Ajee' Wilson Puts College On Hold

[gh]

What "3-4 events" can you possibly imagine her running at Florida State? Based on times so far, she's not fast enough to run the 4x4, and she's never tried a 1500. So that leaves her soloing in the 800.

[guru]

Certainly has a great shot at Slaney's 2:01.03 indoor 800 AJR

[Blues]

What "3-4 events" can you possibly imagine her running at Florida State? Based on times so far, she's not fastest enough to run the 4x4, and she's never tried a 1500. So that leaves her soloing in the 800.

I have to ask this because I'm a former New Jerseyan and a current Ajee fan... Why isn't she fast enough to run the 4x4?

Only 8 high school athletes who graduated last year ran a faster outdoor 400 than Ajee's 54.04 from the NJ High School Championship Meet last season. Couldn't she have been in the mix for at least a middle leg on the relay at FSU? (According to Direct Athletics, last year FSU's top outdoor 400m time was 53.91, and their best outdoor 4x4 was 3:43.86.)

[gh]

I probably overestimated the quality of the Seminole 4x4... nonetheless, the point is that she wouldn't be running 3-4 events at "championship meets"; indeed as a 3:43 team, Flazoo wouldn't even be good enough to earn a spot in the Nationals.

[Marlow]

Flazoo wouldn't even be good enough to earn a spot in the Nationals.

Is that a retronym from Wazoo? Noone east of Mountain View calls FSU that.

[guru]

Flazoo wouldn't even be good enough to earn a spot in the Nationals.

Is that a retronym from Wazoo? Noone east of Mountain View calls FSU that.

Yeah that's a first for me too

[Master Po]

I am enjoying watching the development of Ajee Wilson's career so far, and hope that she continues in this positive way. I have no idea if she would be better served by being a collegiate athlete or by foregoing collegiate competition in favor of the pro route. There are so many variables in play between athlete, coach, environment, etc. that it is, I think, impossible for most of us to know which path would suit her best. The history of elite prep athletes in the USA who pursued the collegiate route has far more examples than the pro route, but we can pile up examples of both great success and something less than what one might have hoped for on each side of each path (e.g., Rupp, Felix, Webb, et al.) and never be any closer to knowing what this athlete should do. Each of these athletes gets one chance to chart the trajectory of her or his career, and in enough time, we'll know the answers to our questions. I wish Ajee Wilson and those around her good judgment and good fortune as she takes these steps.

[gh]

Flazoo wouldn't even be good enough to earn a spot in the Nationals.

Is that a retronym from Wazoo? Noone east of Mountain View calls FSU that.

Yeah that's a first for me too

I doubt that; it's the 24th time it has been used on the board, dating back to June 02, 2005.

[guru]

And all by you(or people similarly scratching their heads at it)


By the way, from now on I'm calling Ohio State Ohzoo. Anyone who doesnt like it, well nutz to you!

[gh]

Flazoo wouldn't even be good enough to earn a spot in the Nationals.

Is that a retronym from Wazoo? Noone east of Mountain View calls FSU that.

Wazzu (which I gather is the preferred spelling) postdates my dinosaur rides in the Palouse by many years.

[lonewolf]

First time I have heard'noted the moniker Flazoo.. but I like it.
Mizzo is fairly common. Can we look forward to Kanzoo, Lazoo, Orzoo, Utzoo, Cozoo, Pazoo, Ohzoo, Azzoo, ?

[guru]

Can we look forward to... Ohzoo...

Umm, I refer you two posts up kind sir

[JumboElliott]

What "3-4 events" can you possibly imagine her running at Florida State? Based on times so far, she's not fast enough to run the 4x4, and she's never tried a 1500. So that leaves her soloing in the 800.

Perhaps I engaged in a bit of hyperbole, but I still think she made the right choice.

[Marlow]

Wazzu (which I gather is the preferred spelling)

Googling "wsu wazzu" gives us 90,000 hits.

Googling "wsu wazoo" gives us 164,000 hits.

googling "fsu flazoo" gives 186 hits, many from this very board.

I take Flazoo as a gh-coined term of affection . . .

[Helen S]

" gh-coined "

Would that be "ghazzoo-coined" then?

[Marlow]

" gh-coined "
Would that be "ghazzoo-coined" then?

Indeed - a yahoo from wazoo using flazoo like he's Honey Boo-boo.

[gh]

Wazzu (which I gather is the preferred spelling)

Googling "wsu wazzu" gives us 90,000 hits.

Googling "wsu wazoo" gives us 164,000 hits.

googling "fsu flazoo" gives 186 hits, many from this very board.

I take Flazoo as a gh-coined term of affection . . .

The officially disapproved version is (was) wazzu

http://www.mywesttexas.com/import/artic ... 153a4.html

[Marlow]

The officially disapproved version is (was) wazzu
http://www.mywesttexas.com/import/artic ... 153a4.html

Mixed messages much?

University President V. Lane Rawlins wants the nickname purged from T-shirts, coffee mugs and other school-related products because he considers the term disrespectful. He fears it also plays to the perception that Washington State is a not-so-serious place.
"We love the name Wazzu," university marketing director Mary Gresch insisted. "But we want to emphasize the full name of the university."

[tandfman]

By the way, from now on I'm calling Ohio State Ohzoo. Anyone who doesnt like it, well nutz to you!

I, and some of my friends, insist on calling it TOSU, since they seem to insist on calling it The Ohio State University, rather than simply Ohio State.

[guru]

Back to the subject at hand...

Looks like Ms Wilson will take her first shot at Slaney's 800 AJR at the New Balance GP(Feb 2)

[lonewolf]

Can we look forward to... Ohzoo...

Umm, I refer you two posts up kind sir

Whoops, must have posted while I was composing... well, great minds and all that...

[Blues]

Back to the subject at hand...

Looks like Ms Wilson will take her first shot at Slaney's 800 AJR at the New Balance GP(Feb 2)

If Ajee Wilson can run fast enough indoors to break Mary Slaney's AJR of what I think is 2:01.8, then maybe she can get Meskerem Legesse's WJR of 2:01.03 too. I'll be somewhat surprised if she breaks either, but you never know.

Question for gh or anybody else that knows: As of now the T&FN list of American Junior records lists Slaney's indoor 800 AJR as 2:01.03, which is the same time as Legesse's world record. Is that a misprint, or did Mary Slaney run that time too?

[az2004]

last year ajee and cain had a couple very fast 800


with cains' new found distanse strength would salazar drop her down to the 800

i saw those, races last year, ajee has way too much finishing speed for cain

i saw them race the mile at penn relays, 4:39 for cain 4:50 for ajee, and that's very decent for a 400/800 type

[Marlow]

the T&FN list of American Junior records lists Slaney's indoor 800 AJR as 2:01.03, which is the same time as Legesse's world record. Is that a misprint, or did Mary Slaney run that time too?

Good catch. She ran 2:02.4 for 880y, converted to 2:01.8' for meters. Feb 17, 1974 in San Diego.

[18.99s]

I see nothing wrong with her decision to defer college for a year. Either she'll do well by making the WC team and performing respectably in Moscow which would land her a pro contract, or she won't do as well she hoped and then she'll enroll as a freshman in the fall of this year.

If there's a bad decision it's not now, it would be at the end of the season if she deviates from those two options, ending up neither in school nor with a decent pro contract. Or during the season if she throws away the college scholarship option by taking a bit of prize money without already having a solid pro contract.

[gh]

the T&FN list of American Junior records lists Slaney's indoor 800 AJR as 2:01.03, which is the same time as Legesse's world record. Is that a misprint, or did Mary Slaney run that time too?

Good catch. She ran 2:02.4 for 880y, converted to 2:01.8' for meters. Feb 17, 1974 in San Diego.

Not quite. The time is indeed 2:01.8, but that was an official en route time taken at 800m. Nobody accepts converted marks for record purposes.

[ATK]

I see nothing wrong with her decision to defer college for a year. Either she'll do well by making the WC team and performing respectably in Moscow which would land her a pro contract, or she won't do as well she hoped and then she'll enroll as a freshman in the fall of this year.

If there's a bad decision it's not now, it would be at the end of the season if she deviates from those two options, ending up neither in school nor with a decent pro contract. Or during the season if she throws away the college scholarship option by taking a bit of prize money without already having a solid pro contract.

she may already have taken a contract, which would eliminate any future college options.

[18.99s]

she may already have taken a contract, which would eliminate any future college options.

Eliminating college scholarship options is OK if it's not "without already having a solid pro contract".

[26mi235]

Can she have a contract that simply pays expenses and still retain collegiate eligibility?

[18.99s]

Can she have a contract that simply pays expenses and still retain collegiate eligibility?

An individual contract? No. But if she's training in a club that raises funds to pay the competition-related travel expenses and medical insurance for its members, maybe (with a bunch of ifs and buts).

[Blues]

Regardless of the specific details of a contract with Adidas, does the fact that Ajee Wilson is a Flynn Sports Management athlete represented by agent Ray Flynn also automatically eliminate college eligibility?

[26mi235]

The NCAA has been losing a bit in it's insistence that any representation by an 'agent' makes the athlete ineligible. If she has already gone passed the point of no return why has there been no comment from anyone involved (FSU, Wilson's team, etc)?

Well, that is answered see the front page link:

World Junior Record Holder and 2012 World Junior 800m Champion Ajee Wilson has turned Pro. She will be running for adidas and will be represented by Ray Flynn. She will continue to train with Derek Thompson of the Juventus Track Club of Philadelphia.

[ATK]

If she has already gone passed the point of no return why has there been no comment from anyone involved (FSU, Wilson's team, etc)?

How is FSU involved? didnt she drop the ball on them a while ago?

[gh]

Some good chatter on this subject on our Facebook page.

[az2004]

it should be noted derek thompson has been ajee wilson coach for the past couple year in hs and now, it's nt something new

and the states top 60/200 girl taylor williams is running without any hs link