Mary Cain

[trackster]

I usually don't start threads for individual athletes, especially young ones, but Mary Cain looks like she'll be dominating track and field for a long, long time.

For the past couple of years, she's been breaking age-group records and running eye-popping times, but now she's taking it to a new level.

Last night, Cain put on one of the most devastating kicks I've ever witnessed in any race at any distance. She was in the mile at the Penn Relays, and it was supposed to be a fantastic struggle, given that she was going against the two-time defending champ, Angel Picarrelli, as well as superstar Ajee Wilson. Well, forget struggles. Cain toyed with them until the last lap, then took off at the bell, putting such a phenomenal distance between her and her national "competitors" tha it has to be seen to be believed. Now, mind you, this was a fast race--the third fastest ever by a HSer--yet she still was able to kick an unreal 62 second 400 last lap. Ridiculous. And she practically walked the past few steps or it would have been faster.

And, oh yeah, she's only a sophomore. And, oh yeah again, she's only fifteen. Could very well be the greatest running prodigy since Jim Ryun, and, frankly, before it's all over, she could be better than Ryun.

Here's the highlights from the race.

 

[trackster]

Meanwhile, Mary Cain's incredible season continues. Every time she steps foot on a track she runs one of the ten fastest hs times ever. It's starting to look like this tenth grader will actually make it to the Olympic trials:

article.

 

[trackster]

Mary Cain dropped down to the 800 and ran a 2:03.34, again insane for her age.

In retrospect, though, I wish I'd combined this thread to include Jessica Judd from Britain, and possibly Georgia Peel (also British). It's so easy to forget these two, as we don't hear as much from over there, but Judd, especially, has times like Cain every step of the way. They are a couple of years older than Cain now, so hopefully we will start hearing more about them soon. Judd, 17, just won the senior women's race held in conjunction with the BUCS championships. She ran 2:02.

Peel will be enrolling at Florida State next year.

Names to remember.

 

[trackster]

Youngest girl in the race, Mary Cain ran away from the field in the Junior Nationals. On a scorching hot day that must have been murder for running, she scorched the track even more with the second fastest time ever run by a high schooler. Her last lap (62 seconds) was phenomenal for such a fast-paced race, and it broke the spirit of Cami Chapus, a senior who consistently wins the top national meets. Cayla Hatton, a heck of a runner with the nation's best times in the 5k and 10k and the second best time in the 1500, couldn't even hope to keep up.

For those of you who haven't checked in on her yet, you're missing an all-time great talent. Hard to believe she's got two years of high school left. She's already run out of competition. Here's the video:

http://www.runnerspace.com/video.ph...or-Outdoor-Track-and-Field-Championships-2012

 

[trackster]

Mary Cain, folks! Just two weeks ago she broke the high school 3000m record by a mind-boggling 15 seconds in a race being called the greatest ever by any US high school athlete at any distance.

Then, just last night, she breaks ANOTHER record--crushing the high school mile mark. No one since 1978 had run under 4:40. Mary ran 4:32. Read those numbers again and think about that.

The record she broke had stood for 41 years.

It is the general opinion of track fans that Mary, still just a junior, will own every record at every distance from 800 to 3200. There's apparently nothing she can't do.

Here's the elfin teenager STAYING WITH PROFESSIONAL ATHLETES WHILE CRUSHING THE MILE RECORD LAST NIGHT.
As with Galen Rupp's run, the announcers are beside themselves when they read the clock.

 

[white lightning]

Thanks for the video. I missed both of those meets but it was great to watch the replay. Mary Cain and Galen Rupp are the type of runners that your lucky to witness once in your life time! That just have it. You can't explain it but they have that incredible abilty to run fast even with the lactic acid is running throught their veins and their muscles are fatigued. They are both one of a kind.

Welcome back trackster. You been sorely missed. I personally can't wait to contiue to watch Mary Cain as she progresses. I just hope the pressure and injuries don't stop her the way they slowed down Allan Webb. I was a big fan of his coming out of high school.

 

[trackster]

I'm running out of superlatives for the young Miss Cain. Suffice it to say, she annihilated yet another record last night--in a time so brilliant that the pundits are already saying that it was the greatest high school distance run of all time, edging out the run she did three weeks ago (which was the previous greatest h.s. distance run of all time).

Every time she sets foot on the track you expect her to make history. And she never, ever lets you down.

Last night she was the only high schooler in a race with professionals. She wisely elected not to stay with the 3-time Olympic gold medalist Dibaba, but stayed back in the pack with the rest of the international medalists. About halfway through she drifted to the back of the pack. Then she picked off a runner in front of her, then another, then another, then another. Coming down the final stretch only two runners (both superb professionals) were in front of her other than Dibaba. The 16 yr old just keep kicking, passed one, and almost nipped the other. In the process, she beat a 22 year old record by EIGHTEEN SECONDS. The world hasn't seen a runner like her since the great Zola Budd. Here's an article.

 

[trackster]

Mary Cain, age 16 just capped off her record-setting indoor season, by winning the US Indoor Championship in the mile. Note: this was a high school championship. This was for the professionals.

It was a strange race, incidentally. Mary was under strict orders to run tactically. Apparently, everyone else was, too. They all jogged a half mile. Then they picked it up considerably. Then with a quarter mile or so to go, Mary just left the field behind. I mean WAY behind.

 

[white lightning]

Talk about a prodigy. How can someone so young be so talented? She was born to run. Incredible talent and yet she still has a good head on her shoulders. I think she seems very down to earth in interviews where many teenagers would let the publicity and fame go to their head. Wow does she have a future ahead of her. They just might make movies about her someday. Congrats Mary on a fantastic race!

 

[trackster]

Any time you get frustrated about what's happening in sports, just reflect on the upcoming revolution in women's track as an extraordinary group of young women will soon be coming into their own: sprinters Hannah Cunliffe and Marybeth Sant, mid-distance stars like Amy Weissenbach and (England's) Jess Judd, distance star Mary Baxter, but, above all, in a class by herself, the Usain Bolt of female runners, the incomparable Mary Cain.

Why am I waxing on so about Mary again? Last night she just ran a 4:04 in the 1500. Allow me to put that in perspective:

--That would be the second fastest time in NCAA history, only Mary isn't in the NCAA yet. In fact, she's not even in college. She's a JUNIOR IN HIGH SCHOOL and has only just turned 17.
--That time is a staggering ten seconds faster than any time ever produced by any other high school runner. Think about all the great US runners over the years, all the Olympians, and then consider that not one of them could come within 10 seconds of Mary.

The girls are taking over.

 

[white lightning]

The superlatives used to describe Mary Cain don't even do her justice. She is so superior to every other female high school runner ever that is not even funny. She looks so frail but to watch her run is a thing of beauty. She has a gift from God. Mary Cain was born to run. The times that she puts up leave me speechless and in awe.

I totally agree with you trickster. Especially in times like we are living now, look more to the women for inspiration.

Never in my wildest dreams did I think we would have so much young talent rising up so fast in this county. Other countries maybe but not the U.S. It's great to see. Now if we can get some quality young male sprinters to step up into the spotlight.

 

[white is right]

The superlatives used to describe Mary Cain don't even do her justice. She is so superior to every other female high school runner ever that is not even funny. She looks so frail but to watch her run is a thing of beauty. She has a gift from God. Mary Cain was born to run. The times that she puts up leave me speechless and in awe.

I totally agree with you trickster. Especially in times like we are living now, look more to the women for inspiration.

Never in my wildest dreams did I think we would have so much young talent rising up so fast in this county. Other countries maybe but not the U.S. It's great to see. Now if we can get some quality young male sprinters to step up into the spotlight.

I can't believe she is that much better than Decker(not accusing her of anything, more astonished than anything else). Actually American female middle to long distance running has been a full level better than US mens running results until fairly recently. I think it's because there is no professional outlet for females with a middle to long distance runners build. Men have soccer or to a lesser extent boxing. For women the money is worse in those two sports than running.

 

[jacknyc]

Mary Cain just broke the High School record for the 800m! I believe this is the 10th High School Record she has broken this year - and she's a junior!
She ran against the world leading runners in the Prefontaine Meet in Oregon, and broke the record, with a sub 2 minute time - 1:59.51
Absolutely amazing. First HS girl under 2 minutes in the 800m.
What a talent!

 

[Vanilla_Sky]

And less than a week later she sets the HS 5k record! In 15:45! Incredible talent, this time met the olympic qualifier!

 

[LoLy]

[h=1]Mary Cain becomes youngest to ever make the U.S. national track team[/h]http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/highschool-prep-rally/mary-cain-becomes-youngest-ever-u-national-track-181322314.html

 

[Bk21]

Good catch trackster you spotted her very early:

http://www.letsrun.com/news/2014/07/mary-cain-takes-3000m-gold-2014-iaaf-world-junior-championships/

lequipe.fr:
The young American nugget Mary Cain, already familiar from the large bath (1500m finalist at the World 2013), shined on the 3000 m, dominating rivals Kenyan and improving her personal record (8'58'' 48)

 

[trackster]

Thanks. She destroyed them in that race, too. Over the last 200m she moved past them so easily, you would think she was a sprinter with fresh legs.

Generally, by the way, it's impossible for a young American to win at a junior championship, owing to African age cheating (which can be pretty hilarious when you see photos of balding "juniors" who forgot to remove their wedding rings). This championship was as tainted as ever, especially with all the Kenyan "boys" who are clearly in their mid-20's. But Mary is so good that she doesn't mind competing with twenty-somethings. Young, old, she beats them all. This was the first American junior distance gold ever, male or female.

 

[jacknyc]

A long article in the NY Times about running prodigy Mary Cain:
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/08/m...0150305&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=40435709&_r=0

 

[Carolina Speed]

A long article in the NY Times about running prodigy Mary Cain:
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/08/m...0150305&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=40435709&_r=0

Although I don't get over to the track forum much, I do enjoy the updates WL and you, (jacknyc), and everyone else post. Nice article on Cain. Thanks to you and all who contribute here.