Willis looks for fast 400 at NSAF USA Meet of Champions after 800-Meter Run Mishap at Cabin Fever  

Use of wrong starting line at Gately Park hurt Willis’ chances to run under Olympic Trials qualifying standard last Saturday  

By Michael Newman for DyeStat.com  

The use of the wrong starting line in Section 4 of the Girls 800 Meter Run at Saturday’s Cabin Fever Invitational held at Chicago’s Gately Park Indoor Track Complex hurt the chances of Roisin Willis of Stevens Point WI to run under the Olympic Standard of 2:02.5 in that race. Willis ended up running 2:04.64 to win the race.

Willis will compete at the NSAF USA Meet of Champions this weekend in Myrtle Beach, S.C. 

NSAF USA MEET OF CHAMPIONSHIPS MEET PAGE 

Meet organizers informed the Willis family on Sunday afternoon that the wrong starting line was used in that race and were apologetic that it happened, according to Roisin’s dad Lee Willis. 

Veteran USA track official Mike Powers, who officiated the meet on Saturday, commented in a text on Monday morning:

“We did hear about using the wrong start line for the 800 for that race. We used the white/green line which is for one turn stagger starts where we should have used the white/red line for two turn starts. We missed it. We should have caught this. And didn’t.” 

In a statement made on Milesplit Monday morning, the Cabin Fever Invitational meet management stated: 

“In our review of the starting procedures used for that particular race, we recognize a mistake was made.  We did set up and run this 800-meter race in lanes. The starting line should have been the white/red for a two-turn stagger.  We used the white/green line for a one-turn stagger. Regrettably, there is nothing we can do at this time.” 

The use of the wrong starting line caused the junior from Wisconsin to run 815.016 meters and run 2:04.64 for that distance. Mr. Willis figured the time for the race should have been around 2:02.34. 

“While the official results can't be changed at this point, Roisin ran 2:04.64 for 815 meters,” Lee Willis stated. “It was an unfortunate mistake. Mistakes do happen.” 

Mr. Willis was informed that the wrong starting line was used by Matthew Finger whose daughter Kylie was in that race. Finger used pictures from the start of the 400 Meter races that used a 2-turn stagger and compared that to the race that their daughters were in. Finger also came up with a recalibration for that race. 

Lane 1,  Alexandra Brent: Ran 800m  (Results should stay at 2:16.98)

Lane 2,  Megan Garrett : Ran 803.518m  (2:31.66, should possibly be 2:31.0)

Lane 3,  Katrina Schlenker : Ran 807.351m    (2:15.34, should possibly be 2:14.1)

Lane 4,  Kylie Finger: Ran 811.183m   (2:16.72, should possibly be 2:14.83) 

Lane 5,  Roisin Willis: Ran 815.016m   (2:04.64, should possibly be 2:02.34)

Roisin Willis was confused after the race. There was a high confidence fitness level entering the race. Afterwards, it was total disappointment. 

“I was really exhausted. I know after all my 800’s they hurt bad,” Willis said in an interview Monday morning. “It hurts worse when you don’t run what you think you run.” 

Willis had trouble breathing and went outside to get some fresh air. 

“Roisin went out to use the bathroom. I was on the phone with my wife. My daughter did not come back, and I went out to find her,” her father said. “I found her out in the hallway sitting against the wall.” 

Paramedics attended to her but she was not taken to a hospital. “I did not have a great experience after the race. I was a little dizzy,” Roisin said afterwards. “It was not like a normal 800. I usually do not have experiences like that.” 

“Roisin always runs to her outer limits,” her dad added. “In the last Wisconsin State Cross Country Meet (in 2019), the same thing happened where she collapsed after finishing the race. She was thoroughly exhausted.” 

The discovery that the wrong starting line was used has brought peace to Roisin and her parents. “After we found out what happened, we were totally relieved,” her father said. 

“I found out yesterday (Sunday) afternoon. I was trying to distract myself from that race,” Roisin added. “I was kind of disappointed. My mom texted me and said call me now, big news! I was totally in shock. It made sense because I knew 2:04 was not the shape I was in. It was kind of a surprise to me.” 

The Cabin Fever Meet Invitational, sponsored by CYUP (Chicago Youth United Performance), was run by Jeffrey Bryant and Tony Jones who are co-coaches for CYUP and meet directors for the meet. They had pacers for other races in the meet and offered Willis a pacer for her race. 

“I had a pacer in my last 800 (in Texas). The first 400 in that race was too slow. I did not want to mess anything up,” Willis said. “I think probably my first 400 is where I am at my best because I have no problem getting out. I think starting in the wrong place really messed me up. I felt like I was going through in 27 and the clock said 29. I think that first 200 threw everything out the window.” 

Willis was confident before the start of the race. Her workouts leading up to the race indicated that she could run under 2:01. 

“One workout that I did was 3 x 400-meters (four-minute rest interval) where the first rep that I did was 60 seconds, the next two were 58 seconds,” she said. “That was the best workout that I had probably done.” 

The use of the wrong starting line did hurt her chances for going under the 2:02.5 but physically and mentally. 

“I was kind of shocked when I went through in 29 seconds. I was thinking that I needed to bring it up in that second 200 and to stay strong,” Willis added. “I went through 59 and thought I really can’t do anything better. I was a little nervous. I thought 59 was not the worst. I was kind of hoping 58. That put a lot of pressure on that third 200 which I was really focusing on to push. I pushed too hard. After running extra meters, I kind of fell apart.” 

Then came the final lap were her pace dropped and she felt the effects of the start of the race. 

“At the last 100 meters, I was thinking oh boy, oh boy. I was hoping to have this extra strength from the adrenaline from the crowd,” Willis explained. “I knew it was going to hurt no matter what. I thought maybe I could put that aside and kick like I usually can. But I was really, really spent. That last 50 meters I was trying to get to the line. I was just tying up. I pushed those three laps extremely hard.” 

The workouts that Willis did leading up to the race indicates that she could have a fast time at the NSAF USA Meet of Champions. Willis is entered in the 400 Meter Dash which will be held this Sunday. 

The junior has a personal best of 54.23 for the 400 Meter Dash run in 2020 at the Iowa Distance Carnival on June 16. Before that meet, she ran a hand timed 53.5 in a NSAF & Athletic.Net Virtual National Qualifying Meet on May 29. 

After the race this weekend, Willis will go back to work and get herself ready for another shot at the Olympic Trials Standard. That was in the cards all along. 

“After South Carolina, that was the plan all along. I thought I can get the trials standard and then the run the 400 and scale back and train,” Willis concluded. “My mom said we are not going to change anything. We were planning on running an 800 in May. She said I will just have to get the trials standard then. We were planning on running the Trials standard any way, we are not going to change the plan at all.” 

Her training shows she will have a fast 400 in South Carolina this weekend. 

The training also shows that the Olympic Trials standard that she covets is within her reach. She could be ready to run through that wall in May.