Fisher, Young lead eight under Olympic standard in 10,000

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO »

we fly him back to altitude, did low intensity (training), massage and body work and just get him tuned up and have his mind ready. A lot of people can’t handle the emotional big spike of a championship and the come down. But Nico really managed it very well. He celebrated NCAAs and then we immediately moved onto the next thing.”

That was The Ten. On Monday Young and Smith made a decision to run Saturday night, a call they really felt they had no choice but to make.

“Everyone knew this was the only time this year for the Americans to run the (Olympic ) standard,” Young said. “So even though NCAAs were last week we were like I have to run this race. It’s so valuable to be at the Trials with the standard.”

Said Smith, “Look, the pros have been getting ready for this for months. We did the NCAA Championships last week. If I didn’t feel like we had to do this, we wouldn’t have done it.”

Fisher relocated from Oregon to Park City after he left the Bowerman Track Club last October and began training under Scannell, his coach at Michigan’s Grand Blanc High.

“A new coach but an old coach,” Fisher said.

Any doubts about the move were answered when Fisher ran the third fastest indoor 2-mile ever, clocking 8:03.62 at the Millrose Games last month and then throwing down a 12:51.84 5,000 five days later, just missing Kincaid’s American indoor record.

Saturday night, Fisher said, was “a sort of a dress rehearsal for the outdoor season.”

Fisher had spent recent weeks in Flagstaff training for the race but had rarely crossed paths with Young on the trails there.

“A few times but very seldom,” Fisher said.

But with a kilometer to go, Young had settled into a lead pack of seven that also included Fisher and that, after briefly falling off the pacing lights set a 27:00 tempo, was back on track to run under the Olympic standard.

“Once we got ahead of the lights, I think everybody was ready to race,” Fisher said.

Including Young, who had started off cautiously, running in mid-pack, keying off Kincaid who has also worked with Smith after leaving BTC two years ago.

“When there 10 laps to go I was like, I’m going to make it to the end at this pace,” Young said.

After a 61.3 400 on the penultimate lap, Young made a move for the lead with 250 to go.

“Nico put the hammer down,” Scannell said. “Very bold.”

But with 120 meters left, Fisher darted through lapped runners into the lead. Young swung wide but couldn’t quite catch him,

“I was happy with how I could kick at the end,” said Fisher, who covered the final 400 in 56.78 to Young’s 57.61. “This is a big year for everybody and getting the standard is necessary, so glad to get it done.”

Fisher was asked if he was surprised with Young’s performance.

“No, no,” he said laughing. “He’s had a very historic last three months. If he was in shape last week to do what he did, he’s going to be in shape this week, too. This was an awesome set up everybody and I thought it was well within in him to run sub 27 and he got it done.”

So Fisher and Scannell got the answers they were looking for.

“Success,” said Fisher, who isn’t sure when he will race next. “This was kind of Phase 1 of the plan. It was get some races in February, get some faster stuff. See where the legs were and get the standard in the 10k. Those were the goals this phase.

“The next phase is build up to outdoor season and championship season. Times don’t matter anymore. I’ve got the standards so just time to race.”