Alisa Harvey lowers AR, makes 800 finals at nationals
Alisa Harvey qualified by time this afternoon for tomorrow’s 800 finals at the AT&T USA Indoor Track Championships in Boston. She ran 2:06.08 to again lower her own W40 indoor American record. More important, she ducked under the “B” qualifying standards for the Olympic Trials! If she’s in the top 30 in June, she’ll be competing in Eugene. Incredible. Now let us pause for a moment of silence — in memory of the shattered egos of 11 women in their 19s or 20s who lost to a 42-year-old. We hope they’ll recover in time for outdoor season. For example: Laura Hermanson, who finished just behind Alisa, turns 22 in five days.
Jill Geer, the USATF press honcho who happens to live in Boston, added a nice detail about Alisa’s race:
Harvey breaks another record during qualifying
In qualifying action, Nicole Cook posted the fastest time in the women’s 800m rounds, winning the second of three heats in 2:04.03. Also advancing to the final was 42-year-old Alisa Harvey, who broke her own U.S. masters record in placing third in heat 1. As The Killers’ song “When You Were Young” played ironically over the PA system, Harvey finished in 2:06.08 to break her previous record of 2:07.08, run January 26 at Penn State. American indoor record holder and two-time USA champion Nicole Teter was first in heat 3 to advance as well (2:06.68).
Here are the results:
Advance 6 to final; heat winner + next 3 fastest
1 turn stagger
World: W 1:55.82 3/3/2002 Jolanda Ceplak, SLO
American: A 1:58.71 3/2/2002 Nicole Teter, Nike Farm Tea
Meet: M 1:58.41 3/4/1995 Maria Mutola, Mozambique
Name Year Team Prelims
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Heat 1 Preliminaries
1 Tiffany McWilliams adidas 2:04.91Q
2 Miesha Marzell unattached 2:05.14q
3 Alisa Harvey Pacers/Brooks 2:06.08q
4 Laura Hermanson N. Dakota St. 2:06.99
5 Julian Clay Nike 2:08.73
6 Jennifer Metz unattached 2:14.45
Heat 2 Preliminaries
1 Nicole Cook Reebok 2:04.03Q
2 Morgan Uceny Reebok 2:04.19q
3 Lindsey Schnell Arizona Elite 2:06.57
4 Jennie Castle unattached 2:07.68
5 Georganne Way Team Indiana Elite 2:08.47
Heat 3 Preliminaries
1 Nicole Teter Oregon TC Elite 2:06.68Q
2 Sasha Spencer Nike 2:07.35
3 Joan Bohlke New Balance Boston 2:07.65
4 Chanelle Price unattached 2:08.39
5 Caryn Waterson Gehrke Nike Central 2:10.86
6 Tasha Stanley unattached 2:11.34
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Advance 6 to final; heat winner + next 3 fastest
1 turn stagger
World: W 1:55.82 3/3/2002 Jolanda Ceplak, SLO
American: A 1:58.71 3/2/2002 Nicole Teter, Nike Farm Tea
Meet: M 1:58.41 3/4/1995 Maria Mutola, Mozambique
Name Year Team Prelims
================================================================
Preliminaries
1 Nicole Cook Reebok 2:04.03Q
2 Tiffany McWilliams adidas 2:04.91Q
3 Nicole Teter Oregon TC Elite 2:06.68Q
4 Morgan Uceny Reebok 2:04.19q
5 Miesha Marzell unattached 2:05.14q
6 Alisa Harvey Pacers/Brooks 2:06.08q
7 Lindsey Schnell Arizona Elite 2:06.57
8 Laura Hermanson N. Dakota St. 2:06.99
9 Sasha Spencer Nike 2:07.35
10 Joan Bohlke New Balance Boston 2:07.65
11 Jennie Castle unattached 2:07.68
12 Chanelle Price unattached 2:08.39
13 Georganne Way Team Indiana Elite 2:08.47
14 Julian Clay Nike 2:08.73
15 Caryn Waterson Gehrke Nike Central 2:10.86
16 Tasha Stanley unattached 2:11.34
17 Jennifer Metz unattached 2:14.45
Alisa Harvey lowers 800 AR, inches closer to the Trials
Alisa Harvey is serious about qualifying for the Olympic Trials at age 42. Friday night at Penn State University, she scorched the 800 in 2:07.08, nipping her own W40 American indoor record of 2:07.23 — set two years ago! Here are complete results. This puts her REALLY close to 2:06.50, the “B” qualifying standard for the Trials. If she gets that mark and is among the top 30 entrants, she’ll run in Eugene. What a kick!
9 Responses
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Mark Cleary - January 27, 2008
Alisa,I have all the faith in the world that we will see you in the trails in Eugene-the last trials David Ashford and Roger Kingdom qualified in the 110 Hurdles and now You and Arnie Bradstock are posed to make it in 2008–boy Masters have come along way in the last 4 years–you are truly an ambassadore for Masters Track and Field and we are so fortunate to have you.God Speed!
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Alisa, please come and race at the exhibition Women’s 400m in Boston in Febuary–the fans would love it!
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Tom Hartshorne - January 27, 2008
Way to go Alisa! Two years ago you would have fit right in with Cornell’s record setting women’s 4×800 relay team that had 4 women each of whom could run 2:07 for the 800. Cornell’s 4×800 relay team (I believe it was spring ’06) set all of the records for Cornell two years ago and I believe finished its highest women’s relay finish ever in a big time relay with its 3rd place finish in either the DMR or the 4×800 at Penn relays that year.
Nice to know that any of the best women’s college track teams in the country would love to have you on their team! -
Lindy Raney - January 27, 2008
Unbelievable that Alisa can win the 800 in a D1 college meet at age 42. Incredible, stupendous, amazing, and just flat out fantastic. Running 2:07 this early indoors bodes well for her chances to qualify for the OT’s at age 42. Did I say amazing?
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saladin allah - January 28, 2008
Alisa,
You’re flyin’ at 42…that’s simply fantastic. Remember to oil the parts well.
I recall your feats frequently…and it helps me focus. Thanks.
Sal Allah -
Tony Echeandia - January 28, 2008
Congrats!!! THIS is a true Masters Runner competing at the highest level of track and field and being successful!
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Rick Hoebeke - January 28, 2008
Alisa Harvey is a Masters racing prodigy at age 42! She has to run with the college youngsters to be pushed to the times she has come to enjoy. Thank goodness for the college meets that allow her to race. Good luck, Alisa, with your attempt to get to the Olympic Trials in Eugene in the 800. You are so close! You go, girl!!!
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Ruthlyn Greenfield-Webster, RN - January 28, 2008
Simply AMAZING!
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Liz Palmer - January 29, 2008
Go Alisa! Show them what masters can do!
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Alisa Harvey lowers own W40 world indoor mile record
Alisa Harvey out on the East Cost, again allowed back on the George Mason track, reports that she lowered her own world indoor W40 mile record Saturday. “I ran 4:47.2,” she writes. “I finished second behind Keira Carlstrom (4:46.1). It was a pleasure to be allowed to compete again at the Mason track meets. I give much thanks to Coach Andrew Gerard and Coach Julie Henner who were instrumental in removing the ‘top-50 in the world’ rule of the past.” Meet results here show that she beat 16 women (many half her age; she’s 41).
One Response
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Earl Steinbrecher - January 17, 2007
I look forward to seeing you run at the Hartshorne Mile this Saturday.
7 Responses
Wow. Alisa never ceases to amaze. Good luck in the final and I can’t wait to see what you do outdoors. If I were a betting man I say Alisa makes the OT’s in Eugene. I know some over 40 athletes have made the OT’s in field events but I can’t think of any in running events. Anyone know of an over 40 OT qualifier in a running event?
Just as I finished my comment I thought of a few marathoners who have run in the OT’s but can’t think of their names. But I can think of no in a speed and massive pain race like the 800 who could make the OT’s at 40 or over.
Johnny Gray was 40 when he ran the first round of the 800 at the 2000 Olympic Trials in Sacramento. There might be others, but this is still a rarity.
Ken:
Great story about Alisa. Wonderful of Jill Geer to point out that Alisa broke her own mark of 2:07.08 set in January 2008 at Penn State. I should note, however, that that record (according to the USATF Web site) has not been accepted. In passing, I should note that 22 months ago Alisa ran a FAT 4:26.49 at the Penn Relays (en route to a 4:46.29 FAT in the mile), but the USATF Web site does not show that to be the record, instead listing Joan Nesbit-Mabe as the recordholder with a far slower time.
At the Eastern indoor masters champs in Landover, Maryland, yesterday, I spoke with Steve Nearman. One thing he pointed out to me is that we will probably never see the likes of Alisa Harvey again in masters track; she is truly one of a kind. Steve observed to me that it is important that we chronicle all of Alisa’s achievements as she continues to stun us all (“stun us all” is my expression, but I am sure that Steve N. would agree).
Peter Taylor
Just to clarify, the 4:26.49 that Alisa ran at Penn (April 2006)was for 1500 meters; the 4:46.29 was for a mile, as noted.
Peter Taylor
PS No one is greater than Alisa, no one. She is even greater than the Great Earl Fee (although it’s close).
Ken,
In the finals, Alisa ran a 2:05.75. Way to go. And of course was DNS in the Masters exhibiton 400 a few minutes later. Charmaine Roberts of Athena Track won that in 1:00.29
Certainly, Alisa has no peer among American masters middle-distancers, but a Russian lady named Yekaterina Podkopayeva ran 2:01.59 indoors at age 41 and the indoor 1500 in 4:05.19 at age 44!
Her times are so incredible that they were excluded from factoring the latest Age-Graded Tables.
Alisa is well aware of Podko’s achievements. but I’m sure she’d proud to just be running at this level after age 40.
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