AZUSA, CALIFORNIA, April 13–15 — The objective for Cooper Teare at the Bryan Clay Invitational was get out there, race and win the 1500 in the reigning USATF champion’s first outdoor race of the still-young campaign.
Teare’s ’22 season ended on a frustrating note: his elimination in the World Championships heats after losing fitness due to an untimely stress reaction in his left tibia. Here, right behind rabbit Charlie Da’Vall Grice in a well-matched 10-man field, reached 800 in 1:54 and change, perfect even pace to hit the 3:34.20 Worlds Q-standard, another box on his checklist. From there the race was on as Teare led NCAA indoor 3K titlist Fouad Messaoudi and Grant Fisher up the backstretch and around the turn.
As Grice delivered pacing almost right up to the bell, Fisher strode past Oklahoma State soph Messaoudi into 2nd entering the penultimate homestretch. Passing the bell in about 2:39.5, Teare elbowed out the Moroccan’s attempted inside pass and held the pole.
The intact field was bunching up and around the front turn for the last time, Wisconsin’s Adam Spencer tripped, creating chaos for those around him, including Fisher, who lost momentum. It was suddenly a 2-man contest and Messaoudi moved up front approaching 1200 (2:52).
Oregon-trained Noah Kibet, the ’22 World Indoor 800 silver medalist, sprinted to catch the two leaders up the straight and then ran out of steam.
Teare, looking controlled, swung wide and passed Messaoudi some 40m before the line and won the kick 3:34.96–3:35.16. On the homestretch Washington junior Joe Waskom showed the closing mettle that won him the NCAA crown last year and buried Kibet over the last 50 to grab 3rd in 3:35.86. Fisher placed 6th in 3:36.85.
Alabama’s Eliud Kipsang, winner here last year with his 3:33.74 Collegiate Record, ran always near the back and finished 9th in 3:37.69.
Teare, now a Bowerman TC teammate of Fisher’s, said he was pleased with his outdoor world leader effort, 0.15 off his PR from last May, and seems to be adjusting well to coach Jerry Schumacher’s train-lots-race-infrequently regime.
The Clay meet — which has blossomed in the middle and long distances into a heavyweight alongside Mt. SAC on a busy Southern California weekend — also featured a noteworthy women’s 10,000.
Alabama’s Mercy Chelangat carried the pace over the second half ahead of teammate Hilda Olemomoi and New Mexico’s Amelia Mazza-Downie to win by just over 10 seconds in 31:55.80. Senior Chelangat’s 26.31 improvement on her best moved her to No. 7 on the collegiate all-time list.
Miler Nikki Hiltz came out of nowhere and in the final step pushed inside of LSU collegian Michael Rose to take the 800. Hiltz’s 1:59.03 win, a first trip under 2:00, claimed the yearly U.S. list leadership and soph Rose’s 1:59.08 advanced her to No. 2 all-time on the collegiate ATL, sandwiched between Olympic champ Athing Mu and ’19 WC silver medalist Raevyn Rogers.
CLAY INVITATIONAL MEN’S RESUTS
800: I–1. Oussama El Bouchayby’ (AngSt-Mor) 1:45.88; 2. *Abdullahi Hassan’ (Wi-Can) 1:46.25; 3. Charles Da’Vall Grice’ (GB) 1:46.80. II–1. *Wes Ferguson (NbK) 1:46.95.
1500: I–1. Cooper Teare (NikeBowTC) 3:34.96 (out WL, AL); 2. **Fouad Messaoudi’ (OkSt-Mor) 3:35.16 (out CL) (6, 6 C); 3. *Joe Waskom (Wa) 3:35.86 (AmCL) (6, x AmC);
4. Noah Kibet’ (Ken) 3:36.32; 5. Paul Ryan (adidas) 3:36.49; 6. Grant Fisher (NikeBowTC) 3:36.85; 7. Anass Essayi’ (SC-Mor) 3:36.89; 8. Isaac Basten (Drake) 3:36.99. III–1. *Ezekiel Rop’ (IaSt-Ken) 3:36.92.
St: 1. *Kenneth Rooks (BYU) 8:31.83; 2. *Reece Smith (NWMo) 8:40.24; 3. *Joel Mendez (UtV) 8:41.37; 4. ***Victor Kibiego’ (UTEP-Ken) 8:41.90 .
5000: 1. Brian Fay’ (Wa-Ire) 13:21.99 (out WL, CL); 2. Sam Prakel (adidas) 13:22.78 (out CL);
3. Kieran Lumb’ (Can) 13:27.60; 4. *Bob Liking (Wi) 13:27.92; 5. *Ky Robinson’ (Stan-Aus) 13:29.44; 6. *Jackson Sharp’ (Wi-Aus) 13:29.84.
10,000: 1. Dylan Jacobs (Tn) 28:01.53; 2. *Casey Clinger (BYU) 28:01.67; 3. **Creed Thompson (BYU) 28:04.15; 4. Cormac Dalton’ (Tulsa-Ire) 28:04.29; 5. Brandon Garnica’ (BYU-Mex) 28:04.62; 6. Barry Keane’ (Butler-Ire) 28:04.66; 7. **Joey Nokes (BYU) 28:05.38; 8. Marcelo Laguera’ (Mex) 28:05.83; 9. Antonio Lopez Segura’ (VaT-Spa) 28:09.86.
CLAY WOMEN’S RESULTS
800: 1. Nikki Hiltz (lulu) 1:59.03 (AL); 2. **Michaela Rose (LSU) 1:59.08 (CL) (2, 3 C); 3. Claire Seymour (BYU) 2:00.04 (8, x C);
4. Elise Cranny (NikeBowTC) 2:00.25; 5. Valery Tobias (Tx) 2:00.31; 6. Sarah Hendrick (KennSt) 2:01.93; 7. **Lindsey Butler (VaT) 2:02.78. II–1. Katherine Mitchell (BC) 2:02.66; 2. Aurora Rynda’ (Mi-Can) 2:02.69; 3. McKenna Keegan’ (Aus) 2:02.76.
1500: XI–1. **Melissa Riggins (Gtn) 4:10.09; 2. **Mia Barnett (UCLA) 4:10.23; 3. Grace Fetherstonhaugh’ (OrSt-Can) 4:11.00; 4. Lindsey Butterworth’ (Can) 4:11.32; 5. *Lorena Rangel Batres’ (LSU-Mex) 4:11.61; 6. ***Taylor Rohatinsky (BYU) 4:12.76.
XII–1. Cranny 4:07.07 (out AL);
2. ***Klaudia Kazimierska’ (Or-Pol) 4:11.15; 3. *Flomena Asekol’ (Al-Ken) 4:11.38; 4. *Laura Pellicoro’ (Port-Ita) 4:11.63; 5. **Michaela Rose (LSU) 4:11.98; 6. Abbe Goldstein (NM) 4:12.98.
St: VII–1. *Elise Thorner’ (NM-GB) 9:39.39 (CL); 2. Angelina Ellis (Butler) 9:44.57 (AL, AmCL);
3. Kayley DeLay (Wa) 9:46.22; 4. *Greta Karinauskaite’ (CalBap-Lit) 9:46.72; 5. *Lexy Halladay-Lowry (BYU) 9:49.95; 6. *Laura Taborda’ (Ar-Por) 9:50.86; 7. Madeline Strandemo (LWA) 9:53.61; 8. *Maisie Grice’ (NM-GB) 9:53.79; 9. Katelyn Mitchem (Wy) 9:56.82; 10. *Janette Schraft (IaSt) 9:57.55; 11. Eleonora Curtabbi’ (WTxAM-Ita) 9:57.76.
5000: 1. *Everlyn Kemboi’ (UtV-Ken) 15:20.67 (out CL);
2. *Simone Plourde’ (Ut-Can) 15:21.19;
3. Logan Jolly (Asics) 15:29.08 (out AL);
4. Alicja Konieczek’ (Pol) 15:30.61; 5. ***Zofia Dudek’ (Stan-Pol) 15:32.89; 6. Ella Baran (Co) 15:36.44; 7. Kaylee Mitchell (OrSt) 15:37.46; 8. Annamaria Kostarellis (Bay) 15:39.16.
10,000: 1. Mercy Chelangat’ (Al-Ken) 31:55.80 (7, 7 C);
2. **Hilda Olemomoi’ (Al-Ken) 32:05.83; 3. *Amelia Mazza-Downie’ (NM-Aus) 32:07.62; 4. Cailie Logue (IaSt) 32:33.63;
5. Aubrey Frentheway (BYU) 32:34.08; 6. *Florance Uwajeneza’ (WTxAM-Rwa) 32:49.06; 7. Camila Noe (MtSt) 33:00.41. ◻︎