Marvin Bracy (HS, Florida) 55m 6.08

[richh1948]

It's going to be interesting to see what happens in the outdoor season. Bracy came through his senior HS football season unscathed, and I suspect that he may be sub-10 this year. If the conditions in Eugene are as good as they were in 2008 he could go as quick as 9.90 and become the first junior to run under 10 (unless you feel that Lewis-Francis 9.97 wasn't windy in 2001). If the weather is good in Eugene with a light favourable wind it may take 9.85 to make the individual team. On the previous occasions the OT were held in Eugene the conditions were good for 3 of the 4 finals of the 100 (the exception being in 1980 - the boycott effect (?)). Let's hope you get good weather.

[26mi235]

It clearly is a start that cannot be repeated very often, so the larger issue is what the 'true' start interval is he can do at least some of the time -- say about 0.3 seconds. The implication is that he would be a 6.11 55 guy => 6.57 or so 60 guy, which can win NCAAs.

As for the start, it is not enough to be after the smoke, it has to be at least 0.10 after., and detectable motion probably has to be a bit after 0.10 because there is a brief interval in which the main effect is the pressure on the plates.

I got that the ratio of full speed to slowed speed was almost 6:1. I also got that the smoke appeared at virtually the end of the 13 second showing, about 13.9 as a guess. The earliest that he is starting is about 40% of the way through 14, so call it 14.4. This would mean that the 'minimum' time is 0.5 seconds. Take a sixth of that and we are in the 0.009 to 0.010 range. Of course the grainyness so it could be 0.06 or 0.13 or so.

Also, this is pretty early in the season. I will not be surprised to see a 6.5x, just not sure how small the x could be this winter. I suppose that this spring might be his last year of no spring football if he goes the football route (too small). I would not be surprised if he gets a 9.9x, although it might be wind aided, as so many spring races are.

[Dave]

It clearly is a start that cannot be repeated very often, so the larger issue is what the 'true' start interval is he can do at least some of the time -- say about 0.3 seconds. The implication is that he would be a 6.11 55 guy => 6.57 or so 60 guy, which can win NCAAs.

As for the start, it is not enough to be after the smoke, it has to be at least 0.10 after., and detectable motion probably has to be a bit after 0.10 because there is a brief interval in which the main effect is the pressure on the plates.

I got that the ratio of full speed to slowed speed was almost 6:1. I also got that the smoke appeared at virtually the end of the 13 second showing, about 13.9 as a guess. The earliest that he is starting is about 40% of the way through 14, so call it 14.4. This would mean that the 'minimum' time is 0.5 seconds. Take a sixth of that and we are in the 0.009 to 0.010 range. Of course the grainyness so it could be 0.06 or 0.13 or so.

Also, this is pretty early in the season. I will not be surprised to see a 6.5x, just not sure how small the x could be this winter. I suppose that this spring might be his last year of no spring football if he goes the football route (too small). I would not be surprised if he gets a 9.9x, although it might be wind aided, as so many spring races are.

Since he is a HS senior, would there be spring football?

Any idea when his next race will be?

It certainly looks like he has continued to mature from his 10.28/10.05w races from last year. From last year's 100 list, it looks like there is another kid across town who ran 10.31 as a sophomore. Wining local meets is not going to be a gimme for Bracy.

[ATK]

But what the slo-mo does confirm is something I thought I saw the first time through in regular speed: the FS gun should have gone off for the guy in red two lanes to his inside, who initiates a roll before Bracy blasts away.

He is learning from VCB. no problem there right.

[Letlôtse]

Lewis-Francis 9.97

Is there a video of this anywhere ?

[JumboElliott]

This result rounds out to about a 10.02. Give him a little tailwind at Eugene and we'll see.

[Dave]

This result rounds out to about a 10.02. Give him a little tailwind at Eugene and we'll see.

Never mind the fact that this kid has a number of other races between now and then. It may not take until Eugene to see him break 10.0(or not).

[Avante]

Slow down fellow track fans. Do I really need that longggggggggggggggggggggg list of HSer sprinters that were gonna......

Give it some time.

[JumboElliott]

I'm not saying he's going to be Usain Bolt, but it needs to be recognized that this kid is doing things that no one has ever done before at his age.

[gh]

Given that nobody runs the 55 outside of the U.S., and that it ceased to be a championship distance here many years ago, "doing things that nobody else...." is a fairly hollow credential. We can anoint him after puts up a notable 60 time.

[Marlow]

Given that nobody runs the 55 outside of the U.S., and that it ceased to be a championship distance here many years ago, "doing things that nobody else...." is a fairly hollow credential. We can anoint him after puts up a notable 60 time.

It's not that hard to see a 6.08 55 as a 6.51 60 - that's using .86 for his next 10m 'split'.
6.51 is indeed notable, esp. for a HSer.

[JumboElliott]

And that would have shattered Casey Combest's American record and tied Mark Lewis-Francis' WJR.

[Avante]

I'm not saying he's going to be Usain Bolt, but it needs to be recognized that this kid is doing things that no one has ever done before at his age.

It doesn't help that the kid is a footballer. We've seen how that goes just ask....Randall Carroll, Riley Washington, Kareem Kelly, Trindon Holliday, Napolean Kaufman etc etc.

[tm71]

forget about bolt like greatness, or getting a medal in the worlds or olympics or even a great college career or even the trials. one meet at a time.
i think the question i would have is whether his coaches will let him run at the usatf indoor meet in albuquerque and compete against the big boys rather than enter him in the national scholastic meet where he will beat up on inferior talent. i am not saying they should rush his development because it is an olympic year, but if he is this talented as he showed, he should compete against the best and run fast (dont forget the 5000 plus feet of albuquerque).

[Blues]

forget about bolt like greatness, or getting a medal in the worlds or olympics or even a great college career or even the trials. one meet at a time.
i think the question i would have is whether his coaches will let him run at the usatf indoor meet in albuquerque and compete against the big boys rather than enter him in the national scholastic meet where he will beat up on inferior talent. i am not saying they should rush his development because it is an olympic year, but if he is this talented as he showed, he should compete against the best and run fast (dont forget the 5000 plus feet of albuquerque).

Interesting question when it comes time for those meets... His next meet is supposed to be at the Brooks Invite in Seattle on 2/26... He's got some good HS comp there, and it'll be interesting to see what he can really do at 60m, especially after a little more track training and less football training... Current entry list is below. The other competitors have 100m PRs of between 10.3x and 10.5x and 60m times around 6.80 and slightly over... Some of you already know this, but Levonte Whitfield is Marvin Bracy's cousin, and he won the 100m at Golden South last year in 10.31, as a sophomore...
.
Boys School City State
60m
Marvin Bracy Boone High School Orlando FL
Levonte Whitfield Jones High School Orlando FL
Cameron Burrell Ridge Point High School Missouri City TX
Dondre Echols Potomac High School Oxon Hill MD
Kendrick Davis Phillip O. Berry Inst. Of Technology Charlotte NC
Jerimy Strainge North Broward Prep Coconut Creek FL

[gh]

Given that nobody runs the 55 outside of the U.S., and that it ceased to be a championship distance here many years ago, "doing things that nobody else...." is a fairly hollow credential. We can anoint him after puts up a notable 60 time.

It's not that hard to see a 6.08 55 as a 6.51 60 - that's using .86 for his next 10m 'split'.
6.51 is indeed notable, esp. for a HSer.

Let's see, 0.86 from 50 to 60. In the '08 Trials 100 final, with an aiding wind (gale) of 4.1mps, Doc Patton (9.84) ran 0.87 on his way to finishing 3rd and making the Olympic team. Padgett (9.85) ran 0.88, Rodney Martin (9.97) 0.87, Xavier Carter (10.11) 0.88.

And we already know that the Bracy time is skewed by a perfect (at worst) start.

So do I buy an 0.86 split? I think not.

[Dave]

0.86 seemed a tad optimistic. What is more realistic?

[Bowbridge]

Hurrah! My old high school! Go Boone Braves! That was my home track.

Class of '72

[RQ]

Levonte Whitfield is Marvin Bracy's cousin
http://www.flotrack.org/coverage/238873 ... -Prix-2011

His coach is Ricky Argo, former FSU track alum.

I heard through the grapevine that if this season goes well, he may forgo football. Not sure how that would work out since he is about to sign a football scholarship.

10.19 as a soph, 10.05(+2.2)USATF Juniors, 10.09(+2.4) Pan Ams as a junior

No spring football this year so the month of May not have any interruptions.

Off to a great start. I predict 9.96 this year.

[Marlow]

So do I buy an 0.86 split? I think not.

.88 seems the slowest he could have been going, so one more .01 (for the 5 meters). I'll concede the 6.52 vice the 6.51 . . .

[Giant Panda]

By definition, tying a record is the opposite of doing things no-one has ever done before. And he hasn't done it yet.

The most successful 100m runner of high school age in modern times is Darrel Brown who anchored a 4x1 silver medal in Edmonton when he was 16 and won the individual silver at 100m in Paris where he set the World Junior record of 10.01 in the rounds.

So if a high school kid wins a gold medal or sets a world record we can start talking about him achieving things that nobody has done before.

[Giant Panda]

Some of you already know this, but Levonte Whitfield is Marvin Bracy's cousin, and he won the 100m at Golden South last year in 10.31, as a sophomore...
.
Boys School City State
60m
Marvin Bracy Boone High School Orlando FL
Levonte Whitfield Jones High School Orlando FL
Cameron Burrell Ridge Point High School Missouri City TX
Dondre Echols Potomac High School Oxon Hill MD
Kendrick Davis Phillip O. Berry Inst. Of Technology Charlotte NC
Jerimy Strainge North Broward Prep Coconut Creek FL

One of those guys is the son of a former two time world record holder.

[gennady]

Cameron Burrell is the son of Leroy Burrel & Michelle Finn.(one of three).

[Marlow]

set the World Junior record of 10.01 in the rounds.
So if a high school kid wins a gold medal or sets a world record we can start talking about him achieving things that nobody has done before.

by your own model, breaking 10 would be equally unprecedentedly new. A Gold Medal/WR would NOT be unprecedented.

[Giant Panda]

No, that's poor critical thinking on your part. The gold medal would be unprecedented because it would one up the silver medal that Brown won. A world record would surpass all prior performances.

With regard to a new junior record, yes, with the caveat there's already a long list of teenagers who have run faster than 10.01.

Leonard Scott 9.83
Yohan Blake 9.93
Tim Montgomery 9.96
Seun Ogunkoya 9.97
Mark Lewis Francis 9.97
Carl Lewis 10.00
Travis Padgett 10.00
Darrel Brown 10.01
Jeff Demps 10.01

Marvin Bracy turns 19 in 2012 and as such this is his final year before being regarded as a senior athlete. He's ten days older this season than Yohan Blake was in 2008. Unfortunately Blake was injured that year so there will be no marks to compare. But in 2007 Blake ran 10.11 and in 2009 he ran 9.93, neither of which count as youth or junior records because he was five days too old, despite being younger on the day he ran than some athletes whose marks are eligible.

[Marlow]

No, that's poor critical thinking on your part. The gold medal would be unprecedented because it would one up the silver medal that Brown won.

HSers have indeed won Gold medals, negating your claim.

[Giant Panda]

Okay if what you say is correct who was the last high school boy to win a gold medal in the men's individual 100m at either the Olympic Games or the World Championships?

[Marlow]

Okay if what you say is correct who was the last high school boy to win a gold medal in the men's individual 100m at either the Olympic Games or the World Championships?

Track & Field has more than just sprints.

[preston]

Okay if what you say is correct who was the last high school boy to win a gold medal in the men's individual 100m at either the Olympic Games or the World Championships?

Track & Field has more than just sprints.

OK, I recognize that you want to keep your pissing match with Panda going but now you're starting to dribble down your leg. Fact: You were talking about Bracy doing something no one has ever done before and for him to do that he would have to do something akin to breaking a WR or winning a gold medal. You don't have to admit you're wrong -that seems to be an impossibility- but you can you just move along so the thread can progress?

[LacesUntied]

that's outrageously fast, either way - FSU's got a real burner through his recruitment.

[Marlow]

You don't have to admit you're wrong -that seems to be an impossibility- but you can you just move along so the thread can progress?

Thank you for that perspicacious yet entirely gratuitous remark . . .

[Dave]

OT or dual meet with the feeder junior high, what is this kid's next meet?

[JumboElliott]

By definition, tying a record is the opposite of doing things no-one has ever done before. And he hasn't done it yet.

The most successful 100m runner of high school age in modern times is Darrel Brown who anchored a 4x1 silver medal in Edmonton when he was 16 and won the individual silver at 100m in Paris where he set the World Junior record of 10.01 in the rounds.

So if a high school kid wins a gold medal or sets a world record we can start talking about him achieving things that nobody has done before.

I meant in context of the USA.

[Doctor Bob]

Brooks PR on 26 Feb in the 60 along with his Cousin Levonte Whitfield and a slew of Floridians to include national leader Shayla Sanders-Go Cobras !!

[sprintdoc]

Bracy needs to be at USA Indoor Nationals. He can have expenses covered in large part by meet funds provided to top performers based on marks entering the meet. To go race in a prep invite in Seattle makes no sense when he could go to indoor nationals.