2014 Mt. SAC Highlights: Sweden’s Meraf Bahta Wins 5,000 Over Abbey D’Agostino, Jordan Hasay, Brenda Martinez
by: April 18, 2014
LetsRun.com
Friday night was the main distance night at the 56th Mt. Sac Relays and the most anticipated match-up was the 5000m matchup between current NCAA champ Abbey D’Agostino of Dartmouth, former NCAA star Jordan Hasay, and Worlds 800m bronze medallist Brenda Martinez.
In the end, the winner was… Meraf Bahta of Sweden in 15:30.37.
Pack extremely bunched up with the slow early pace.
The race started out very slow with a 78 first lap and didn’t pick up much from there and the pack stayed extremely bunched up with many runners (D’Agostino especially) spending a lot of the race running wide on the outside of lane 1 or even 2 and 3.
Some small lead changes and surges were made throughout, but no decisive moves were made until about 1K to go when Hasay went to the lead and started pushing. She quickly put a gap on the field and D’Agostino was leading the group of runners playing catch-up (although most failed to respond at all).
At the bell Hasay still had the lead as she went through with about 14:23 on the clock. However, D’Agostino blew by her on the backstretch and it looked like she would have it wrapped up. However, she was passed by Mexico’s Brenda Flores on the inside and going down the last straightaway it was clear she was going to beat D’Agostino, but that wasn’t getting her the win as Bahta came from way back to get the victory in the final meters as she won in 15:30.37. We’re not sure of Bahta’s last 400, but it was at least faster than 67-seconds.
Bahta, a 4:05.11 1500m runner born in Eritrea, only had a 5000m pr of 15:56 from way back in 2007. She got her Swedish citizenship this past December and now has more opportunities to travel, and she took advantage getting the win.
Bahta’s win may have not been a total shocker as she is a 4:05 1500m runner, but Flores of Mexico getting second in 15:30.87 was. Flores was a 4:20/15:53 women prior to today. D’agastino was 3rd, .06 back of Flores.
Jessica O’Connell of Canada who ran at West Virginia in 2011, had a big pr in 4th (15:50 last year) as did NCAA XC runner-up Emma Bates in 5th (previous best 15:52.61 indoors).
Hasay was well beaten on the last lap as she finished 6th in a pr of 15:34.35 (previous best 15:37.39 from 2011). Brenda Martinez coming off a 15:24 road 5 in Carlsbad only ran 15:41 here. Olympc steepler Shalaya Kipp of Colorado ran 15:54.
Results below plus results of the other invitational section.
On the boards: Discuss D’Agostino, Hasay or Martinez?
Flash Results, Inc. - Contractor License 4/18/2014 - 8:58 PM
56th ANNUAL MT. SAC RELAYS
"Where the world's best athletes compete"
Hilmer Lodge Stadium, Walnut, California - 4/17/2014 to 4/19/2
Event 215 Women 5000 Meter Run Invit. Elite
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World Record: W 14:11.15 2008 Tirunesh Dibaba, Ethiopia
American Rec: @ 14:44.76 2010 Molly Huddle, Saucony
Meet Record: $ 14:44.80 2007 Shalane Flanagan, Nike
Name Year Team Finals
===============================================================
Finals
1 Meraf Bahta Hälle IF 15:30.37
2 Brenda Eunice Flores Mun Mexico-FMAA 15:30.87
3 Abbey D'Agostino Dartmouth 15:30.93
4 Jessica O'Connell UCAC 15:33.29
5 Emma Bates Boise State 15:33.42
6 Jordan Hasay Nike Oregon Project 15:34.35
7 Erin Finn Michigan 15:41.35
8 Brenda Martinez New Balance 15:41.50
9 Elinor Kirk UAB 15:42.13
10 Dominique Scott Arkansas 15:42.42
11 Mara Olson Butler 15:47.14
12 Crystal Nelson Iowa State 15:49.90
13 Sarah Crouch Zap Fitness 15:51.86
14 Dana Giordano Dartmouth 15:53.96
15 Shalaya Kipp Colorado 15:54.13
16 Addie Bracy Brooks 15:57.92
17 Alia Gray Brooks / HTS Elite 16:01.29
18 Kara Lubieniecki Saucony/HTS Elite 16:03.95
19 Meghan Peyton Saucony/Team 16:03.99
20 Megan Goethals Washington 16:04.86
21 Grace Heymsfield Arkansas 16:05.96
22 Beth Potter Unattached 16:09.98
23 Kelsey Smith U C Los Angeles 16:12.47
24 Gladys Lucy Tejeda Pucuh Club Rodolfo Gomez 16:12.85
25 Alycia Cridebring UC Davis 16:15.08
26 Lindsay Flanagan Washington 16:21.98
27 Natasha LaBeaud Brooks 16:22.54
28 Ellie Keyser Boulder Track Club 16:24.77
29 Ángela Maria Figueroa Pa Colombia 16:32.25
-- Betzy Jimenez Brooks ID DNF
-- Valerie Lehmann Swiss Athletics DNF
Men’s 5000: Kennedy Kithuka Rolls
Kithuka Wins
Unlike the women’s race, the men’s 5000 had two rabbits and they took it out at a goo pace right from the gun as they went out in a 63 first 400 which helped to string the pack out early. However, the rabbits didn’t make it far as they were a mile or less in and Kennedy Kithuka was already leading setting a pace of steady 64s and 63s.
Once the rabbits were done, Kithuka put a large gap on the field pretty quickly and that gap only grew as the race went along. Kithuka broke the Texas Tech school record by 14-seconds as he won in a dominating 13:26.98. Not bad, especially considering he ran the majority of the race alone. (This was and outdoor PR for Kithuka who’s previous best was 13:28.61, but he’s run 13:25.38 indoors.
Oregon’s Trevor Dunbar was the best of the rest as he closed hard to take second in 13:32.38.
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- Kithuka starts to open a gap.
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- Kithuka’s Lead Grows
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- And grows…
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- And where’d everybody go?
*Texas Tech Article: Kithuka Obliterates Tech 5k Record at Mt. SAC
Event 115 Men 5000 Meter Run Invit Elite
===============================================================
World Record: W 12:37.35 2004 Kenenisa Bekele, Ethiopa
American Rec: @ 12:53.60 2011 Bernard Lagat, Nike
Meet Record: $ 13:11.37 2007 Juan Barrios, Mexico
Name Year Team Finals
===============================================================
Finals
1 Kennedy Kithuka Texas Tech 13:26.98
2 Trevor Dunbar Oregon 13:32.38
3 Luke Caldwell New Mexico 13:33.28
4 Liam Adams Adidas Australia 13:33.53
5 Jared Ward BYU 13:34.74
6 Aron Rono WCAP 13:35.83
7 Maverick Darling Kimberly Creations 13:36.10
8 Tony Okello Santa Monica TC 13:36.48
9 Diego Alberto Borrego Mo UAZ 13:36.98
10 Shadrack Kipchirchir Oklahoma State 13:37.68
11 Sean Quigley Saucony/ Boulder TC 13:38.81
12 Reed Connor Wisconsin 13:39.34
13 Riley Masters Brooks 13:39.47
14 Christo Landry Mizuno 13:39.71
15 Micah Chelimo Alaska Anchorage 13:41.99
16 Malcolm Hicks Nike 13:43.38
17 James Leakos Harvard 13:44.57
18 Ryan Herson Arizona State 13:44.81
19 Soufiane Bouchikhi Eastern Kentucky 13:45.92
20 Iván Darío González Gonz Colombia 13:48.06
21 Tabor Stevens Adams State 13:49.40
22 Simon Stutzel ART Dusseldorf 13:49.41
23 Sam Stabler Lamar 13:55.16
24 Stanley Kebenei Arkansas 13:57.49
25 David Rooney Northern Arizona 14:04.48
26 Jukka Keskisalo Team Finland 14:10.96
27 Joseph Stilin Zap Fitness 14:11.27
28 Nicholas Hilton Team Run Fla 14:12.67
29 Malachy Schrobilgen Wisconsin 14:15.08
30 Tylor Thatcher BYU 14:20.47
31 Jeremy Johnson Brooks 14:28.59
-- Taylor Milne Speed River DNF
-- Tommy Schmitz Speed Factor DNF
-- José Mauricio González G Colombia DNF
-- Jonathan Grey Team USA Minnesota DNF
-- Robert Allen UMass Lowell DNF
Women’s 1500m: Sara Vaughn Wins in 4:10
Sara Vaughn got the win over Leah Wallace as Kim Conley who ran 4:24 fort the mile indoors was 4th.
Event 209 Women 1500 Meter Run Invit. Elite
================================================================
World Record: W 3:50.46 1993 Yunxia Qu, China
American Rec: @ 3:57.12 1983 Mary Slaney, Athletics West
Meet Record: $ 4:04.86 4/19/2013 Brenda Martinez, New Balanc
Name Year Team Finals
================================================================
Finals
1 Sara Vaughn Brooks ID 4:10.05
2 Lea Wallace Nike 4:10.25
3 Laura Thweatt Boulder Track Club 4:10.55
4 Kim Conley New Balance/SRA 4:10.92
5 Stephanie Brown Arkansas 4:11.40
6 Josephine Moultrie Unattached 4:12.33
7 Rebecca Tracy Unattached 4:12.37
8 Hillary Holt College of Idaho 4:13.13
9 Lauren Hagans Speed River 4:14.02
10 Beverly Ramos Unattached 4:14.69
11 Carly Hamilton Georgia 4:15.62
12 Linn Nilsson Hälle IF 4:15.94
13 Jessica Smith Valley Royals 4:15.96
14 Dana Mecke Unattached 4:18.27
15 Katie Flood Washington 4:18.44
16 Amanda Mergaert Oiselle 4:21.58
17 Phoebe Wright Nike 4:22.26
18 Jamie Cheever Brooks 4:23.17
19 Josephine Adams North Texas 4:32.18
-- Raquel Lambdin UC Davis DNF
Men’s Steeple: Matt Hughes of Canada
Event 114 Men 3000 Meter Steeplechase Invit Elite
===============================================================
World Record: W 7:53.63 2004 Saif Shaheen, Qatar
American Rec: @ 8:06.81 2012 Evan Jager, Oregon TC
Meet Record: $ 8:26.14 2012 Evan Jager, Oregon TC
Name Year Team Finals
===============================================================
Finals
1 Matt Hughes Nike 8:35.87
2 Curtis Carr BYU 8:37.54
3 Taylor Milne Speed River 8:39.81
4 Ole Hesselbjerg Eastern Kentucky 8:41.17
5 Stephen Lisgo Leeds City A 8:41.31
6 Jared Bassett Brooks 8:41.33
7 Mattias Wolter Louisville 8:42.20
8 Blake Theroux Colorado 8:51.96
9 Caleb Hoover Northern Arizona 8:52.75
10 Emil Blomberg UT-Arlington 8:53.86
11 Ryan Brockerville Unattached 8:55.31
12 Alex McGuirk Chico State 8:57.10
13 Danny Thater Tulsa 8:59.36
-- Alex Genest Speed River DNF
-- Garrett Baker-Slama Arizona State DNF
Women’s Steeple:
Event 214 Women 3000 Meter Steeplechase Invit Elite
===============================================================
World Record: W 8:58.81 2008 Gulnara Galkina, Russia
American Rec: @ 9:12.50 2009 Jenny Simpson, New Balance
Meet Record: $ 9:39.94 2007 Korene Hinds, Jamaica
Name Year Team Finals
===============================================================
Finals
1 Chantelle Groenewoud Speed River 9:55.94
2 Amber Schultz Unattached 9:58.42
3 Kerry O'Flaherty Ireland 10:00.27
4 Kara DeWalt Bay Area Track Club 10:00.48
5 Sarah Benson Unattached 10:00.74
6 Elizabeth Graney Gazelle Spor 10:02.61
7 Marisa Howard Boise State 10:07.17
8 Maya Rehberg Iona 10:07.61
9 Maria Bernard British Columbia 10:08.18
10 Megan Rolland Oiselle 10:14.42
11 Jessica Kamilos Arkansas 10:15.33
12 Genevieve Lalonde Speed River 10:15.83
13 Andrea Harrison BYU 10:16.08
14 Liberty Miller Washington 10:21.49
15 Cinthya Pucar Herrera Club Rodolfo Gomez 10:37.80
-- Allix Potratz-Lee Vandal Track Club DNF
Men’s 1500:
================================================================
World Record: W 3:26.00 1998 Hicham El Guerrouj, Morocco
American Rec: @ 3:29.30 2005 Bernard Lagat, Nike
Meet Record: $ 3:35.70 2011 Russell Brown, Nike/Oregon
Name Year Team Finals
================================================================
Finals
1 Chad Noelle Oklahoma State 3:40.06
2 Christopher Gowell Adidas/RogueAC 3:40.29
3 Julian Matthews Unattached 3:40.33
4 Hamish Carson New Zealand 3:41.12
5 Tom Farrell Unattached 3:41.43
6 John Simons Minnesota 3:41.94
7 Luc Bruchet British Columbia 3:42.02
8 Sean Tobin Mississippi 3:42.07
9 Jake Hurysz Colorado 3:42.53
10 Zach Dahleen Southern Illinois 3:42.55
11 Tarik Moukrime RFC Liege At 3:42.88
12 Tommy Schmitz Speed Factor 3:42.98
13 William Nelson Unattached 3:46.58
14 Mack McLain BRC/adidas 3:50.70
15 Diego Estrada ASICS 3:52.36
-- Nathan Strum UC Davis DNF
-- Kristopher Gauson Unattached DNF
*Full Mt Sac Results here