Where Your Dreams Become Reality
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Where Your Dreams Become Reality |
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Day 3 Distance Recap at 2006 NCAAs: Mary Cullen, Chris Solinsky and Jenny Barringer Get Titles By Mike Scott (c) 2006 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved SACRAMENTO, Calif (09-Jun-2006) -- First time champions were the order of the evening here at the third day of the NCAA Division I Track & Field Championships at Sacramento State University's Hornet Stadium. Providence's Mary Cullen and Wisconsin's Chris Solinsky won their respective 5000m races, while Colorado frosh Jenny Barringer was crowned steeple champ in only her fifth attempt at the event. The women's steeplechase was the first distance final of the evening and the 14 competitors toed the starting line with no clear favorite. North Carolina's Cassie King was the early leader, with Toledo's Ebba Stenback on her shoulder and the entire field right behind. The lead stayed the same for the next several laps, with King setting the pace and the field just behind. With about three laps to go, King started drifting back through the pack with Stenback assuming the pacesetting duties and Illinios' Cassie Hunt, the 2005 NCAA runner-up, moving up on her shoulder. Hunt surged into the lead with two laps to go. "The last 1000-meters is always tough for me and for everyone else in the race," said Hunt. "I felt like it was a good time for me to start pressing the pace." Hunt opened up a sizeable gap over the field, with Tennessee-Chattanooga's Shannon Wommack running in second, and Stenback, Colorado's Barringer, Minnesota's Emily Brown, and Michigan State's Nicole Bush a few more strides back. At the bell, Hunt had opened up a 15-meter lead over Wommack with Barringer looking good on her shoulder. Barringer passed Wommack and started to rapidly close on Hunt coming out of the final water jump. Barringer pulled even coming into the final straight and cleared the final barrier in the lead, edging away to win in a personal best 9:53.04. "I felt awesome with a lap to go; I was very confident," stated Barringer. "Coach Wetmore had me practice the final lap often in workouts; it's very dangerous since you are speeding up and trying to clear barriers much faster than usual. It's an awesome feeling when you are in the final lap and you know you're gonna win an NCAA championship." "I have to give credit for this championship to my coach Mark Wetmore," said Barringer. "It was Coach's idea for me to take up the steeple. Despite all the times I fell in the water jump and swallowed water, he remained confident that this was the event for me. I ran 10:12 2 days ago and that was a big PR for me. I don't know where this came from." Hunt finished second two seconds back in 9:55.75, while Wommack closed for third in 9:56.50 and Brown fourth in 9:56.62. "My goal was to win," stated Hunt. "But I PR'd and I have to be happy about that." IRISH-FLAVORED WOMEN'S 5000 Unlike the steeple, the women's 5000 featured two clear favorites: Providence's Mary Cullen and Notre Dame's Molly Huddle. The duo had the fastest times of the season and had clashed over 10,000 at the Big East meet with Cullen setting a torrid pace for 23 laps before Huddle edged away over the final 600 to win 32:37.87 to 32:39.59. The lead pack in the 5000 looked like a Big East race, with Pittsburgh's Maureen McCandless leading Huddle and Cullen through a quick opening 1000 of 3:10.51 before settling slowing a bit through 2k in 6:30.10 and 3k in 9:52.92. NC State's Julia Lucas, Wake Forest's Michelle Sikes, Wichita State's Desiraye Osburn, and Michigan's Alyson KohlMeier and Erin Webster all kept pace near the front of the densely-packed field. Cullen surged into the lead with just under 4 laps remaining and immediately strung out the field. Passing 4k in 13:05.54, the Sligo, Ireland native had opened a gap between her and her pursuers. Cullen covered the final 1600 in 4:47 to cross the line in 16:01.39, winning her first NCAA championship. "The race plan had been to just sit until at least half-way to go," said Cullen. "I felt good with 4 laps to go, so I felt that I might as well make the move. I tired out a bit the last lap, but it was a big delight to make up for my bit of a distaster indoors." Huddle closed best to claim second in 16:05.93, while Webster finished third in 16:06.38. TACTICAL MEN'S 5000 The men's 5000 started out slower than the women's 5000, passing 400 in 76 and the first kilo in 3:13.00. The entire field ran together with no one willing to lead until after the mile when Colorado's Brent Vaughn moved to the front to marginally increase the pace. Vaughn led through 2k in 6:05.56 with Cal's Giliat Ghebray, Liberty's Josh McDougal, and Texas A&M-Corpus Christie's Shadrack Songok all leading through 3k in 9:01.19. The pack stayed together until four laps to go when Wisconsin's Solinsky surged strongly into the lead. "With a 76-second first lap, all plans went out the window," said Solinsky. "Given all the talent in the field, I had prepared to run 64s (13:20 pace) for the entire race. I panicked a bit at first, but I then resolved to run the last mile as fast as I could." And run a fast last mile he did, covering the final 1600 in just over 4;00 minutes and gradually edging away from his closest pursuer, Iona's Richard Kiplagat. "With 200 to go, I looked up on the jumbotron and saw Kiplagat right behind me," said Solinsky. "I wasn't going to let anyone beat me." Solinsky held on to win in 14:11.71, while Arkansas' Josphat Boit --last night's 10,000 champ-- nipped Kiplagat at the line for second 14:13.81 to 14:13.84. "I wanted to go with Chris and tried to stay with him," said Boit. "But I felt what I did yesterday and am still proud that I got second." The 2006 NCAA Championships conclude Saturday with finals in 23 events, including the men's and women's 800 and 1500, as well as the men's steeplechase.
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Cross Country Spikes 10% off Injured?
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