gets in the blocks. But can the three-time world record holder put butts in the seats, sell overpriced hot dogs, and give the average sports fan a single reason to care even a morsel about the goings on in elite track and field?

That’s what the great ones do.

Bolt puts on a show and that is good for the sport. He is not afraid to pull up before the finish line or strike a pose after a win. He is quickly becoming a global superstar on the track. The next challenge is to do so off the track.

Considering his track record, you would be a fool to beat against him. Stay tuned and you may want to get your popcorn ready.

PreRaceJitters Podcast #41: Danielle Tauro is Michigan’s unquestioned leader

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Is this her year to shine? The leadership torch has been passed to her and Michigan’s Danielle Tauro is embracing her role as a team leader after the school has graduated a number of seniors from last years squad.

The 2009 Michigan women’s cross country team is fifty percent freshman and the squad is also battling some minor injuries.

In the initial athlete profile of PreRaceJitters’ Terre Haute or Bust series - Tauro talks about deciding to attend Michigan, pacing this young Michigan team and setting her goals high for her self-described “crucial junior season”.

That and more on this latest PreRaceJitters’ podcast.

PreRaceJitters’ Track & Field Radio Show, Episode #40

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The World Athletic Finals (WAF) provides to be a successful venture for the U.S. envoy. Is Sanya Richards latest feat good enough for her to be considered the greatest 400 meter runner ever?  Which performance was more impressive?  Kenenisa Bekele or Usain Bolt had impressive performances at the World Athletic Finals.

Send an email to comments@preracejitters.com to have your comments and questions discussed on the show.

PreRaceJitters’ Track & Field Radio Show…where the real playas come to hang out!

PreRaceJitters’ Track & Field Radio Show, Episode # 39

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The world record holder at 100, 200 and 4×100 meter relays and the world record holder at 5,000 and 10,000 might get it on like Donkey Kong.  Could Bolt beat Bekele in a distance that is fair to both athletes?  That and more is discussed in this latest episode.

-Bolt about get to paid in a major way

-Richards, Bekele, and Insinbeyva share winnings

PreRaceJitters’ Track & Field Radio Show, where the real playas come to hang out!

PreRaceJitters’ Track & Field Radio Show - Podcast #38

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After a brief break, track and field’s top internet radio show returns with two weeks until the World Championships to discuss track and field’s hottest stories. Jay Hicks and John W. Davis chop up the issues.

-Gay vs. Bolt
-Is Allyson Felix unbeatable?
-Can the U.S. 1,500m women medal in Berlin?

PreRaceJitters’ Track & Field Radio Show…where the real playas come to hang out!

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