Women's 5,000m: Molly Huddle Impresses, Hastings And Bizzarri Continue The Mammoth Mojo

By LetsRun.com
June 24, 2011
*Race Video And Results At Bottom Of Page

Several scratches (10k champ Shalane Flanagan and runner-up Kara Goucher) made American record holder Molly Huddle the heavy favorite in the women's 5,000m final Friday night in Eugene. Huddle lived up to the expectations, as she blew away the field with the final lap to win in a convincing 15:10.01.

Flanagan And Goucher Scratching Make Huddle The Heavy Favorite

In addition to the scratches by Flanagan and Goucher, Jenny Simpson, Shannon Rowbury and Jordan Hasay, who all made the 1,500 final, scratched as well.

Boston Marathon runner-up Desiree Davila took the pacing duties after the first 200, splitting 76.4 at 400 and then upped the ante, taking the field through at 72.4 second lap. Huddle looked very comfortable following in second, as the field hit the 1,000 in 3:04.73. Also lurking close were 2:27:03 marathoner Amy Hastings and Jen Rhines (just a day removed from making the team in the 10k) and recent Illinois grad and many-time NCAA Champion Angela Bizzarri.

Huddle took over the lead heading into the mile and the field, which still had almost everyone still in tow, hit 4:56.2. Hastings soon passed her and the field went through 2k in 6:10.7.

Hastings continued to lead as the field hit halfway and a crowd of 13 were still attached to the lead. Hastings and Huddle appeared to be well in control, but Rhines and Bizzarri were very close as the pace dropped to the 73 second range.

Hastings on the inside and Huddle on the outside brought the pack through 3k in 9:15.06 and then 3,200 in 9:52.74. Not to be overlooked, last year's champ Lauren Fleshman was also in contention, as the group was down to ten runners with a mile to go.

Huddle Starts The Real Racing With 1,200 To Go
At 1,200 to go, Huddle picked up the pace and Bizzarri tucked into second. Hastings continued to look strong in third and Rhines waited patiently in fourth as the group opened up a 10-meter gap on Julie Culley, Davila and Liz Maloy.

Huddle maintained the pressure and Bizzarri held on in second with 800 to go, with Hastings in third and Rhines now another ten meters back in fourth.

A 70.95 penultimate lap put Huddle in great shape and then she accelerated even further with a surge at the bell, as it became clear the American record holder was in total control of the race. 30 meters behind her, a battle was shaping up between Hastings and Bizzarri for second and third. Huddle's final lap of 64.06 was very impressive, as she won her first outdoor USATF title. Hastings kicked hard with a final lap 67.09 for second and Bizzarri had a PR in third, although both were just outside the IAAF "A" standard of 15:14.00. Rhines finished up a terrific meet with a fine fourth-place effort, just a day removed from placing third in the 10k, and Culley raced well to get fifth in a PR.

Great Day For Hastings, Bizzarri, And Mammoth Track Club
Hastings (5 seconds) and Bizzarri (11 seconds) set huge PRs, but one of them will need to run under the World Championships "A" standard of 15:14.00 for Bizzarri to join Hastings and Huddle at Worlds. The runner-up finish continued an incredible 2011 for Hastings. Hastings ran 2:27:03 at the LA Marathon in March. Although she was the 2006 NCAA indoor 5,000m champ, she only had a 5,000m best of 15:43 until two weeks ago, when she ran 15:19. Now she's run 15:14.31 and clearly her training under Terrence Mahon in Mammoth Lakes is going well. The same game be said for training partner Bizzarri, who had an 11-second PR, and for the entire Mammoth Track Club, which so far is 4 for 5 in athletes qualifying for Worlds (Scott Bauhs - men's 10k team (Patrick Smyth didn't make it, lost his shoe), Jen Rhines women's 10k team, in addition to Hastings and Bizzarri with Morgan Uceny and Anna Pierce running the 1,500m final).

The night, however, belonged to American record holder Molly Huddle. Huddle, who said she "fell asleep thinking about every different scenario" in the final, executed her race perfectly and was dominant on the last lap.

Quick Take #1: Huddle may have surprised herself with the American record last year, but she won't be surprising anyone anymore. Her first outdoor title was impressive.

Quick Take #2: How about Amy Hastings and Angela Bizzarri? Although both were NCAA champions in college, they had a long way to go to get to the top of the US ranks, but have made great strides this year.

Quitk Take #3: Props to the only collegian in the field, Division II star Neely Spence, who set a PR.

*Splits Here, Results Below

1 Molly Huddle Saucony 15:10.01   2 Amy Hastings Brooks 15:14.31   3 Angela Bizzarri Brooks 15:16.04   4 Jennifer Rhines adidas 15:19.12   5 Julie Culley New York Athletic Club (NYAC) 15:21.18   6 Desiree Davila Hansons-Brooks Distance Projec 15:25.35   7 Neely Spence Shippensburg 15:27.72   8 Lauren Fleshman Nike 15:31.26   9 Alissa McKaig ZAP Fitness Reebok 15:33.40   10 Kim Conley unattached 15:38.13   11 Elizabeth Maloy New Balance 15:38.74   12 Frances Koons New Balance 15:45.25   13 Sara Slattery unattached 15:54.21   14 Kellyn Johnson McMillan Elite / adidas 16:07.18   15 Meghan Armstrong Team USA Minnesota / Asics 16:12.79   DNF Renee Metivier Baillie Nike   DNS Jordan Hasay Oregon   DNS Jackie Areson unattached   DNS Shannon Rowbury Nike   DNS Amy Begley Nike   DNS Kara Goucher Oregon TC Elite   DNS Shalane Flanagan Oregon TC Elite   DNS Jennifer Simpson New Balance

Molly Huddle Relishes Her First Outdoor USATF Title

Full 2011 USATF 5,000m Video

Sunday:
Men's 800m: LRC Men's 800m: Nick Symmonds Makes it Four in a Row
Women's 800m: LRC Women's 800m: Alysia Goes Wire to Wire
Women's Steeplechase: LRC Emma Coburn Wins, Stephanie Garcia Falls, and Hey Delilah Goes to Korea

Saturday USATF Coverage
Men's 1500m: LRC Matt Centrowitz Jr Pulls Away from Bernard Lagat
Women's 1500m: LRC The Thrill Victory (Morgan Uceny) and Agony of Defeat (Christin Wurth Thomas)
Men's Steeple: LRC Billy Nelson's Return to Oregon is Successful

Friday: USATF Coverage
Men' 5000m: LRC Men's 5,000m: Bernard Lagat's 3:57.80 Close Wins A Thriller Over Chris Solinsky And Galen Rupp
Women's 5000m: LRC Women's 5,000m: Molly Huddle Impresses, Hastings And Bizzarri Continue The Mammoth Mojo
800m Semis: LRC All the Favorites Advance And KD Asks For Some Energy From His Fans In The Final
*Ashton Eaton Sets PR With Decathlon Win, Olympic Gold Medallist Bryan Clay Falls In 110 Hurdles And Doesn't Finish The Meet
*Walter Dix Just Outleans Justin Gatlin To Win US Champs 100 
*SI's Tim Layden Takes a Look at Justin Gatlin's Situation
*Post Race Interviews

Complete Thursday USATF Coverage: *10k Photos
Men's 10k: LRC Men's 10,000m: Galen Rupp Closes Out Matt Tegenkamp With 1:52.5 Final 800m
Women's 10k: LRC Women's 10,000m: Shalane Flanagan Goes Wire to Wire Over Kara Goucher and Field
1500m Round 1 and Men's Steeple Round1: LRC Thursday's 1500m Heats: 2011 US Leader Russell Brown Bows Out
800M Round 1: LRC: 800m Round 1 Goes According to Form

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