STADIUM RECORD & NCAA 10,000M TITLE FOR KOLL
Songok Defends Retains Men's Crown
By Mike Scott
(c) 2008 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved
Des Moines (12-Jun) - 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.
Koll dominated the race in front of a wildly partisan crowd, passing
4800m in 15:41 36-seconds ahead of the pack -- and gradually
extending her lead to win in a Drake Stadium record 32:44.95. Koll's
nearly one minute margin demonstrated underscored her dominance.
Going into the race, I wanted to run fast because the weather was
perfect, said the Fort Dodge, Ia., native who was apparently
accoustomed to the humidity. When you get an opportunity to run in
perfect weather, you want to take advantage of it. I felt very
comfortable during the entire race. I ran the first 5-K at a great
pace and I knew I could pick it up for the last 5-K. I heard the crowd
the entire time and it was great! Running here at Drake is the best
feeling for me. I never won a state title in high school and then, to
come to Drake, and win a national championship is the best feeling.
Nearly a minute behind Koll, Rundhaug and Gitz battled up front, while
Nukuri, Ryan, Doetzel, and the others tucked in for the early portions
of the race.
Doetzel, a junior from Macklin, Saskatchewan, surged away from the
chase group in the final mile and gradually edged away from Gits to
claim second in 33:44.23. Gitz finished a few steps behind in
33:49.93, while Ryan closed well to claim fourth in 33:54.38.
SONGOK MAKES IT TWO IN A ROW
The men's 10,000 opened much more slowly, with the whole field tightly bunched from the start.
Arkansas's Shawn Forest and James Strang made a strong surge early,
opening up a lead over the pack with only UTEP's Japeth Ng'ojoy making
the move with the Razorback duo. LaSalle's Sean Quigley, the yearly
leader with a 28:03.72 to his credit, Eastern Kentucky's Jacob Korir,
Alabama's Tyson David, and Songok were among the leaders of the chase
pack.
David was the first of the chase pack to catch Forest and Strang, with
Quigley, Korir, Songok, and five others catching them by the halfway
point. With seven laps to go, Quigley and Korir led the pack of nine
which stayed together through 8-K, passed in 23:21.
Songok charged to the lead with two laps to go and only Forrest, David,
and Korir able to respond. With a 60-flat penultimate lap, Songok and
Forrest edged away, and it was a two man race. The duo matched strides
along the backstretch before Songok found one more gear, beating
Forrest by less than 4/10ths of a second in 28:46.69.
A couple of guys took off early but the guys I was worried (about)
stuck around, said Songok who was also the NCAA 5000m indoor champion
this year. After we saw the two guys up front, no one wanted to go.
It was too early. By the end, it was everybodys race and it was
very tactical.
After Forrest (28:47.08), David was third (28:49.76) and Korir fourth (28:49.92).
In the first round of the women's 1500m, North Carolina's Brie Felnagle
--the defending champion-- won the first prelim in 4:15.56, while
Florida State's Hannah England won the second prelim ahead of Texas
Tech's Sally Kipyego, 4:17.36 to 4:17.48. Kipyego, who won the 10,000
at this meet last year and finished second in the 5000, is attempting
the 1500/5000 double this year.
In the men's metrick mile, Leonel Manzano of the University of Texas
outsprinted Stanford's Garrett Heath, 3:41.70 to 3:42.21 to win the
first prelim. Georgetown's Andrew Bumalough won the second prelim in
3:42.28 over Wisconsin's Evan Jager (3:42.41).
The biggest story in the women's 800 semis was the no-show by defending
champion Alysia Johnson from the University of California. She had won
her preliminary heat on Wednesday, but didn't show for the semi-final.
Her team's website said she was suffering from a minor foot injury.
"Alysia's foot was sore, but she could have run today," said Cal director of track and field Tony Sandoval to Calbears.cstv.com.
"It would have been sorer if she ran today, and then even more if she
ran in the final. She would have had to take some time off to let her
foot heal with the Olympic Trials just a couple weeks away. We had her
foot checked out and she's fine. We just didn't want to risk anything
with the Trials right around the corner."
With Johnson out of the meet, Michigan's Geena Gall won the first semi
in 2:04.02 ahead of LSU's Latavia Thomas (2:04.17), while Oregon's Zoe
Buckman edged out Western Michigan's Becky Horn, 2:03.64 to 2:03.73.
In the men's two-lap competition Oregon's Andrew Wheating edged out
Texas's Jacob Herandez, 1:47.15 to 1:47.18, in the first semi of the
men's 800, while Southern Cal's Duane Solomon won the second semi in
1:47.60 ahead of Northern Iowa's Tyler Mulder. Mississippi State
senior Golden Coachman, who finished fourth at this meet last year,
finished last in his heat and did not advance.
Friday's action includes both the men's and women's 3000m steeplechase and 5000m finals.