AZUSA, CALIFORNIA, April 13–15 — In a contest decided on the final homestretch, Alabama’s Eliud Kipsang became the second man to essay a historic rewrite of the Collegiate 1500 Record at the Bryan Clay Invitational.
Four years ago Josh Kerr —at the time a New Mexico junior and not yet an Olympic medalist — knocked off Sydney Maree’s standard that had stood for 37 years with a 3:35.01 clocking.
Soph Kipsang raced momentously here also, taking the CR all the way down to 3:33.74 in a win from Canadian pro Will Paulson’s PR 3:33.97. Kipsang’s effort lopped a whopping 0.84 from Yared Nuguse’s 3:34.68 standard, which the then Notre Dame junior produced in his ACC heat last May.
Kipsang — for whom the outing marked an upturn in fortune after a disappointing indoor season that began on an injury note with a stress reaction — raced to the record with even pacing, reaching 800 in 1:54 and change.
After that, Alabama head Dan Waters felt certain his Kenyan charge was headed for a CR. “We know he can run 56 at the end of anything,” Waters said.
Kipsang, the coach added, “is a different kind of guy. He just does everything we ask of him. He has tremendous ability, he’s a generational talent.”
Now 25, Kipsang struck the Crimson Tide mentor as a special athlete the first time he laid eyes on the 6-foot-4 miler back in ’19.
While Kipsang placed just 28th in the ’20 SEC Cross Country in his first season in Tuscaloosa, at the ’21 NCAA Indoor he placed 2nd to Cole Hocker in the mile, timed in 3:55.93. Outdoors last year he put up PRs of 1:47.16 and 3:35.49 before placing 4th in the NCAA 1500. Last fall he stepped up to win the SEC XC crown.
Waters, declaring with a laugh that the immediate future plan is “a secret,” said, “You might even see him in the steeple.”
Kipsang’s father is John Kosgei, a Kenyan international in the ’90s who had impressive range of his own, including PRs of 3:34.09, 7:37.39, 8:03.89 and 13:28.82, twice making the steeplechase World Rankings.
CLAY INVITATIONAL MEN’S RESULTS
200(3.4): 1. EJ Floreal (unat) 20.65w; 2. Cesar Ramirez’ (Mex) 20.67w.
800: I–1. Thomas Staines’ (GB) 1:45.28 PR (out WL);
2. ***Reece Sharman-Newell’ (CoStP-GB) 1:45.56 PR; 3. Robert Heppenstall’ (Can) 1:46.05 PR. II–1. *Cebastian Gentil’ (IaSt-Hai) 1:46.97 PR.
1500: I–1. **Eliud Kipsang’ (Al-Ken) 3:33.74 CR (old CR 3:34.68 Yared Nuguse [NDm] ’21) (out WL);
2. Will Paulson’ (Can) 3:33.97 PR; 3. Vincent Ciattei (OTC) 3:36.79; 4. Cameron Proceviat’ (Can) 3:36.80 PR; 5. George Kusche’ (NnAz-SA) 3:37.31 PR; 6. **Ryan Schoppe (OkSt) 3:37.43 PR; 7. **Matthew Payamps (Gtn) 3:37.60 PR; 8. Jack Salisbury (Gtn) 3:37.70.
II–1. *Abdihamid Nur (NnAz) 3:36.33 PR (out AL; AmCL) (=8, x AmC);
2. Jonathan Davis (Il) 3:36.85 PR; 3. **Luke Houser (Wa) 3:37.51 PR; 4. **Nico Young (NnAz) 3:37.75 PR; 5. Brett Meyer (Tracksm) 3:37.77 PR.
St: I–1. *Joel Mendez (Mt) 8:42.22 PR; 2. **Gable Sieperda (IaSt) 8:43.45 PR; 3. ***Adam Bunker (UtV) 8:44.90 PR. III–1. ***Ryan Hartman (AugSD) 8:44.07 PR.
5000: 1. *Brian Fay’ (Wa-Ire) 13:16.52 PR (out CL); 2. Morgan Beadlescomb (MiSt) 13:17.16 PR (out AmCL) (4, x AmC);
3. Eduardo Herrera (Co) 13:20.30 PR; 4. Kieran Lumb’ (Wa-Can) 13:23.26 PR; 5. **Casey Clinger (BYU) 13:23.33 PR; 6. ***Victor Kiprop’ (Al-Ken) 13:24.48 PR; 7. **Alex Maier (OkSt) 13:26.81 PR; 8. *Isaac Green (Wa) 13:29.55 PR.
110H(0.8): 1. Jamal Britt (EAN) 13.51 (AL).
Field Events
LJ: 1. **Josh Hopkins (Washb) 26-1w (7.95); 2. **Jermel Jones (Azusa) 25-5¼ (7.75) PR; 3. **Connor Last (Washb) 25-5¼w (7.75).
TJ: 1. *Shyrone Kemp’ (Moorh-Bah) 51-8¼w (15.75).
JT: 1. **Marten Gasparini (GCan) 228-11 (69.78) PR.
Dec: I–1. *Max Vollmer’ (Or-Ger) 8022 PR (10.74, 23-6¼/7.17w, 49-7¼/15.12, 6-4¼/1.94, 47.84, 14.59w, 134-1/40.86, 15-5/4.70, 182-4/55.57, 4:34.68); 2. *Josh Farmer (UCI) 7588. II–1. Sam Talbot’ (GB) 7643 PR.
CLAY WOMEN’S RESULTS
800: 1. *Katy-Ann McDonald’ (LSU-GB) 2:00.98 PR (CL);
2. Anna Camp Bennett (adi) 2:01.09 PR (out AL);… 5. Lauren Ellsworth (BYU) 2:01.72 PR (out AmCL).
1500: 1.. McDonald 4:13.07 PR.
St: 1. **Elise Thorner’ (NM-GB) 9:40.98 PR (CL); 2. Logan Jolly (Ar) 9:45.47 PR (AL, AmCL).
5000: 1. **Taylor Roe (OkSt) 15:21.47 PR (CL, out AL);
2. Wuga He’ (Chn) 15:28.81 PR; 3. Adva Cohen’ (NM-Isr) 15:29.51 PR; 4. **Gracelyn Larkin’ (NM-Can) 15:29.93 PR.
10,000: 1. Jennifer Sandoval (Azusa) 33:10.74; 2. *Everlyn Kemboi’ (UtV-Ken) 33:12.98 PR.
100H(-0.2): 1. Michelle Harrison’ (Can) 13.12; 2. Danielle Beattie (DPA) 13.25 PR.
400H: 1. ***Loubna Benhadja’ (UTEP-Alg) 58.51.
Field Events
TJ: 1. Caroline Ehrhardt’ (Can) 44-11¾ (13.71).
DT: 1. ***Princess Kara’ (CAz-Ngr) 182-3 (55.57) PR.
HT: 1. *Samaria McDonald (GCan) 202-11 (61.85) PR.
Hept: 1. Nicola Ader’ (Nv-Ger) 5836 PR; 2. Halley Folsom (BYU) 5699 PR; 3. Elise Ulseth’ (ND-Nor) 5685 PR; 4. *Anna Bush’ (WF-Aus) 5587; 5. **Nicole Warwick (Azusa) 5552 PR; 6. Anna McCauley’ (Ire) 5540 PR; 7. ***Blakelee Winn (PittSt) 5518 PR.
