Heusden-Zolder, Belgium, July 21—A small city in northwest Belgium may be an unlikely place to break the American 5K Record, but that is exactly what happened as double USATF champion Shelby Houlihan continued her dominating success.
It was a beautiful night to try to take down the national standard of 14:38.92 set by Shannon Rowbury of the Nike Oregon Project 2 years ago. Houlihan and the pace group broke from the field within 200m and after 1400 Flanagan took over. After helping set the pace through the 3000, Flanagan (who held the AR for 3+ years starting in ’07) stepped off and Houlihan was left alone to chase the record. With a lap to go she displayed the ferocious kick she is becoming famous for, eclipsing the old mark by more than 4 seconds in 14:34.45. She said, “I have started realizing I can trust my kick whether it’s a long race, shorter race, fast or slow.”
Watching the race from the stands was the Bowerman TC coach, Jerry Schumacher, who had plenty to be excited about this night. Schumacher was all smiles, because not only did one of his athletes break an American Record, but he was also able to watch the latest member of his Bowerman team, Karissa Schweizer, the multi NCAA champion from Mizzou. Schweizer had her own recordbreaking night, finishing 3rd behind Molly Huddle—another former holder of the AR—in 15:02.44 setting another PR.
Wrapping up her season, Schweizer is excited and relieved to be joining Houlihan and Flanagan in the Bowerman stables. After her race, wearing a new uniform Schweizer pronounced herself “excited to finally announce that I have signed with Nike and the Bowerman Track Club! Can’t wait to see what the future holds.”
As for Houlihan, she described what is left for her in ’18: “I’m heading back to Portland for a week and then back up to altitude until the 1500m Diamond League final in Brussels. After that, my hope is to compete in the 1500 at the Continental Cup and then shut my season down after that. I still have my sights set on that 1500 AR so I’m hoping one of those races will be fast enough to take a crack at that one.”
HEUSDEN-ZOLDER MEN’S RESULTS
Heusden-Zolder, Belgium, July 21—
200(-1.6): 1. Kyle Greaux (Tri) 20.28; 2. Solomon Bockarie (Hol) 20.54.
400: 1. Jonathan Borlée (Bel) 45.57; 2. Kevin Borlée (Bel) 45.67; 3. Liemarvin Bonevacia (Hol) 45.86.
800: I–1. Mostafa Smaili (Mor) 1:45.54; 2. Filip Šnejdr (CzR) 1:46.51; 3. Mohamed Aman (Eth) 1:46.74;… 5. Jesse Garn (US) 1:47.31.
II–1. Drew Piazza (US) 1:46.41; 2. Jeremiah Mutai (Ken) 1:46.59;… 5. Joe McAsey (US) 1:48.36.
1500: I–1. Ronald Musagala (Uga) 3:36.59; 2. Craig Engels (US) 3:36.89; 3. Charles Philibert-Thiboutot (Can) 3:37.21; 4. Cornelius Tuwei (Ken) 3:37.25 PR; 5. Johnny Gregorek (US) 3:37.39; 6. Pieter-Jan Hannes (Bel) 3:38.28.
II–1. Eric Avila (US) 3:36.41; 2. Colby Alexander (US) 3:38.47; 3. Sam McEntee (Aus) 3:38.89; 4. Graham Crawford (US) 3:38.92.
III–1. Rob Napolitano (US) 3:39.61; 2. Elmar Engholm (Swe) 3:39.75 PR; 3. Mick Stanovsek (US) 3:39.97.
5000: I–1. Regasa Chala (Eth) 13:06.98 PR; 2. Nibret Melak (Eth) 13:07.27 PR; 3. Dawit Wolde (Eth) 13:10.65; 4. Japhet Korir (Ken) 13:11.86 PR; 5. Albert Rop (Bhr) 13:13.96; 6. Davis Kiplangat (Ken) 13:15.73; 7. Brett Robinson (Aus) 13:15.91 PR; 8. Soufiane Bouchikhi (Bel) 13:19.55 PR; 9. Bashir Abdi (Bel) 13:19.80; 10. Sean McGorty (US) 13:21.93 PR; 11. Fredrick Kipkosgei (Ken) 13:26.21; 12. Kiprotich Peter (Ken) 13:26.46 PR; 13. Filip Ingebrigtsen (Nor) 13:30.48 PR; 14. Sam Parsons (US) 13:47.96.
II–1. Solomon Berihu (Eth) 13:16.77; 2. Diego Estrada (US) 13:33.18; 3. Florian Orth (Ger) 13:34.03; 4. Jacob Thomson (US) 13:34.50 PR.
III–1. Jordan Mann (US) 13:45.44 PR.
110H(-0.4): 1. Ludovic Payen (Fra) 13.59.
400H: 1. Jeffery Gibson (Bah) 48.98; 2. Abdelmalik Lahoulou (Alg) 49.01; 3. Nicholas Bett (Ken) 49.27; 4. CJ Allen (US) 49.40 =PR; 5. Shawn Rowe (Jam) 49.73.
SP: 1. Bob Bertemes (Lux) 67-2¼ (20.48).
H-Z WOMEN’S RESULTS
100(1.6): 1. Aaliyah Brown (US) 11.35.
400: 1. Amina Seyni (Nig) 51.17 NR.
800: I–1. Halimah Nakaayi (Uga) 1:59.58; 2. Noélie Yarigo (Ben) 2:00.06; 3. Charline Mathias (Lux) 2:00.35 NR; 4. Hanna Green (US) 2:01.28; 5. Emily Richards (US) 2:01.33; 6. Aníta Hinriksdóttir (Ice) 2:01.53; 7. Lindsey Butterworth (Can) 2:02.10.
II–1. Maité Bouchard (Can) 2:01.25 PR; 2. Claire Mooney (Ire) 2:01.61 PR; 3. Justine Fedronic (Fra) 2:01.62; 4. Meghan Manley (US) 2:01.73 PR; 5. Līga Velvere (Lat) 2:01.97; 6. Alena Brooks (Tri) 2:02.18.
1500: I–1. Emily Lipari (US) 4:05.68 PR; 2. Winnie Nanyondo (Uga) 4:06.08; 3. Alexa Efraimson (US) 4:07.06; 4. Cory McGee (US) 4:07.15; 5. Nicole Sifuentes (Can) 4:07.34; 6. Sarah MacPherson (Can) 4:09.26 PR; 7. Linn Nilsson (Swe) 4:10.11;
8. Mariah Kelly (Can) 4:10.54; 9. Sofie Van Accom (Bel) 4:11.33; 10. Megan Mansy (US) 4:11.43.
II–1. Helen Schlachtenhaufen (US) 4:06.04 PR; 2. Danielle Aragon (US) 4:10.09; 3. Regan Yee (Can) 4:10.99.
5000: 1. Shelby Houlihan (US) 14:34.45 AR (old AR 14:38.92 Shannon Rowbury [Nike OP] ’16);
2. Molly Huddle (US) 15:01.44; 3. Karissa Schweizer (US) 15:02.44 PR; 4. Dominique Scott Efurd (SA) 15:04.14 PR; 5. Madeline Hills (Aus) 15:06.19; 6. Marielle Hall (US) 15:08.20; 7. Vanessa Fraser (US) 15:09.62 PR; 8. Sarah Pagano (US) 15:11.27 PR; 9. Emily Sisson (US) 15:13.66;… rabbits—Katrina Coogan (US), Shalane Flanagan (US), Cory McGee (US).
100H(0.4): 1. Nickiesha Wilson (Jam) 12.93.
400H: 1. Margo Van Puyvelde (Bel) 55.95 PR; 2. Line Kloster (Nor) 56.34.
4 x 400: 1. Belgium 3:31.10; 2. Sweden 3:32.94.
HJ: 1. tie, Nicola McDermott (Aus) & Liz Patterson (US) 6-2 (1.88).
PV: 1. Nina Kennedy (Aus) 14-7¼ (4.45); 2. Kortney Ross (US) 14-4½ (4.38).
