Mary Cain takes a break from NOPe

[iwuzwilson]

http://www.runnersworld.com/elite-runners/teen-star-mary-cain-returns-home-amid-disappointing-track-season
RW actually has a decent article on Mary Cain's recently announced hiatus from the Nike Oregon Program (NOPe).
It's all the buzz on Letsrun (rumors flying around ranging from simple burn out, college stress (she's a chem major at U. Portland), homesickness, weight gain (some saying the freshman 10), preggers, or just an incompatibility with the intense professional Nike team in Portland. 

Whether she returns or not (figure she will within a month or three) is up in the air and like Yogi Berra might say, we won't know until she returns or not, is open to speculation. She's got about a year to get her act together--do something by next year's Olympic Trials--or she'll be a Nike cast aside. Still, the by far best high school mid-distance runner ever, but right now there are girls a year or two younger--still in high school--that would give her a run for that Nike paycheck.

Seems like a good kid, and that's a lot of pressure to deal with at 19. 

[Chasing Amy]

She is just so ridiculously, immensely talented and I hope some time at home will help her regroup.

[iwuzwilson]

Saw that her times were a bit off during indoor season and early on, but figured that she was in some sort of heavy training cycle and that she'd be busting low 4s by summer. Some bounce back and some don't. I think the Oregon program is probably too much for a runner just coming out of high school, not to mention that the other athletes are 5-15 years older. So kind of hoping that she moves to a different program. Even though she's pro now, there has been precedence of an athlete going pro, finding out out that they weren't ready and then going to college. That'd be Galen Rupp. The thing there, it was with through the Nike-Salazar-Oregon connection. If there has been any sort of falling out or parting of ways, then I wouldn't be optimistic that she could regain NCAA eligibility.

[iwuzwilson]

Adding Freshman 10 would certainly require an adjustment to her "meds"

Ouch!

I picture Salazar as a Stannis Baratheon, dabbling in the black arts with seductress witches, seeking gold medals and absolute power.

[Zapatista]

New Hampshire high school prodigy Cathy Schiro nee O'Brien dropped out of Oregon after one semester and went on to have a successful career. Mary Cain is probably is better off leaving Oregon.

[iwuzwilson]

Mary Cain would be smart to not return to the program.