Recap of Men's/Women's Steeplechases from 2005 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships
June 10, 2005
LetsRun.com
*Click here to jump to the Steeplechase recaps

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:  67.87 Bruce, 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

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