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Lead Stories: Sunday, September 7, 2008

Stadium Record & NCAA 10,000m Title for Koll

Posted June 13th, 2008 at 9:00 AM by David Monti

Section: News & Results, Track & Field, College

Hometown favorite Lisa Koll, the American collegiate 10,000m record holder from Iowa State University, shattered the Drake Stadium record here tonight to win the NCAA women’s 10,000m, while Texas A&M-Corpus Christi senior Shadrack Songok successfully defended his NCAA men’s 10,000 crown. Both athletes had to contend with warm and humid conditions as the NCAA Division I Men’s & Women’s Outdoor Track & Field Championships concluded its second day.

Koll, who earlier this spring shattered the American Collegiate 10,000m record with a 32:11.13 at Stanford University, charged into the lead less than a lap into the race and proceeded to run away from the field, covering the first 1600m in 5:13 and 3200m in 10:25.

Behind her, a tightly bunched pack that included Stanford frosh Alex Gits, Providence’s Danette Doetzel, Boston University’s Marisa Ryan, Iowa’s Diane Nukuri, Arkansas’ Denise Bargiachi, Wisconsin’s Katrina Rundhaug, and several others battled for the medals and critical team points. At 3200, the chase pack was almost 30 seconds behind Koll.
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Star-Studded Meet At Stanford Tomorrow Night

Posted May 4th, 2008 at 11:30 AM by David Monti

Section: News & Results, Track & Field

Just 18 miles north of this San Jose suburb, one of the most important meets for distance runners held in the United States will take place at Stanford University. Packed with talent, the Peyton Jordan Cardinal Invitational turns the running industry on its head: top stars actually pay entry fees to compete and there are no appearance fees or cash prizes.

So what’s the draw? Perfect weather for achieving all-important Olympic Games qualifying times. When the sun sets at this time of year in Palo Alto, the winds calm down and the temperature drops, becoming comfortably cool. There is already very low humidity.

The key races are the top sections of the men’s and women’s 5000m and 10,000m, led by double world champion Bernard Lagat. Although he won the world titles last summer at both the 1500m and the 5000m, he doesn’t have an Olympic Games “A” standard time in the longer distance: 13:21.50. Working with other coaches, managers and the New York Road Runners, the men’s 5-K will be set-up by pacemaker Christian Hesch for a 13:10 to 13:20 finish time.
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Mt. SAC Relays: Distance Carnival Highlights

Posted April 19th, 2008 at 5:39 PM by Stephanie Lowe

Section: News & Results, Track & Field, College, High School

The 50th Annual Mt. SAC Relays are underway this weekend in Walnut, Calif. The meet includes top high school, collegiate and professional track and field athletes. The Relays began Thursday, April 17, and will conclude Sunday, April 20.

Friday’s exciting Distance Carnival and Invitational was covered live on Flotrack and the Mt. SAC website. The highlights of the evening were the men’s invitational 3000-meter steeplechase and the women’s invitational 5000-meter run.

Anthony “Fam” Famiglietti won the steeplechase with a time of 8:26.94, barely missing the meet record of 8:26.6 set by Marc Davis in 1993. He led the race from the starting line and finished ten seconds ahead of runner-up Jordan Fife’s finish time of 8:36.69.
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Reebok Boston Indoor Games: Start Lists

Posted January 25th, 2008 at 11:07 AM by David Monti

Section: News & Results, Track & Field

Here are the start lists for the middle and long distance events for tomorrow’s Reebok Boston Indoor Games. Also, stay tuned for complete event recaps and analysis following tomorrow night’s event - right here at TheFinalSprint.com.

MEN -
BostonNOW 800m:

Said Ahmed, USA
Andrew Ellerton, CAN
Sam Burley, USA
Nick Symmonds, USA
Khadevis Robinson, USA
Mike Pachella, USA
Larry Brooks, USA

Mile:

Boaz Cheboiywo, KEN
Rob Myers, USA
Chris Lukezic, USA
Max Smith, NZL
Galen Rupp, USA [Pictured]
Fumikazu Kobayashi, JPN
James Nolan, IRL
David Freeman, PUR
Jason Jabaut, USA
Pablo Solares, MEX
Moise Joseph, HAI (pace)
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Kipyego Too Tough To Beat in Women’s NCAA XC Champs

Posted November 19th, 2007 at 6:00 PM by Bob Ramsak

Section: News & Results, Cross Country, College

From gun to tape, the women’s division of today’s NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships had only one leader: Sally Kipyego of Texas Tech. The junior from Kenya ran away from the field to defend her individual title in 19:30.9 (unofficial) over the 6 km course in Terre Haute, Ind.

Last year, Kipyego sprinted to the fore at the gun and never looked back. However, Kipyego was content to run most of the first mile with a lead pack this year that included three others: Colorado’s Jenny Barringer, the 2006 runner-up, Florida State’s Susan Kuijken, and Iowa’s Diana Nukuri.

Kipyego started to edge ahead on a long downhill just past the mile passing the 2 km in 6:26. Barringer, Kuijken, and Nukuri were only a second behind at the split before the field made their way up the course’s second long incline.

From that point on, Kipyego simply extended her lead over the chase pack — passing 4 km in 13:01, 11 seconds ahead of Barringer, Kuijken, and Nukuri.
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Kipyego, Tegen Among Regional Honorees for D1 Women’s Cross Country

Posted November 16th, 2007 at 5:30 PM by Andrew Goodman

Section: News & Results, Cross Country

Winning never gets old for Sally Kipyego (Pictured) of Texas Tech and Coach Peter Tegen of Stanford. To varying degrees, the same can be said of all the athletes and coaches earning recognition as regional award winners for the Division I women’s cross country season.

The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association today announced the women’s coaches and athletes of the year for nine Division I regions.

Kipyego, a four-time NCAA individual champion in indoor track, outdoor track and cross country, is the Mountain Region Women’s Athlete of the Year. The Texas Tech junior’s undefeated season includes victories at the Big 12 Conference Championship and the Mountain Regional. Kipyego will defend her national title at Monday’s NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships in Terre Haute, Ind.

Tegen’s runners will also be defending a title Monday. Stanford has won the last two NCAA championships and is favored to make it three in a row. The Cardinal won three of the toughest meets of the year – Pre-Nationals, Pacific-10 Conference Championship and the West Regional – and is ranked first in the country.
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Fast times, upsets & successful title defenses highlight Friday’s NCAA action

Posted June 9th, 2007 at 8:00 AM by Bob Ramsak

Section: News & Results, Track & Field

Fast steeplechases and 5000s, where Wisconsin’s Chris Solinsky (Pictured) defended his title, highlighted the track competition on Friday at the NCAA Division I Track & Field Championships at Sacramento’s Hornet Stadium.

First up was the men’s steeplechase which saw favorite Aaron Aguayo out fast from the gun with Arkansas’ Peter Kosgei, Florida State’s Andrew Lemoncello, and Mississippi’s Barnabas Kirui right on his heels. Aguayo continued to lead the foursome through four laps in 4:28.3, then Kirui jumped into the lead with three laps to go. Kirui easily pulled away from the field, with Lemoncello running alone in second and Aquayo, Colorado’s Bill Nelson and others battling for third. Kirui extended his through to the finish to win in a personal best 8:20.36.
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Songok upsets Rupp; Kipyego cruises in NCAA 10,000m

Posted June 8th, 2007 at 10:00 AM by David Monti

Section: News & Results, Track & Field

Texas Tech’s Sally Kipyego won the women’s 10,000 meters as expected on the second day of the NCAA D-I Outdoor Track & Field Championships at Sacramento Hornet Stadium, but Texas A&M-Corpus Christi’s Shadrack Songok upset favored Galen Rupp in the men’s 10,000.

Fans eagerly anticipated the men’s 10,000. Rupp, a junior at the University of Oregon, had lowered the collegiate 10,000 meter record to 27:33.48 in late April a week after defeating Wisconsin’s defending 5000 champ Chris Solinsky at that distance, giving credence to those who had already awarded him the mantle of “America’s Next Great Distance Runner.”
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Favorites advance during
Day 1 of NCAA Championships

Posted June 7th, 2007 at 12:00 PM by David Monti

Section: News & Results, Track & Field

The 2007 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships opened on a relatively cool Wednesday at Sacramento’s Hornet Stadium.

While not devoid of drama (especially for the participants, their coaches, and families) the first day featured qualifying rounds. LOTS of qualifying rounds!

For the distance fans, the schedule featured prelims in the 800-meters during the afternoon, then was capped off with four straight steeplechases followed by four 5000-meter prelims.
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Collegiate stars ready to shine at NCAA Championships

Posted June 7th, 2007 at 8:30 AM by Jamal Walker

Section: News & Results, Track & Field

Several up-and-coming stars of track and field are set to shine as the 2007 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships get underway. The Florida State men’s team and Auburn’s women’s team will look to defend their 2006 team titles at the Championships, which began yesterday and run through Saturday, June 9, at Sacramento State University in Sacramento, Calif.

Individuals to watch include 2006 NCAA 200-meter champion Walter Dix, who set a collegiate record in the event with his world-leading personal best time of 19.69 seconds at the NCAA East Regional Championships. It was the seventh fastest 200m of all time. Dix will look to claim titles in the 100m and 200m.
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