2017 Adrian Martinez Recap: David Torrence Blasts 3:53.21 Mile to Lead 8 Men Under 3:57; Nicole Tully (4:30.22 Mile) & Marielle Hall (8:55.55 3K) Nab Big Wins
By Jonathan Gault
June 1, 2017
CONCORD, Mass. — The calendar has turned to June, and that means in exactly three weeks, the U.S.’s best runners will congregate in Sacramento for the 2017 USATF Outdoor Championships where they’ll aim to qualify for this summer’s IAAF World Championships in London. But to make it to London, you have to be in shape. And tonight’s Adrian Martinez Classic at Emerson Playground was a good chance to see which Americans are fit as USAs looms on the horizons.
The results? 2015 World Championship team members Nicole Tully (4:30.22) and Marielle Hall (8:55.55) are both rounding into form as they captured wins in the mile and 3,000, respectively. However, the marquee event of the night, the men’s Adro Mile, went to an American citizen but one who runs for Peru as David Torrence shaved almost four seconds off the meet record with a commanding 3:53.21 victory. We recap everything of import from the meet, including a Leo Manzano update — he says he feels he’s in the same shape as he was in 2012 despite finishing just 11th in the mile in 4:00.75.
All results courtesy Lancer Timing.
The marquee event of the night, the men’s Adro Mile, attracted a large crowd on the track
Men’s Adro Mile: Torrence opens it up over the final 100 (video of race here)
Conditions were good for running all night, but by the time the gun went off for the penultimate event of the night, the men’s Adro Mile, they were perfect: 69 degrees and still (though because most of the track was in shadow at this point, it felt cooler). The field took advantage, as 10 men broke 3:58 and eight bettered the previous meet record of 3:57.15. At 809 meters (1:57.5), Canadian Olympian Charles Philibert-Thiboutot was the first racer with Torrence, Trevor Dunbar and Kyle Merber close behind him. Dunbar held the lead at the bell (2:56), with Robert Domanic, recently of Ole Miss, and Merber trailing him. It was still a close race when Torrence made his move into the lead with 200 to go, but that would not be the case for much longer as he hit the gas rounding the final curve and no one could respond, Torrence powering away to victory in 3:53.21. Domanic held on for second and made sure his first sub-4:00 was a memorable one, crushing the fabled barrier with a 3:54.73, .05 ahead of Merber. Domanic, by the way, still has a year of eligibility remaining at Ole Miss.
1 Torrence, David Hoka One One 3:53.21M 3:38.20 1500m 2 Domanic, Robert Unattached 3:54.73M 3:38.73 1500m 3 Merber, Kyle Hoka/Njny TC 3:54.78M 3:39.46 1500m 4 Philibert-Thiboutot, Cha Asics 3:55.14M 3:39.02 1500m 5 Dunbar, Trevor NIKE 3:55.54M 3:39.26 1500m 6 Herrera, Daniel H P W 3:56.13M 3:39.86 1500m 7 Geoghegan, Will NIKE 3:56.24M 3:40.12 1500m 8 Noelle, Chad Asics 3:57.02M 3:40.98 1500m 9 Garn, Jesse Hoka/Njny TC 3:57.23 3:42.36 1500m 10 Crawford, Graham Hoka/Njny TC 3:57.50 3:41.30 1500m 11 Manzano, Leo Hoka One One 4:00.75 3:44.36 1500m 12 Penzenstadler, Sam District TC 4:08.22 3:50.11 1500m -- McAsey, Joe Hoka/Njny TC DNF -- Gagnon, Brian Hoka/Njny TC DNF
Domanic, Torrence and Merber
Quick Take #1: David Torrence says that training at Altis has been “life-changing”
Torrence knew he was fit going into this one but was still a little surprised with his time as he felt the track was fairly soft which he felt added about 1-1.5 seconds to everyone’s times. Torrence has been something of a nomad in recent years, and he’s now based in Phoenix with Altis, a training group that includes athletes in all disciplines. Altis is known more for its sprinters and jumpers than its distance runners, but Torrence has hit it off with coach Ricky Soos (who collaborates with Torrence’s old coach John Cook) and loves having a pair of eyes on him at practice every day, something he hasn’t had since he was in college a decade ago at Cal.
“I wish I had moved there sooner,” Torrence said.
Despite making the Olympic final at 5,000 meters last year, Torrence said he still wants to focus on the 800/1500 this summer. Tonight’s run, which gave him the World Champs standard (it’s 3:53.40), was a good sign in that respect.
Quick Take #2: Despite a string of poor results, Leo Manzano believes his fitness is as good as it was in 2012
Between indoors and outdoors, the 32-year-old 2012 Leo Manzano has run eight 1500/miles in 2017, but he’s only run the equivalent of sub-4:00 once, clocking 3:41.68 for 1500 at Oxy on May 18. Tonight was more of the same as he was never a factor and finished 11th in 4:00.75. Despite the poor results, Manzano said that he’s put together a good stretch of consistent training — as good, or better, in fact, than his Olympic silver-medal season.
“I’m actually training better, if not at the same level as in 2012,” Manzano said. “…I think it’s one of those things, it’s just got to click. The training is going okay, everything should be going according to plan. But it’s just sometimes you’ve gotta wait for it to click. So it’s coming, it’s just a matter of time, I think.”
Manzano views his position as similar to 2016, when illness caused him to miss a huge chunk of training before the Olympic Trials yet he was still able to come within one spot of making the team.
Quick Take #3: The race was not short
A messageboard visitor noted that there were two start lines painted on the track and wanted to know whether the miles started from the correct line. The answer: yes, though the times were fast, they did run a full mile tonight. I asked meet director Steve Lane to explain and he told me that they had spent a lot of time working with USATF and ace measurer David Katz to ensure all marks would be legal for qualification purposes.
So why the two lines? We’ll let Katz explain (he posted this on the messageboard):
“The organizers reached out to me a few years ago to ensure that the times from their meet would be accepted by the IAAF – which requires a curb (rail).
A curb is only required on the turns and not the straight sections.
But, by placing a curb that changes the location of the “measured line” of the track.
When a track is designed not to have a curb, the “measured line” is 20cm out from the outer edge of the inside white line. This is the same measurement for races run in lanes (2-8).
Tracks with curbs have a “measured line” 30cm from the outer edge of the curb.
Placing a curb on a track that normally would not have one increases the radius by 10 cm and the overall length of the oval by 63cm (C=2 x pi).
The starting lines would need to be sifted forward by 63 cm x #laps. For the mile the starting line is shifted approximately 2.52 meters forward.
I did the same for the adidas meet last year.”
Since the Emerson Playground track normally does not have a rail, the mile usually starts at the white line (further back). But because there was a rail in place tonight, the start line was moved up to the green line. Got it? Good.
MB: ADRIAN MARTINEZ USES WRONG MILE START LINE?!?!?!
B section results
1 Holt, Eric Unattached 4:00.65 3:44.30 1500m 2 Gregory, Patrick Dartmouth 4:01.55 3:44.34 1500m 3 Goodwin, Adam Team Green Run 4:02.05 3:44.81 1500m 4 Kostelac, Anthony Shore AC 4:02.26 3:46.23 1500m 5 Carleo, Nick Providence 4:02.33 3:46.53 1500m 6 Greene, Kevin NB Battle Road 4:02.83 3:46.24 1500m 7 Visokay, Adam Unattached 4:02.99 3:48.20 1500m 8 Sterling, Henry NE Distance 4:04.23 3:47.98 1500m 9 Leight, Alex Hoka/Njny TC 4:05.61 3:45.60 1500m 10 Rogers, Simon NZ 4:06.64 3:50.88 1500m 11 Saunders, Philo Run Canberra 4:07.04 3:50.68 1500m 12 Salisbury, Jack Unattached 4:09.80 3:52.42 1500m 13 Widzgowski, Ryan NE Distance 4:11.67 3:52.85 1500m 14 Hillenbrand, Matt B.A.A 4:19.29 3:59.47 1500m -- Donnelly, Jordan Heartbearkers DNF
Women’s Adro Mile: Nicole Tully wins for the second time in three years
Fulton, Tully and Schappert
This one came down to three women, two of whom knew each other very well: sisters Nicole Tully and Stephanie Schappert. After passing 809 in 2:16, those two and University of Washington grad Eleanor Fulton began to separate at the bell and with 200 to go were still tightly bunched. Coming off the final turn, older sister Nicole swung wide as Fulton began to accelerate, and she stalked Fulton down the homestretch as Schappert couldn’t hold on. Tully left it late, but just as she did at 2015, she edged ahead just before the finish line to win here for the second time in three years, clocking an impressive 4:30.22 as Fulton took second in a five-second PR of 4:30.34.
1 Tully, Nicole Hoka/Njny TC 4:30.22 4:13.17 1500m 2 Fulton, Eleanor H P W 4:30.34 4:12.53 1500m 3 Schappert, Stephanie Hoka/Njny TC 4:32.49 4:13.13 1500m 4 Giordano, Dana Cambridge-Boston 4:34.04 4:16.01 1500m 5 Coogan, Katrina NB Boston 4:34.32 4:15.78 1500m 6 Farber, Lianne NorCal Distance 4:36.68 4:17.78 1500m 7 Alm, Maddie Unattached 4:39.96 8 Addison, Rebecca Saucony 4:40.49 4:20.88 1500m 9 Kouba, Paige Saucony 4:43.07 10 Van Pelt, Stephanie Hoka/Njny TC 4:48.69 -- Francois, Rachel Unattached DNF
Quick Take: Nicole Tully is finding her form after partially tearing her Achilles in September
Nicole, the older sibling by six and a half years, earned family bragging rights tonight (Tully is her married name) and, per All-Athletics.com, is now 5-0 against her younger sister. Family was definitely on her mind the final lap.
“I was thinking, ‘Mom and dad are gonna kill me if I block Stephanie in,'” Tully said. “So I kind of moved out a little bit to let her go. Of course as soon as she goes by, I’m like, ‘I can’t get beat by Stephanie!'”
Tully did indeed get the win tonight, and she will savor it as she may not get many more over her sister.
“I think I have the lifetime record but I don’t think I’m going to have it for much longer,” Tully said. “Stephanie is coming up.”
It took a while for Tully to get to this point as she missed about five months of running after partially tearing her Achilles in September. But after a grueling comeback, she looks to be rounding into form just in time for USAs, where she will run the 5,000. Tully won that event two years ago, but fell during the Olympic Trials final last year and wound up dropping out of the race.
Women’s 3,000: Marielle Hall dominates
On paper, Hall, a 2016 Olympian, was the class of this field and she ran like it tonight, breaking away early and winning comfortably in 8:55.55.
1 Hall, Marielle NIKE 8:55.55 2 Macumber, Cally Hanson Brooks 9:00.92 3 Cridebring, Alycia RabbitPRO/SRA 9:03.11 4 Costello, Liz NB Boston 9:06.18 5 Moriello, Rosa Track Smith 9:06.53 6 Schilkowsky, Rachel Rabbit Elite 9:08.50 7 Bates, Emma B.A.A 9:09.60 8 Rees, Holly Battle Road 9:12.75 9 Thompson, Joanna Reebok/Zap Fit 9:22.82 10 Garry, Kira Unattached 9:24.54 11 Bell, Rolanda Cptc New Balance 9:45.82 -- Balouris, Elaina B.A.A DNF
Quick Take: Hall says she’s as fit as she’s ever been as a pro and is “90% sure” she’ll run the 5,000 at USAs
Hall has run consistently well at USAs since graduating from Texas in 2014, taking 3rd in the 5k in 2014, 2nd in the 5k in 2015 and 3rd in the 10k last year. She’s been pretty consistent this spring, too, as four of her five races have gone well. The lone exception was Payton Jordan, where she ran just 15:55, but Hall said she knew she wasn’t feeling good going into it, but felt that because she had already committed to going all the way out to California, she had to gut it out.
Hall said that she’s very happy with where she’s at right now (she also ran 15:11 at Pre last weekend) and that this is the fittest she’s felt during her professional career.
Men’s 800: Ryan Martin kicks best in crowded field
Harun Abda got out best behind the rabbit, hitting 51 at 400, and with 600 to go he still led with Canadian Olympian Anthony Romaniw behind in second. The rest of the field was all tightly bunched, however, and as they hit 100 to go it became a free-for-all on the home stretch. Hampton alum Edose Ibadin looked to have it won, but Ryan Martin came up late on the inside and got the win in 1:46.03, his fastest time since 2015.
1 Martin, Ryan Asics Furman 1:46.03M 2 2 Ibadin, Edose District TC 1:46.18M 2 3 Giestling, Chris Hoka/Njny TC 1:46.49 2 4 Jock, Charles Nike Otc Elite 1:46.54 2 5 Abda, Harun Nike Otc Elite 1:46.64 2 6 Dinkins, Russell NYAC 1:46.76 2 7 Romaniw, Anthony Speedriver 1:47.10 2
Quick Take: Ryan Martin is feeling at home with Furman Elite
Martin has been close to making U.S. teams in the past, taking 4th at USAs in 2012 and 5th in 2015, but after going out in the first round of the Olympic Trials last year, he contemplated retiring. Instead, he decided to venture east to Greenville, South Carolina, where he joined the Furman Elite group. Martin said that he enjoys the structure of being part of a team and though he said it’s been a little funny being coached by former steeplechaser Robert Gary (he is the first elite 800 runner Gary has coached), he’s really enjoying his time down south. Though Martin runs his workouts by himself, he works out at the same time as the rest of the team, which he said is “huge.”
Martin barely missed the World Championship standard of 1:45.90 tonight, but said he was simply racing to win tonight as he knows it will take faster than 1:45.90 to make the team at USAs anyway.
B heat results 1 Holdsworth, Derek District TC 1:47.07 1 2 Gilreath, James Team Green Run 1:47.36 1 3 Capwell, Dylan Unattached 1:47.71 1 4 Rollo, Patrick Unattached 1:47.71 1 5 Black, Mitchell Unattached 1:48.03 1 6 Gagnon, Brian Hoka/Njny TC 1:48.93 1 7 Momoh, Leoman Team Green Run 1:49.90 1 8 McAsey, Joe Hoka/Njny TC 1:50.22 1 -- Engel, Alexander Heartbearkers DNF 1
Men’s 3,000: Kemoy Campbell outkicks training partner Thomas Curtin
The leaders hit 1600 in 4:12, slightly behind the 4:09 prescribed pace, and there was a large group of men still in contention at that point including Olympians Luc Bruchet, Donn Cabral and Kemoy Campbell as well as Brandon Doughty, Craig Lutz, Thomas Curtin and Andrew Colley. At the bell (6:49), most of those men were still in contention, with Campbell and NJ*NY TC’s Travis Mahoney sharing the lead.
Eventually, however, this came down to a battle between Boston-based training partners Campbell and Curtin as those two took off with 200 meters to go in a move no one else could match. Campbell managed to get a step on Curtin just before they entered the homestretch and Curtin could never get closer, Campbell holding him off, 7:44.90 to 7:45.11, thanks to a 56-second last lap.
1 Campbell, Kemoy New Balance 7:44.90 2 Curtin, Tommy Saucony Freedom 7:45.11 3 Bruchet, Luc Asics 7:46.89 4 Cabral, Donn Hoka/Njny TC 7:47.42 5 Doughty, Brandon Reebok/Zap Fit 7:47.47 6 Mahoney, Travis Hoka/Njny TC 7:47.66 7 Lutz, Craig Hoka/Naz Elite 7:48.64 8 Stilin, Joe Reebok/Zap Fit 7:54.05 9 Colley, Andrew Reebok/Zap Fit 7:54.73 10 Mann, Jordan Ocean State AC 7:55.79 11 Mahalsky, Ryan District TC 7:55.83 12 Proudfoot, Ross Speedriver 7:56.29 13 Nelson, Aaron Reebok/Zap Fit 7:56.88 14 Dee, Liam Unattached 7:57.20 15 Ferlic, Mason NIKE 7:57.20 16 Doyle, Brian Unattached 7:57.50 17 Serafini, Louis Mizuno/Heartbrea 8:02.60 18 Santana, Alfredo Garden State TC 8:05.38 19 Given, Wilkerson Team Green Run 8:07.39 20 Rynard, Caleb Hanson Brooks 8:08.13 21 Heninger, Julian Unattached 8:23.14 -- Reck, Connor B.A.A DNF
Quick Take: Kemoy Campbell is getting back to where he wants to be
Campbell was in great form indoors, running a 13:14 personal best for 5,000 meters, but said he had to take some time off afterwards for a personal issue, which was not ideal. Tonight’s win was evidence that he is still fit, however, and he was happy to finish 1-2 with Curtin (Campbell is officially the only male member of Mark Coogan‘s New Balance Boston group, but he frequently works out with Curtin). Up next for Campbell is a trip to Jamaica next weekend where he is from, where he’ll race against Mo Farah at the Racers Grand Prix, Usain Bolt‘s final race in Jamaica.
Women’s 800: Ce’Aira Brown runs big PR to win in 2:01.10
Hoka NJ*NY’s Cecilia Barowski had been in the best form of anyone in the field this year and she got out hard behind the rabbit, hitting 200 in 28 seconds and 400 in 58, at which point she had a four-meter lead. But the field wasn’t going to let her run away with this one as Jamaica’s Kimarra McDonald closed the gap on the first turn; by the final turn, the entire field was still in with a chance of victory.
In the end, however, it was 2016 Hampton grad Ce’Aira Brown who was moving best of everyone and she pulled away on the outside of a five-wide group of women to win in 2:01.10 and lead a 1-2-3 sweep for the women of NJ*NY.
1 Brown, Ce'Aira Hoka/Njny TC 2:01.10M 2 2 Iyevbele, Kenyetta Hoka/Njny TC 2:01.68M 2 3 Barowski, Cecilia Hoka/Njny TC 2:01.81M 2 4 Eccleston, Amanda Brooks 2:02.03M 2 5 McDonald, Kimarra Jamaica 2:02.07M 2 6 Krumpoch, Megan NB Boston 2:02.70M 2 7 Silvander, Anna New Balance 2:03.25 2 -- Manley-P, Meg Cptc New Balance DNF 2
Quick Take: Ce’Aira Brown was overwhelmed after her big race
Brown ran so hard that she was still a bit delirious when I spoke to her after the race. My first question was to ask how big of a personal best she ran tonight, and she told me she ran a “one-minute PR” before quickly realizing how ridiculous that sounded. In reality, it was a 1.72-second PR of 2:01.10 — still big — which means the World Champs standard of 2:01.00 is now within touching distance.
Overall, it was a great night for NJ*NY as runner-up Kenyetta Iyevbele also sliced almost a second off her best (2:02.43 down to 2:01.68) while Barowski took third.
B section results
1 Lipari, Emily B.A.A 2:03.01 1 2 Manley, Meg Cptc New Balance 2:03.06 1 3 Hicks, Myah District TC 2:04.24 1 4 Andrews, Kristen Unattached 2:05.59 1 5 Herrick, Stephanie Cptc New Balance 2:05.62 1 6 Francois, Rachel NIKE 2:06.59 1 7 Tate, Alaine Cptc New Balance 2:07.49 1 8 Metcalfe, Kristen Unattached 2:09.07 1
Talk about the meet on our messageboard:
- Adrian Martinez – Top 10 under 4:00, 8 break meet record.
- ADRIAN MARTINEZ USES WRONG MILE START LINE?!?!?! We’re not going to lie, the picture looks very shady but we’re on site and have confirmed the correct start line was 100% used.
- Is David Torrence the fastest Peruvian miler of all time?