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Prefontaine Classic: Recap of middle & long distance events

Posted June 11th, 2007 at 1:57 PM by David Monti

Section: News & Results, Track & Field

prefontaine classic 2007 poster If the late Steve Prefontaine was watching this meeting from above his beloved Hayward Field, he surely had a smile on his face as gutsy performances in the middle and long distance events dominated this meeting.

For the second year in a row, the meet was held in cool and sometimes rainy conditions, and that was just perfect for the rollicking two-miler which was won by Australian Craig Mottram in the fastest time every on U.S. soil. John Jefferson and Bernard Kiptum set the early pace, and Tariku Bekele and Mottram were running 1-2 when Kiptum left the track after about 2000 meters.

Bekele led out of turn-2 on the final lap, but Mottram started his long sprint with more 250 meter to go. Bekele just couldn’t answer, and the big Aussie motored to the line in a sparkling 8:03.50, blowing through Eliud Kipchoge’s U.S. all-comer’s best of 8:07.68 set at the same meet in 2005.

“It comes down to the size of your balls, really,” said Mottram on live television after the race.

Bekele ran a personal best 8:04.83, while a hard-charging Matt Tegenkamp broke Alan Webb’s U.S. best of 8:11.48 with a terrific 8:07.07 clocking. Dathan Ritzenhein nearly got under Webb’s mark, finishing in 8:11.74 in fourth place. As for Webb, he finished a disappointing 9th, surely a letdown after his commanding victory over Bernard Lagat in the Reebok Grand Prix last Saturday.

Lagat competed in the Bowerman Mile, and like last week, was defeated in the final push to the line. However, it took a track record performance by Daniel Kipchirchir Komen to put the two-time Olympic medalist out of the winner’s circle. Last year’s #5-ranked miler by Track & Field News, Komen pushed into the lead off of a fast pace with about 120 meters to go, and continued to run flat-out to the finish, winning in a U.S. all-comer’s record of 3:48.28. Lagat ran 3:50.56 for second, the fastest time ever by an American on American soil. Last year’s #1 ranked miler, Alex Kipchirchir, finished third in 3:52.10.

In the men’s 800 meters, Nick Symmonds –who lives and trains in Eugene– got by Yuriy Borzakovskiy, Khadevis Robinson and Gary Reed in just the last ten meters to get the win in 1:44.54, a meet record.

“It’s the most incredible feeling in the world,” Symmonds told NBC Sports in his post race interview. He added: “I’ve never found that gear before. I’ve never found it.”

Rounding out the men’s action in the middle distances, Paul Kipsiele Koech dominated the 3000m steeplechase, winning by 13 seconds in 8:08.08.

Action on the women’s side of the meet was also exciting. Maria Mutola of Mozambique, another Eugene resident, won her 15th straight Prefontaine 800m title, prevailing in a three-way sprint over Kenia Sinclair and Alice Schmidt. Mutola clocked a world-leading 1:58.33, to Sinclair’s 1:58.61 and Schmidt’s 1:58.75. Hazel Clark also dipped under two minutes in fourth place in 1:59.50.

In the women’s 1500m, Gelete Burka ran a world-leading 4:00.48 to win easily over Yuliya Chizhenko-Fomenko (4:02.98) and Shalane Flanagan (4:05.86).

Outside the RRW universe, Xavier Carter prevailed over a stacked field in the men’s 200m in 20.23, narrowly defeating Wallace Spearmon by 2/100ths of a second, and Liu Xiang accelerated past Anwar Moore in the final two meters of the men’s 110m hurdles to win by by just 1/100th of a second, 13.23 to 13.24.

MEN -
800m:
1. Nick Symmonds, USA 1:44.54 PB
2. Yuriy Borzakovskiy, RUS 1:44.71
3. Khadevis Robinson, USA 1:44.99
4. Gary Reed, CAN 1:45.46
5. Alfred Yego, KEN 1:45.93
6. Jonathan Johnson, USA 1:47.10
7. Kevin Elliott, USA 1:47.16
8. Sherridan Kirk, TRI 1:47.87
9. Nick Bromley, AUS 1:48.40
10. Jebrah Harris, USA 1:49.76
DNF - Matt Scherer, USA

B Race (09):
1. Li Xiangyu, CHN 1:46.67
2. Trent Riter, USA 1:47.55
3. Tetlo Emmen, USA 1:47.60
4. Floyd Thompson, USA 1:47.84
5. Marc Sylvester, Oregon TC 1:48.03
6. Nick Thornton, USA 1:48.23
7. Will Fitts, USA 1:48.40
8. Elijah Greer, USA 1:51.49
9. Istvan Kerekjarto, USA 1:53.10
10. Adam Steele, Oregon TC 1:53.24
11. Ryan Waite, USA 1:53.60

Mile:
1. Daniel Kipchirchir Komen, KEN 3:48.28 PB
2. Bernard Lagat, USA 3:50.56
3. Alex Kipchirchir, KEN 3:52.10
4. Shadrack Korir, KEN 3:52.78 PB
5. Kevin Sullivan, CAN 3:56.21
6. Eliud Kipchoge, KEN 3:57.19
7. Rob Myers, USA 3:58.01
8. Nicholas Kemboi, KEN 3:58.12
9. Said Ahmed, USA 3:58.46
10. Ryan McKenzie, CAN 4:00.07
DNF - Ross Krempley, USA
DNF - Geoffrey Rono, KEN
DNS - Chris Lukezic, USA

1500m [en route]:
1. Daniel Kipchirchir Komen, KEN 3:32.81
2. Bernard Lagat, USA 3:33.85
3. Alex Kipchirchir, KEN 3:36.07
4. Shadrack Korir, KEN 3:36.39
5. Kevin Sullivan, CAN 3:39.65
6. Eliud Kipchoge, KEN 3:39.98
7. Nicholas Kemboi, KEN 3:40.57
8. Said Ahmed, USA 3:41.74
9. Rob Myers, USA 3:42.65
10 Ryan McKenzie, CAN 3:43.36
DNF - Ross Krempley, USA
DNF - Geoffrey Rono, KEN
DNS - Chris Lukezic, USA

B Race (A Section) (09):
1. Will Leer, USA 3:41.13
2. Jordan McNamara, Lane CC 3:41.13
3. Gu Ming, CHN 3:41.68
4. Sean Jefferson, Oregon TC 3:41.96
5. Blake Boldon, USA 3:43.11
6. Gabe Jennings, USA 3:43.13
7. Ryan Bok, USA 3:43.52
8. Scott Wall, USA 3:43.82
9. AJ Acosta, USA 3:44.09
10. Rolf Steier, USA 3:45.48

B Race (B Section) (09):
1. Scotty Bauhs, USA 3:45.75
2. Kenny Klotz, USA 3:49.80
3. Matt Dettmann, USA 3:50.56
4. Richard Mosley, USA 3:51.35
5. Issac Stoutenburgh, USA 3:52.51
6. Eric Dettman, USA 3:55.26
7. Dylan Gant, USA 3:57.27

2 Mile:
1. Craig Mottram, AUS 8:03.50 AR
2. Tariku Bekele, ETH 8:04.83 PB
3. Matt Tegenkamp, USA 8:07.07 AR (US Best)
4. Dathan Ritzenhein, USA 8:11.74 PB
5. Ben Limo, KEN 8:15.90
6. Jonas Cheruiyot, KEN 8:16.77 PB
7. Zersenay Tadesse, ERI 8:19.34 PB
8. Juan Barrios, MEX 8:23.81 PB
9. Alan Webb, USA 8:23.97
10. Adam Goucher, USA 8:26.46
11. Sean Graham, USA 8:27.64 PB
12. Solomon Tsiga, ETH 8:43.99 PB
DNF - John Jefferson, USA
DNF - Bernard Kiptum, KEN
DNF - Abraham Feleke, ETH
DNS - Boniface Songok, KEN

3000m S/C:
1. Paul Koech, KEN 8:08.08
2. Josh McAdams, USA 8:21.36 PB
3. Steve Slattery, USA 8:22.25
4. Yoshitaka Iwamizu, JPN 8:23.31
5. Nicodemus Naimadu, KEN 8:25.71 PB
6. Tom Brooks, USA 8:28.89
7. Brian Olinger, USA 8:29.05
8. Max King, USA 8:32.61
9. Ben Bruce, USA 8:32.74
10. Kim Hogarth, NZL 8:35.16
11. Luke Meyer, USA 8:41.70 PB
DNF - Luke Watson, USA

WOMEN -
800m:
1. Maria Mutola, MOZ 1:58.33 WL
2. Kenia Sinclair, JAM 1:58.61
3. Alice Schmidt, USA 1:58.75 PB
4. Hazel Clark, USA 1:59.50
5. Janeth Jepkosgei, KEN 2:00.21
6. Diane Cummins, CAN 2:00.80
7. Nicole Teter, USA 2:01.58
8. Qing Liu, CHN 2:08.27
DNF - Melanie Hardy, USA

1500m:
1. Gelete Burka, ETH 4:00.48 WL
2. Yuliya Chizhenko-Fomenko, RUS 4:02.98
3. Shalane Flanagan, USA 4:05.86 PB
4. Treniere Clement, USA 4:06.84
5. Malindi Elmore, CAN 4:08.13
6. Christin Wurth-Thomas, USA 4:08.18
7. Amy Mortimer, USA 4:09.29
8. Kara Goucher, USA 4:10.29
9. Lauren Fleshman, USA 4:10.87 PB
10. Yuriko Kobayashi, JPN 4:11.41
11. Mestawat Tadesse, ETH 4:11.48
12. Tiffany McWilliams, USA 4:12.44
DNF - Amber McGowan, CAN
DNF - Vicky Brooks, USA
DNS - Sarah Schwald, USA