Oxy Recap: Evan Jager (8:15), Eric Jenkins (13:24), Hassan Mead (3:37) & Kate Grace (4:05) Impress with Victories; Leo Manzano (3:43) Struggles

By LetsRun.com
May 21, 2016

The 2016 Hoka One One Middle Distance Classic (aka Oxy) was held on Friday in Los Angeles and many of America’s top distance talents were there. Some, such as Evan Jager (8:15 steeple with a 57-second last lap), Eric Jenkins (13:24 5k with 55-second last lap) and Robby Andrews (1:47 800) looked great in picking up wins while others, such as Leo Manzano (3:43 for last in heat 4 of the 1500) did not. We recap and analyze all the action with full results below.

Men’s 800: No One Runs Particularly Fast But Robby Andrews Comes From Behind For Win

Andrews left it late as usual but picked up the win Andrews left it late as usual but picked up the win

Robby Andrews ran a typical Robby Andrews race tonight as he exploded over the final 150 to take the victory in 1:47.22. The top heat went out quickly for the first 200 (23.x); Cas Loxsom was the only man even close to the rabbit and he was still about five meters behind. The pace slowed the next 200 and Loxsom came through as the leader in 50.89 seconds with Brandon Johnson behind him, with Andrews in last place in the eight-man field probably close to 15 meters behind.

Harun Abda moved into second on the back straight but Loxsom still looked good; with 200 to go, Andrews was still way back in sixth place. But halfway around the final turn, Andrews launched into his patented kick and quickly began passing runners. He finally drew level with Abda (who had passed Loxsom) with about 20 meters to go and powered through the line for the win.

 

Heat 4
1 ROBBY ANDREWS                ADIDAS                 1:47.22   4 
2 HARUN ABDA                   NIKE OTC / N           1:47.42   4 
3 BRANDON JOHNSON              NIKE                   1:47.56   4 
4 DAVID TORRENCE               HOKA ONE ONE           1:48.50   4 
5 MICHAEL RUTT                 HOKA ONE ONE           1:48.53   4 
6 NATHAN FLECK                 HIGH PERFORM           1:49.18   4 
7 BRYAN MARTINEZ               MX INTERNATI           1:52.43   4 
 -- CASIMIR LOXSOM               BROOKS BEAST                DQ   4
Heat 3
1 DREW WINDLE                  BROOKS BEAST           1:47.65   3 
2 CHARLES JOCK                 NIKE OTC               1:47.67   3 
3 CHRISTOPHER LOW              UNATTACHED             1:47.81   3 
4 EDOSE IBADIN                 DISTRICT TRA           1:48.16   3
5 KAWAMOTO SHO                 SUZUKI                 1:48.51   3 
6 ELIJAH GREER                 NIKE OTC               1:48.72   3 
7 JESSE JORGENSEN              UNATTACHED             1:49.30   3 
8 ANTHONY ROMANIW              SPEED RIVER            1:49.56   3
Heat 2
1 CHARLIE GRICE SR.            UNATTACHED             1:46.95   2 
2 DECLAN MURRAY                HOKA ONE ONE           1:48.04   2   
3 TYLER MULDER                 NIKE OTCE              1:48.60   2
4 JAMES GILREATH               UNATTACHED             1:49.00   2 
5 MASATO YOKOTA                FUJITSU                1:49.26   2  
6 BRIAN GAGNON                 HOKA ONE ONE           1:49.60   2 
7 AARON EVANS                  TEAM RUN EUG           1:49.80   2 
8 LOPEZ LOMONG                 NIKE BTC               1:50.44   2 
9 ABRAHAM ALVARADO             STANISLAUS S           1:53.81   2
Heat 1
1 PRINCE MUMBA                 SANTA MONICA           1:48.89   1 
2 JAMES EICHBERGER JR.         UNATTACHED             1:49.18   1 
3 SADIKI WHITE                 UNATTACHED             1:49.69   1 
4 TETLO EMMEN                  UNATTACHED             1:49.86   1 
5 ADAM PAUL-MORRIS             VANCOUVER TH           1:49.98   1 
6 RICHARD JONES                SRA ELITE              1:51.07   1 
7 SELASI LUMAX                 BIG BEAR TC/           1:51.11   1 
8 JOE ABBOTT                   UNATTACHED             1:51.35   1 
9 PATRICK PETERSON             BIG BEAR TC/           1:58.44   1

Quick Take #1: A mixed night for Cas Loxsom
Loxsom only ran 1:48.16 in his outdoor opener on May 6 and his 1:47.69 here tonight wasn’t much faster, especially when you compare it to his 1:46.23 winning effort at this meet a year ago. But Loxsom looked good for about 750 meters tonight and the 1:47.69 time doesn’t look so bad when you factor in the winner only ran 1:47.22. Obviously the last 50 meters is important in any race, so Loxsom has some work to do, but tonight’s race was a step in the right direction.

Or, it was, until Loxsom learned he had been DQ’d for a lane violation. The good news for Loxsom is that a DQ tonight doesn’t make a huge difference in the scheme of things as he already has the Olympic standard.

Quick Take #2: Good running by Brit Charlie Grice in heat 2
Grice, a World Championship finalist last year at 1500, somehow couldn’t get into one of the top two heats, but wound up running the fastest time of the night in 1:46.95, slicing .05 off his pb. There were four heats and grice was in #2 (#4 was the fast one).

Men’s 1500: 10,000 Meter Man Hassan Mead Beats Everyone – Leo Manzano Struggles

In a field full of 1500 guys, it was the 10k man Hassan Mead who kicked best as he clearly had the best wheels in heat 4 over the final 100, winning by .79 of a second in 3:37.65, the only guy to get the U.S. Trials standard of 3:38.00 (no one was even close to the Olympic standard of 3:36.20).

Mead showed some nice wheels in the 1500 Mead showed some nice wheels in the 1500

The final heat (heat #4), which had most of the top guys (the heats were supposedly balanced but heat 4 was clearly strongest on paper) went out quickly in 55.5 for the first 400 but the field slowed down over the second lap (58.35 from 300 to 700) before a glacial 61.30 from 700 to 1100.

At that point, NJ*NY TC teammates Ford Palmer and Michael Atchoo were running 1-2 but they were quickly overhauled by Pat Casey, who seized the lead in the backstretch. Casey, in turn, was passed by another NJ*NY runner, Colby Alexander, with 200 to go. But lurking behind Alexander was Mead, and at the top of the home stretch, he shifted into a gear that nobody else could match, winning handily in 3:37.65 (last lap was sub-56 seconds). Alexander held on for second while Aussie Jordan Gusman took third in a PR of 3:38.58.

Jordan McNamara won heat 3 with a huge move. Canada’s Charles Philibert-Thiboutot led at the bell and with 200 to go had a gap of five meters on the field. But McNamara went hard on the home straight and even turned his head to stare down CPT as he passed him just before the line.

Article continues below player.

 

Heat 4  
1 HASSAN MEAD                  NIKE OTCE              3:37.65   4
2 COLBY ALEXANDER              NEW JERSEY N           3:38.44   4 
3 JORDAN GUSMAN                SAUCONY / TE           3:38.58   4 
4 ANDREW WHEATING              NIKE OTC               3:38.60   4 
5 JOHNNY GREGOREK              ASICS/NEW JE           3:38.81   4 
6 DUNCAN PHILLIPS              BROOKS                 3:39.37   4 
7 PAT CASEY                    NIKE OTCE              3:40.05   4 
8 DORIAN ULREY                 BROOKS BEAST           3:40.11   4 
9 PETER CALLAHAN               UNATTACHED             3:40.57   4 
10 GARRETT HEATH                BROOKS BEAST           3:40.63   4  
11 FORD PALMER                  HOKA ONE ONE           3:41.73   4 
12 MICHAEL ATCHOO               NEW JERSEY N           3:42.99   4 
13 LEONEL MANZANO               HOKA ONE ONE           3:43.86   4
Heat 3
1 JORDAN MCNAMARA              NIKE OTCE              3:38.26   3 
2 CHARLES PHILIBERT-THIBOU     ASICS CANADA           3:38.39   3
3 DANIEL WINN                  BOSTON ATHLE           3:38.93   3 
4 RILEY MASTERS                BROOKS BEAST           3:38.99   3 
5 CHAD NOELLE                  UNATTATCHED            3:39.45   3 
6 SAM PENZENSTADLER            DISTRICT TRA           3:39.64   3 
7 THOMAS RIVA                  UNATTATCHED            3:39.99   3 
8 MAC FLEET                    NIKE OTC / N           3:40.20   3 
9 MO AHMED                     NIKE BTC               3:40.87   3 
10 JACK BOLAS                   HOKA ONE ONE           3:44.25   3 
11 DANIEL HERRERA               HIGH PERFORM           3:44.79   3 
-- LIAM BOYLAN-PETT             NEW JERSEY N               DNF   3
Heat 2
1 BENJAMIN SAAREL              UNATTACHED             3:39.67   2 
2 CHRISTOPHER SANDOVAL         ZATOPEK                3:41.03   2 
3 TRAVIS BURKSTRAND            BROOKS                 3:41.37   2 
4 ISAAC PRESSON                REBEL TRACK            3:42.04   2 
5 KIRUBEL ERASSA               ATLANTA TRAC           3:43.17   2 
6 JOSHUA WRIGHT                ASICSSYDNEY            3:43.25   2 
7 DANIEL GORMAN                RUNNING ROOM           3:43.52   2 
8 DIEGO ESTRADA                ASICS                  3:45.30   2 
9 CIARAN O LIONAIRD            NIKE OTCE              3:53.77   2 

Heat 1
1 ROBBIE FITZGIBBON            UNATTACHED             3:41.51   1 
2 JOSHUA JOHNSON               TEAM TELFORD           3:43.55   1 
3 NICHOLAS ROSS                NE DISTANCE            3:43.67   1
4 ZACH HANSEN                  SAINT MARY'S           3:43.87   1 
5 AUSTIN TAMAGNO               UNATTATCHED            3:44.14   1
6 JEREMY ROFF                  ASICSSYDNEY            3:45.14   1 
7 ADAM GODWIN                  UNATTACHED             3:45.77   1 
8 LUIS GUTIERREZ               BIG BEAR TC/           3:53.69   1 
-- ANDREAS DIMITRAKIS           ARETE INTERN               DNF   1

Quick Take #1: A great race for Hassan Mead. The rest of the field? Not so much.
Mead had already shown he could run well at 3000 indoors, narrowly losing to eventual World Indoor silver medallist Ryan Hill at Millrose in February, and he did beat Galen Rupp over a mile at the Flotrack Throwdown last year. Still, it was a bit jarring to see Mead not just win, but win convincingly, against a field of 1500 guys in a pb of 3:37.65 (previous best 3:38.72). Mead’s running the 5,000 at Pre next weekend and looks ready to do something big there.

While getting the Olympic standard of 3:36.20 tonight was going to be tough, it’s amazing that Mead was the only man to get the Olympic Trials standard of 3:38.00 (and Mead likely will focus on the 5k/10k in Eugene rather than). Most of these guys already have the Trials standard (the qualifying window opened on May 1, 2015) but there’s one big name who doesn’t: Andrew Wheating. Wheating, a two-time Olympian, was fifth at USAs last year and is well-suited for hard-closing championship races, but he was only fourth here tonight in 3:38.60. Wheating should still get into the Trials (the field size is 30 and only 21 men have the auto standard) but he will still need to run faster between now and July 1 considering you can’t chase the Olympic standard after the Trials.

MB: 10,000m Runner Hassan Mead Just Crushed Wheating and Manzano at 1500 – They’re Done 

Quick Take #2: Another bad showing for Leo Manzano
Manzano ran close to Wheating mid-pack for two laps but was dropped by the field by the time they hit the bell and finished dead last in heat 4 in 3:43.86. Of course, he did something similar in 2012, when he ran an ugly 4:00.78 mile in London in his final race before the Olympics (that season ended up okay for Manzano).

But Manzano had also won USA Indoors and the Olympic Trials earlier in 2012.. In 2016, Manzano has run poorly in both of his outdoor races (1:49.92 at the Texas Relays and 3:43 tonight) so far. And that came after he switched coaches and missed some time indoors.

Leo still has time to turn it around, as he always seems to do, but he needs to show something between now and the Trials. Matthew Centrowitz is going to the Olympics unless he falls. Robby Andrews has a big kick and is unlikely to be beaten on current form,so the battle for the third spot will be a war.

Quick Take #3: Welcome back, Ben Saarel
Saarel, who is in his third year at Colorado but who ran unattached tonight, had been MIA since NCAA XC in November, but he looked good tonight, destroying the rest of heat 2 to win in 3:39.67.

Men’s 5000: Eric Jenkins Crushes Everyone On The Last Lap

The top heat came down to the final 400, at which point there were seven guys still in contention (Eric Jenkins, Tom Farrell, Jeff See, Leonard Korir, Sam Chelanga, Kemoy Campbell and Reed Connor). But it quickly became apparent that one man was head and shoulders ahead of the rest of the field as Jenkins took off like a bat out of hell at the bell and had 15 meters on the field with 200 to go. From there, he cruised to the win in 13:24.67 thanks to a 55.38 last lap, with Korir holding off former college rival Chelanga for second, 13:27.21 to 13:27.53.

Heat 2
1 ERIC JENKINS                 NIKE OREGON           13:24.67!  2 
2 LEONARD KORIR                WCAP                  13:27.21   2
3 SAM CHELANGA                 NIKE                  13:27.53   2
4 TOM FARRELL                  NIKE OTCE             13:27.77   2 
5 KEMOY CAMPBELL               NEW BALANCE           13:30.09   2 
6 JEFF SEE                     ASICS FURMAN          13:31.21   2 
7 REED CONNOR                  HOKA ONE ONE          13:31.79   2
8 BRIAN SHRADER                SAUCONY               13:39.55   2 
9 LUC BRUCHET                  ASICS                 13:41.58   2 
10 GEORGE ALEX                  ZAP FITNESS           13:42.43   2 
11 ROSS PROUDFOOT               SPEED RIVER           13:53.09   2 
12 JONATHAN PETERSON            TEAM USA MIN          13:55.11   2 
13 MAVERICK DARLING             SAUCONY               14:17.49   2
-- DIEGO BORREGO SR.            UAZ                        DNF   2
Heat 1
1 FREZER LEGESSE               UNDER ARMOUR          13:36.88   1 
2 MITCHEL BROWN                NIKE BTC              13:37.52   1 
3 HIROKI MATSUEDA              FUJITSU               13:37.84   1 
4 ABBABIYA SIMBASSA            TEAM USA MIN          13:38.42   1 
5 ERIC FINAN                   TEAM RUN EUG          13:39.89   1 
6 BRENDAN GREGG                HANSONS-BROO          13:43.52   1 
7 PETER CORRIGAN               RUNNING ROOM          13:48.57   1 
8 BENJAMIN PAYNE               U.S. AIR FOR          13:49.70   1 
9 RYAN DOHNER                  HOKA NAZ ELI          13:51.00   1 
10 MIKE TATE                    UNATTATCHED           13:51.23   1
11 RIDOUANE HARROUFI            UNATTACHED            13:51.60   1 
12 MALCOLM HICKS                NIKE NEW ZEA          13:54.80   1 
13 JACOB EDWARDS                BROOKS                13:56.38   1 
14 TONNY OKELLO                 UNATTACHED            13:59.85   1 
15 ERIC AVILA                   HOKA ONE ONE          14:06.32   1 
16 GABRIEL PROCTOR              ASICS MTC             14:32.28   1 
-- CARLOS JAMIESON              UNATTACHED                 DNF   1 
-- SEAN QUIGLEY                 SAUCONY/BOUL               DNF   1

Men’s 3000 steeple: Evan Jager Crushes Everyone On The Last Lap

This race was close for the first 2500 meters until Evan Jager decided to end it quickly. Cory Leslie worked hard to push the pace once the rabbit dropped out but with 800 to go, there was still a large pack of men behind Leslie, led by Bowerman Track Club teammates Matt Hughes and Jager. At the top of the homestretch on the penultimate lap, Jager moved hard and by 450 he and Hughes had moved around Leslie and into the lead.

Over the final lap, it was all Jager. He powered away from the field, closing in an impressive 57.3 seconds for his last lap and 2:00 for his last 800 to win in 8:15.26. Dan Huling, who beat Jager at Worlds last year, moved into second past Hughes and Leslie on the final water jump and held off a hard-charging Leslie over the final 150 to take second in 8:18.58.

Heat 3
1 EVAN JAGER                   NIKE BTC               8:15.26*  3 
2 DAN HULING                   NIKE BTC               8:18.58!  3 
3 CORY LESLIE                  NIKE                   8:19.12!  3 
4 MATT HUGHES                  NIKE BTC               8:20.63!  3 
5 ROB MULLETT                  UNATTACHED             8:22.42!  3 
6 DONALD COWART                SAUCONY                8:23.38!  3 
7 ANDREW BAYER                 NIKE BTC               8:24.37!  3 
8 TRAVIS MAHONEY               HOKA ONE ONE           8:25.44!  3 
9 CHRIS WINTER                 SPEED RIVER            8:27.18!  3 
10 CRAIG FORYS                  ASICS FURMAN           8:27.19!  3 
11 CHRIS DULHANTY               SPEED RIVER            8:31.02   3 
12 JAMES NIPPERESS              ASICSSYDNEY            8:32.59   3 
13 HIRONORI TSUETAKI            FUJITSU                8:46.21   3 
-- ALEX GENEST                  SPEED RIVER                DNF   3
Heat 2
1 ARIC VAN HALEN               UNATTACHED             8:32.94   2 
2 RYAN BROCKERVILLE            VALLEY ROYAL           8:34.09   2 
3 MICHAEL JORDAN               NEW JERSEY N           8:35.47   2
4 MARK PARRISH                 UNATTACHED             8:35.56   2
5 ANTOINE THIBEAULT            Z_NIX DE LA            8:39.89   2 
6 DYLAN LAFOND                 UNATTACHED             8:43.80   2 
7 JACKSON NEFF                 BOWERMAN TRA           8:48.90   2 
8 AUSTIN BUSSING               ROGUE AC               8:49.82   2 
9 BEN BRUCE                    HOKA NAZ ELI           8:50.16   2 
10 HENRY STERLING               NE DISTANCE            8:50.42   2 
11 JAMES HURT III               TEAM RUN EUG           8:50.45   2 
12 LUIS IBARRA                  ZATOPEK MEX            8:58.18   2 
-- MATT CLEAVER                 ROGUE AC                   DNF   2
Heat 1
1 ISAAC UPDIKE                 TEAM RUN EUG           8:31.42   1
2 MIKE HARDY                   UNATTACHED             8:32.55   1 
3 AUSTIN O'NEIL                UNATTACHED             8:36.60   1 
4 TOMAS COTTER                 ASICS FURMAN           8:37.12   1 
5 CARL STONES                  UNATTACHED             8:37.81   1 
6 JOHN SULLIVAN                ROGUE AC               8:41.45   1 
7 MATTHEW WILLIAMS             U.S. AIR FOR           8:45.58   1 
8 DAVID GOODMAN                NE DISTANCE            8:46.30   1 
9 JONATHAN SEES                SRA ELITE              8:58.85   1 
10 NICHOLAS HILTON              TEAM RUN FLA          9:05.24   1 
-- MARIO BAZAN                  PER_                       DNF   1

Quick Take #1: Jager looked fantastic and knows he needs to work on his closing speed to medal at the Olympics this summer
Jager has speed (3:32 1500 pb) but his ability to shift gears has not been great in recent years, at least compared to top Kenyans such as Ezekiel Kemboi and Conseslus Kipruto. In his post-race interview, he said this year he’s really focused on improving that, running hard, fast intervals at the end of practice to get experience running at top speed over barriers while tired.

His 57.3 final lap tonight was a very good sign. Here’s how that close compares to what Kemboi has done to win the last three global championships:

2016 Hoka One One (Jager): 57.3 (8:15 winning time)
2015 Worlds (Kemboi): 56.6 (8:11 winning time)
2013 Worlds (Kemboi): 56.8* (8:06 winning time)
2012 Olympics (Kemboi): 56-mid (not sure on exact split)

*there was an outside water jump in Moscow, but Kemboi’s 60.29 equates to about 56.8 on a track with an inside water jump like Oxy

57.3 on the last lap is fantastic for May, but Jager still has work to do. Kemboi doesn’t run 56’s on the final lap by making one hard move; he gradually shifts gears before exploding somewhere between 150 and 250 to go (and often his last lap could be faster as he likes to drift to the outer lanes to celebrate near the finish). Either Jager has to match that or move hard enough early enough that Kemboi’s isn’t fresh enough to really go for it over the final 200.

Jager knows this and said he thinks he’ll have to close in 55 or 56 to earn a medal at Worlds.

While Jager was clearly focused on working on his close, we should point out that this was actually Jager’s slowest season-opening steeple since he took up the steeple in 2012, but given how easy he made the last lap, he likely could have run in the 8:0x range tonight had he been pushed.

2012: 8:26.14 1 Walnut CA 19 Apr
2013: 8:08.60 4 Eugene OR 1 Jun
2014: 8:06.97 2 Oslo 11 Jun
2015: 8:05.28 4 Eugene OR 30 May
2016: 8:15.26 1 Los Angeles CA 20 May

Quick Take #2: You get a PR! You get a PR!
Leslie kept the pace going when the rabbit dropped out and he was rewarded with a PR of 8:19.12, breaking 8:20 for the first time. Several of the other runners behind him owe him a beer as there were a ton of PRs, summarized below:
Rob Mullett: 8:30.63 to 8:22.42 (Brit gets the 8:30 Olympic standard with room to spare)
Donnie Cowart: 8:26.38 to 8:23.38
Travis Mahoney: 8:27.08 to 8:25.44

Women’s 800: Laura Roesler Edges Martinez Late

Roesler held off Martinez in a close one Roesler held off Martinez in a close one

Laura Roesler’s fine 2016 continued with another victory as she outleaned Brenda Martinez at the line to win, 2:00.15 to 2:00.18. No U.S. woman has broken 2:00 this year, but Roesler has come close as she’s now run 2:00 three times (including indoors). The race itself went out in 58.31 with Molly Ludlow leading at the bell behind the rabbit with Martinez behind her. At 600, Roesler was gapped by Ludlow and Martinez but began to make up ground on the final turn and coming off the bend, she and Martinez swung wide to battle for the win. Martinez edged in front a few steps down the home straight, but Roesler never gave up and pulled ahead right at the line. Phoebe Wright, who was third at USA Indoors, got up for third here in 2:01.03.

Heat 3 
1 LAURA ROESLER                NIKE / TEXAS           2:00.15!  3
2 BRENDA MARTINEZ              NEW BALANCE            2:00.18!  3 
3 PHOEBE WRIGHT                NIKE                   2:01.03!  3 
4 MOLLY BECKWITH-LUDLOW        SAUCONY                2:01.11!  3 
5 JESSICA SMITH                VALLEY ROYAL           2:03.26   3 
6 MCKAYLA FRICKER              BROOKS/HPW             2:03.71   3 
7 LAUREN WALLACE               OISELLE                2:04.19   3 
8 LORA STOREY                  ASICSSYDNEY            2:04.87   3 
9 SHANNON ROWBURY              NIKE OREGON            2:05.30   3
Heat 2
1 SHELBY HOULIHAN              NIKE BTC               2:02.02   2 
2 KENDRA CHAMBERS              TEXAS ELITE            2:02.20   2 
3 BETHANY PRASKA               UNATTACHED             2:02.44   2  
4 GEENA LARA                   BROOKS / TEA           2:03.91   2 
5 SAM MURPHY                   UNATTATCHED            2:04.26   2 
6 ANNETTE MELCHER              U.S. AIR FOR           2:04.69   2 
7 CHELSEA COX                  UNATTACHED             2:04.87   2
8 RACHEL FRANCOIS              UNATTATCHED            2:05.56   2 
9 STEPHANIE CHARNIGO           UNATTACHED             2:05.96   2
Heat 1
1 JENNA WESTAWAY               BROOKS RUNNI           2:02.12   1 
2 KENIA SINCLAIR               UNATTACHED/A           2:02.32   1 
3 DOMINIQUE JACKSON            OISELLE / SR           2:02.39   1 
4 MEGAN MALASARTE              BROOKS BEAST           2:03.98   1 
5 JESSE CARLIN                 DISTRICT TRA           2:04.05   1
6 HELEN CROFTS                 VALLEY ROYAL           2:04.28   1 
7 LEA WALLACE                  SRA ELITE              2:04.29   1 
8 ALISHA BROWN                 UNATTATCHED            2:04.35   1 
9 HANNA HERMANSSON             MARYMOUNT CA           2:04.36   1 
10 LINDSEY BUTTERWORTH          VALLEY ROYAL           2:04.37   1 
11 ELIZABETH STAKER             BIG BEAR TC/           2:05.40   1 
12 KENYETTA IYEVBELE            UNATTACHED             2:06.33   1

Quick Take #1: Martinez rebounded nicely after a rough showing at Drake
Martinez had an uncharacteristically poor race in the 1500 at last month’s Drake Relays, dying badly over the final lap to finish ninth in 4:14. But she ran 2:01.51 on this track two weeks ago and went even faster tonight, suggesting that Drake was just a blip on the radar.

Women’s 1500: Kate Grace Continues To Impress

Grace has been very hard to beat in 2016 Grace has been very hard to beat in 2016

The Year of Kate Grace continued tonight as the US leader at 800 earned yet another PR, using a strong final 200 to win the top heat of the 1500 in 4:05.65. The entire field was still in this one at the bell (3:02.69) with Aussie champ Heidi See leading the way in search of the Olympic standard. Just before the final turn, Grace made a hard move into the lead, pumping her arms vigorously and looking strong as she began to gap the field. She was still in the lead as she hit the home stretch, but the Oregon Track Club’s Sheila Reid wasn’t licked yet and began to make up the deficit by moving up on Grace’s inside.

That left two questions: would Reid catch Grace, and would she have enough room on the inside to pass her if she did?

In the end, it looked like Reid couldn’t quite get there but it’s also possible she didn’t go all out as she didn’t want to try to squeeze by Grace on the inside as there wasn’t a lot of room. If this was the Olympics, Reid might have made contact but Grace got the win over a good field.

 

Heat 4
1 KATE GRACE                   OISELLE / OI           4:05.65!  4 
2 SHEILA REID                  NIKE OTCE              4:05.74!  4 
3 KATHERINE MACKEY             BROOKS BEAST           4:06.33!  4 
4 SHANNON ROWBURY              NIKE OREGON            4:06.58!  4 
5 EMMA COBURN                  NEW BALANCE            4:06.92!  4 
6 GABRIELA STAFFORD            UNIVERSITY O           4:07.83   4 
7 ASHLEY HIGGINSON             SAUCONY/NJ/N           4:08.13   4 
8 STEPHANIE GARCIA             NEW BALANCE            4:08.35   4 
9 HEIDI SEE                    ASICS FURMAN           4:08.45   4 
10 NICOLE SIFUENTES             SAUCONY                4:08.93   4 
11 RACHEL SCHNEIDER             UNDER ARMOUR           4:09.39   4 
12 NICOLE TULLY                 HOKA ONE ONE           4:11.84   4 
-- SASHA GOLLISH                OISELLE/TORO               DNF   4
Heat 3
1 MORGAN UCENY                 ADIDAS                 4:09.27   3
2 REBECCA TRACY                OISELLE                4:09.75   3 
3 KIM CONLEY                   NEW BALANCE            4:09.89   3 
4 CORY MCGEE                   NEW BALANCE            4:10.59   3 
5 SARA SUTHERLAND              SAUCONY                4:10.75   3 
6 HILARY STELLINGWERFF         SPEED RIVER            4:10.89   3 
7 AMANDA ECCLESTON             BROOKS                 4:10.90   3 
8 STEPHANIE SCHAPPERT          HOKA ONE ONE           4:11.05   3 
9 TRENIERE MOSER               NIKE OREGON            4:12.59   3 
10 GRETA FELDMAN                NEW JERSEY N           4:13.22   3 
11 DANA MECKE                   TEXAS ELITE            4:12.25   3 
12 HANNAH FIELDS                BROOKS BEAST           4:20.26   3 
13 EMILY LIPARI                 BOSTON ATHLE           4:30.21   3 
-- GABRIELE GRUNEWALD           BROOKS BEAST               DNF   3
Heat 2
1 STEPHANIE BROWN              UNATTACHED             4:12.33   2 
2 SARA VAUGHN                  BOULDER TRAC           4:13.60   2 
3 BRIE FELNAGLE                ADIDAS                 4:13.79   2 
4 KATELYN SIMPSON              ASICSSYDNEY            4:15.02   2 
5 FIONA BENSON                 NIKE                   4:16.95   2  
6 MARIAH KELLY                 UNATTATCHED            4:18.70   2 
7 KENDRA POMFRET               MIZUNO RUN C           4:18.72   2 
8 KATE VAN BUSKIRK             BROOKS RUNNI           4:19.77   2 
9 CARISE THOMPSON              SPEED RIVER            4:29.61   2 
10 RAQUEL LAMBDIN               UNATTACHED             4:32.56   2 
-- LAURA CARLYLE                OISELLE                    DNF   2
Heat 1 
1 ERICA DIGBY                  VANCOUVER TH           4:14.73   1
2 YOLANDA NGARAMBE             ATLANTA TRAC           4:16.15   1 
3 SARAH MACPHERSON             FFFT                   4:16.38   1 
4 TRACEE VAN DER WYK           UNATTACHED             4:16.79   1 
5 LIANNE FARBER                NEW BALANCE            4:17.17   1 
6 MORGAN MOSBY                 U.S. AIR FOR           4:17.53   1 
7 ANNIE BECK                   STRAVA TRACK           4:17.77   1 
8 NOZOMI MUSEMBI TAKAMATSU     NIKE                   4:18.20   1 
9 KRISTEN FINDLEY              HIGH PERFORM           4:23.77   1

Quick Take #1: Kate Grace rolls on
Grace, who joined NorCal Distance Project in July, had a personal best of 4:07.35 entering 2016 and she’s run faster than that in all three of her 1500s so far this year now that she’s healthy again (4:06.75 indoors, 4:07.15 at Drake, 4:05.65 tonight). It should be remembered that Grace, a Yale product, was fourth at USAs in the 800 three years ago before missing the entire 2015 track season. Tonight reinforced the idea that she’s a real contender for the Olympic team at 1500 this year.

Quick Take #2: A nice second half of her double for Shannon Rowbury
Rowbury’s 2:05.30 800 earlier in the meet was nothing special (she was last in her heat) but she ran well in her specialty event, considering her fatigue, taking fourth in 4:06.58.

Quick Take #3: Emma Coburn looked good in her season debut
Coburn, like teammate Jenny Simpson, hadn’t raced yet in 2016 (perhaps because of a winter injury) but it didn’t show as she ran 4:06.92 to take fifth overall. That’s a very nice performance considering she ran 4:10.77 in her outdoor opener at this meet last year.

Quick Take #4: The Olympic standard will have to wait for Heidi See
See, who will be on the Australian Olympic team should she hit the standard, went after the 4:07.00 mark tonight but came up just over a second short, running 4:08.45. This was a season best in her first crack at getting the standard since the Australian Trials, so she’s certainly got a chance to knock the final 1.45 seconds off over the next month or two.

Uceny looked good in winning at Oxy Uceny looked good in winning at Oxy

Quick Take #5: Morgan Uceny looked calm and composed in winning heat 3 (Grace won heat #4)
Uceny, the former world #1,  moved into the lead on the first turn of the final lap, but she was passed by Rebecca Tracy and 2016 World Indoors team member Cory McGree on the back stretch. Uceny hung tough, however, and didn’t panic when boxed on the final turn, waiting for a gap to open up before taking the lead with 50 meters to go. From there, Uceny powered to the win in 4:09.27 while Kim Conley moved up well for third in 4:09.89 behind Tracy, who was second in 4:09.75.

Uceny, who won the 2012 Olympic Trials in the 1500 but has been inconsistent since then, didn’t get the Olympic standard but said she wasn’t that worried.

Women’s 5000: Canada’s Andrea Seccafien Runs Big PB; Jordan Hasay Has Huge Blowup

Canada’s Andrea Seccafien came one step closer to punching her ticket to Rio as she won the women’s 5,000 here with a big final 100 in a 14-second PR of 15:17.81. Seccafien and Jessica O’Connell are the only Canadians with the 15:24.00 Olympic standard and looks to be in good position to make the team. Americans Jessica Tebo (15:21.88) and Kellyn Talyor (15:22.10) both nabbed the Rio standard as well while Sara Hall put up a nice effort to run 15:28 less than a month after running 2:30:06 at the London Marathon. Natosha Rogers, who was second at the 2012 Olympic Trials in the 10,000 (she didn’t go to London as she didn’t have the standard) ran her best race in four years, taking fifth in 15:28.56. That’s a huge improvement given she only ran 15:58 at Payton Jordan three weeks ago. Could she be a player at the Trials?

Jordan Hassay ran with the lead group for about 11 minutes but totally cratered on the way home, finishing in just 15:50.

1 ANDREA SECCAFIEN             SAUCONY/TORO          15:17.81! 
2 JESSICA TEBO                 NIKE                  15:21.88! 
3 KELLYN TAYLOR                HOKA NAZ ELI          15:22.10!
4 SARA HALL                    ASICS                 15:28.25  
5 NATOSHA ROGERS               NEW BALANCE           15:28.56  
6 JESS TONN                    BROOKS BEAST          15:30.34  
7 KELSEY SMITH                 UNATTACHED            15:31.95  
8 ROCHELLE KANUHO              HOKA NAZ ELI          15:31.95  
9 KATE SPENCER                 ASICSSYDNEY           15:33.40 
10 NATASHA WODAK                ASICS CANADA          15:37.70  
11 ALYCIA CRIDEBRING            SRA ELITE             15:38.29  
12 LUCY OLIVER                  UNATTATCHED           15:39.30  
13 RACHEL CLIFF                 ASICS                 15:45.91  
14 ALIA GRAY                    ROOTS RUNNIN          15:46.31  
15 AMINAT OLOWORA SR            UNATTACHED            15:49.75  
16 JORDAN HASAY                 NIKE OREGON           15:50.12  
17 KRISTEN ROHDE                HIGH PERFORM          16:18.30  
-- NICOLE BLOOD                 HIGH PERFORM               DNF  
-- RENEE METIVIER               MIZUNO                     DNF  
-- ALLISON GRACE MORGAN         BROOKS                     DNF

Women’s 3000 steeplechase: Jamie Cheever Wins

Jamie Cheever only ran 9:53 at Payton Jordan earlier this month but she made a big improvement here, winning the fast section handily in 9:37.12 to set the meet record (she already had the Olympic standard of 9:45 going in). 2012 Olympian Shalaya Kipp edged out Boise State alum Marisa Howard for second in 9:42.31.

Heat 2
1 JAMIE CHEEVER                UNATTACHED             9:37.12*  2 
2 SHALAYA KIPP                 OISELLE                9:42.31!  2 
3 MARISA HOWARD                UNATTACHED             9:42.94!  2 
4 MARIE LAWRENCE               OISELLE                9:43.90!  2 
5 SARAH PEASE                  UNATTACHED             9:46.74   2 
6 LENNIE WAITE                 ROGUE AC               9:46.88   2 
7 EMILY RITTER                 NEW JERSEY N           9:48.29   2 
8 NICOL TRAYNOR                HOKA ONE ONE           9:51.51   2 
9 MEGAN ROLLAND                OISELLE                9:51.73   2 
10 RENA CHESSER                 UNATTACHED             9:52.66   2 
11 JESSICA FURLAN               EXCEL ATHLET          10:12.69   2 
12 REBEKA STOWE                 HOKA ONE ONE          10:23.14   2 
13 ADDIEY BRACY                 BROOKS / HUD          10:31.15   2 
-- ANA NARVAEZ                  ZATOPEK MEX                 DQ   2
Heat 1
1 ALEXINA WILSON               UNATTATCHED            9:50.07   1 
2 ALEXANDRA POTRATZ-LEE        UNATTACHED             9:55.62   1
3 KATELYN STEEN                CLUB NORTHWE           9:56.01   1 
5 MEGAN PATRIGNELLI            TEAM RUN EUG           9:56.56   1 
6 MARA OLSON                   ADIDAS ROCKY          10:00.09   1 
7 AMBER SCHULTZ                BROOKS / CLU          10:02.74   1 
8 COLLIER LAWRENCE             OISELLE               10:04.89   1 
9 ROLANDA BELL                 NEW BALANCE           10:08.34   1 
10 MAGGIE CALLAHAN              HUDSON ELITE          10:14.31   1 
11 CARRIE DIMOFF                BOWERMAN TRA          10:15.46   1
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