Before
we get into our distance recaps, we thought we'd give some props
to our sprint brothers and sisters since we've learned this week
that LetsRun.com is the 2nd website that recent Olympic sprint medallist
visits every morning (he will remain anonymous). We won't hold it
against him that we aren't #1 on his list as we assume he has to
check his email first on hotmail or gmail or something.
Actually, we were so impressed by Baylor's Darold Williamson that we got some quotes from him. It's really unbelievable to us
how there virtually is no media here at the meet except if you want
to count the scores of collegiate SIDs. Williamson ran a world-leading
44.27 (a time that would have earned him a bronze medal at last
year's Olympics) and only like one person besides us (maybe two,
but we assume the one was the guy from the Associated Press and the
other may have been the Baylor sports info person) was there to
ask him any questions.
So here are some quotes from a
total bad-ass. Darold Williamson: "I'm here to run. I've
been training hard. I'm upset about last season - not finishing
too well at NCAAs. I ran comfortably in that race (today). Of course
I'm winded but I'm not tired so it's on tomorrow. I had no idea
I was running that fast. I know I executed and that's what I was
looking to do - execute and run a smart race.
LRC: Were you worried that you were pretty far behind the
first 150? DW: "That usually happens. My race starts at
200. I knew if I was in the field at 200, I was going to win."
LRC: Do you have a time goal for tomorrow? DW: "I
want to run 43. Now that I've seen that (44.27) I know it's possible."
We
also got some quotes from men's 100 meter winner Walter Dix
of FSU. Dix was way back half-way into the race but came on strong
to win in 10.21. Walter Dix: "I had a bad, not a good first 10 meters, but I know the strongest part of my race is the end, and I nobody can keep up with me at the end."
"I came out of the blocks pretty well, I came out with everybody, that's a lot better than I usually do, usually I come out dead last. If I came out of the blocks in front, definitely I would have run sub 10."
"I definitely like running the 200 more on this track."
Women's Steeplechase Recap 10 of the 14 competitors
PR'd in the prelims and while it was noticeably hotter today than
two days ago (high 70s), the women weren't fazed as a slew of them
PR'd tonight. The pace was honest from the gun with a fast opening lap. 4.5 laps into
8 women were in contention but a lap later with 800 left only
three were in contention - Illinois's sophomore Cassie Hunt, who
was pressing the pace, and BYU's Rena Williams-Chesser and Butler's
Victoria Mitchell. Williams-Chesser fell back and with a lap to
go it was a two-woman dual. Mitchell made a decisive
move with 300 to go and cruised home to victory in a p.r. of 9:54
to Hunt's 9:59. We think the top 4 all pr'd - many others
as well. Very good running for sure.
Post-race comments by
the winner and runner-up as well as full results and lap by lap
recap appear below.
Post-Race Comments From 2005 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field
Women's Steeplechase Champion Victoria Mitchell of Butler. LRC:
How does it feel to win? "I'm elated, ecstatic. It's just sensational
- I love it."
LRC: "You made a big move with 300
to go. Was that the plan going into the race or what was the plan?
"Well the plan was to see how I felt and then decide when to
go. Depending on how I felt, decide when to go. If I felt it good,
it was 1k to go (she either said 1k to go or it was "ok to
go"), if I didn't feel that good, it was leave it to the last
bit so that's what I did.
LRC: Are you normally pretty confident in your kick? "I
didn't use to think I had a kick, but I've gotten confident at it.
I'm trying to establish it so to speak."
Post-Race Comments From 2005 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field
Women's Steeplechase Runner-up Cassie Hunt of Illinois. LRC:
How does it feelt to get 2nd? "It feels pretty good.
I was pretty up for this race and feels good to actually come out
and do it. This is exactly what my coach (Karen Harvey also known
to many as Kevin Sullivan's wife) thought it was going to be like,
she thought it was pretty much anybody's race so I just went for
it with 800 to go and I just couldn't pull it out. She passed me
with 300 left but it's allright. I feel pretty good about it and
am pleased. I'm a sophomore.
LRC: Was it hot out there? "I didn't really notice it. I
don't normally notice the conditions when I'm in the race but I
think I'm an ok heat runner as I'm from Indiana and I run in the
humidity all summer and it usually doesn't bother me. And
I just think the fitter you are the better you are going to do in
these conditions.
Women's Steeple - Live Updates. Women Are Up Now. If they
had just waited like 30 minutes, it wouldn't be nearly as hot. Oh
well. 10 of 14 runners ran PB's in qualifying. 1st 200+
to finish line: 40.21 Hunt and King side by side. 74.0 1st full
400. 1st lap with barriers to finish: 77.25 Williams
Chesser, King, Hunt. 2nd lap from finish: 80.40
Pace is pretty quick. Looking at a sub 10 most likely. 8 in lead
group although everyone still has shot. 3rd lap from finish:
81.69 Williams Chesser, King, Hunt but it's
tight up front and they are slowing a bit. 1600 in 5:16. 4th
lap from finish: 82.31 Williams Chesser, King, Hunt
but 8 still in contention at least. 9-12 are 5 meter back. 5th
lap from finish: 81.04 Hunt starting to take it, Chesser
Williams and Mitchell - those 3 are making a move. 6th lap
from finish: 78.09 Hunt and Mitchell are 1-2. 15
meters up on 3rd. Williams Chesser in 3rd Last lap: 73.05
Mitchell to lead with 300 to go. She blows it open and wins by 20
meters. Mitchell 954, Hunt 959, WilliamsChesser 1002, Wort, 1005,
Wommack 1007, Crombie 1008, Dahm 1009, King 10:11.24, DeiCrescenzo,
Florence.
Event 26 Women 3000 Meter Steeplechase
=======================================================================
2 Heats. Advance top 5 from each heat plus next best 4 times.
American: 9:29.32 7/31/2004 Briana Shook, Toledo
College Best: 9:41.94 6/4/2001 Elizabeth Jackson, BYU
NCAA Meet: 9:44.95 6/13/2004 Kassi Anderson, BYU
Hornet Stad: 9:39.35 7/15/2004 Ann Gaffigan, Nebraska
Name Year School Finals Points
=======================================================================
Finals
1 Victoria Mitchell SR Butler 9:54.32 10
2 Cassie Hunt SO Illinois 9:59.82 8
3 Rena Williams-Chesser JR Brigham Young 10:02.21 6
4 Liz Wort JR Duke 10:05.39 5
5 Shannon Wommack JR Tenn-Chat 10:07.14 4
6 Fiona Crombie JR Providence 10:08.36 3
7 Brianna Dahm SR Marquette 10:08.79 2
8 Cassie King JR North Carolina 10:11.24 1
9 Delilah DiCrescenzo SR Columbia 10:13.58
10 Natalie Florence SR Colorado 10:14.23
11 Kristina Roth SO NC State 10:20.97
12 Barbora Kuncova JR Oklahoma State 10:28.96
13 Andrea Parker SR Michigan 10:35.85
14 Lisa Pratt JR Brigham Young 10:38.05
Men's Steeplechase Recap - Cal Poly SLO's Ben Bruce
led the first 3.5 laps before North Carolina State's Andy Smith
took over. With 3 laps remaining, only 5 were in contention for
the win - Patrick Mutai of UTEP, Peter Kosgei of Arkansas, Smith,
Andrew Lemoncello of FSU, and Mircea Bogdan of UTEP. With 2 laps
left, it appeared to be a 3 man battle between Mutai, Kosgei and
Smith. However, appearances can be deceiving. With 500 to go, Smith
took the lead and gapped both Kosgei and Mutai. However, with about
300 left, just before we handed the victory to Smith, we saw a runner
hauling ass up from the back. It was Bogdan who had been in 4th
for the last few laps. He unleashed a blistering kick, caught Smith
on the last water jump and got the win. Smith's bid for victory
ended up costing him 2nd as Kosgei caught him in the home stretch
and earned Arkansas two more points which are key to their team
title hopes. The last lap was covered in 64 but that
started with Smith and ended with Bogdan so with think Bogdan very
well may have run right around 60 flat or so for the last lap to
get the win.
Post-race comments by the winner as well as full results and
lap by lap recap appear below.
Comments from Micea Bogdan, winner men's steeplechase: On his victory: "Thanks to god. This is something unbelievable I can't believe it."
On what he was thinking with 400 left when he was back in 4th with a big gap to first: "I was thinking of winning but I was not that sure (I'd win), because I could not believe that all 4 guys in front of me would die. I thought at least one or two would be really strong the last 300 and they weren't. I was getting closer and closer, more confident, (getting) more energy for me (with each guy I passed). When you pass them, they can't (respond) it just happens."
Men's Steeplechase - Lap by Lap Updates (We did these
live) Sun isn't totally down yet. It's kind of hot - high
70s I bet although 1/4th is in shade. Aguayo is a scratch. 1st
200+ to finish line: 34.90 Bruce leads followed by Smith. 64.9
for 1st 400. 1st lap with barriers to finish: 67.87Bruce,
Smith, Fisher, Kosgei. 2nd lap from finish: 69.04
Bruce, Fisher, Smith, Lemoncello 3rd lap from finish: 68.58
Smith takes lead, Lemoncello 2nd. Bruce 5th but pack still together.
(1600 in 431 ish) 4th lap from finish: 67.27
Mutai and Kosgei then Smith, Lemoncello Bogdan. Only 5 guys are
in contention. 5th lap from finish: 67.43 Mutai,
Kosgei, Smith are top 3. Lemoncello struggling to stay up. Kosgei
takes lead after 6 full laps. 6th lap from finish: 67.05
Smith to lead with 500 to go. Last lap: 64.67 Some guy from
way back is going to take it (he must have run close to 60 flat).
Bogdan passes on water jump and will win it. Kosgei up for
2nd, Smith, Lemoncello, Mutai,Bruce, Magidi, Emilsson, McAdams,
Fisher, Ahnstrom, Meyer, Warrenbu..
Event 6 Men 3000 Meter Steeplechase
=======================================================================
2 Heats. Advance top 5 from each heat plus next best 4 times.
American: 8:09.17 8/28/1985 Henry Marsh, Athletics West
College Best: 8:05.4h 5/13/1978 Henry Rono, Washington State
NCAA Meet: 8:12.39 6/1/1978 Henry Rono, Washington State
Hornet Stad: 8:15.02 7/15/2004 Daniel Lincoln, Nike
Name Year School Finals Points
=======================================================================
Finals
1 Mircea Bogdan JR Texas-El Paso 8:27.29 10
2 Peter Kosgei SO Arkansas 8:29.13 8
3 Andy Smith SR NC State 8:29.66 6
4 Andrew Lemoncello JR Florida State 8:30.12 5
5 Patrick Mutai FR Texas-El Paso 8:31.93 4
6 Ben Bruce SR Cal Poly-SLO 8:33.81 3
7 Itay Magidi SO Clemson 8:34.12 2
8 Erik Emilsson JR UCLA 8:34.80 1
9 Josh McAdams JR Brigham Young 8:36.88
10 Aaron Fisher SR Ohio State 8:37.80
11 Henrik Ahnstrom SR Northern Arizona 8:45.05
12 Lucas Meyer SR Yale 8:45.60
13 Ryan Warrenburg JR Arizona State 8:51.79
-- Aaron Aguayo SO Arizona State DNS