EAGLE ROCK, California, May 16—Throughout the years, elite runners have flocked to Occidental College’s Jack Kemp Stadium to run in what have always been very competitive races. This year’s USATF Distance Classic had the competitive juices flowing in every race, but what was lacking was the volume of elites—hello weird World Champs timing?—that have previously graced the track. Fortunately, a sensational women’s 5000 saved the day and a quick time could satisfy both the World Championships (15.22.00) and Olympic standards (15:10.00) in one fell swoop.
Usually the headliner, but this time a pacemaker, steepler-supreme Emma Coburn took the 5K field out with consistent 72/73 laps for the first 3000. Training partner Aisha Praught-Leer stayed on her heels throughout, with Lauren Paquette, Rachel Schneider, Stephanie Bruce and Jessica O’Connell of Canada all in a row behind her. It was at this point where O’Connell started to fade, leaving the 4 racers ahead of her to fight it out.
With 3 laps remaining, Paquette and Bruce started to fall off the pace, leaving Praught-Leer and Schneider to duel. Coburn completed her duties at 4000m and stepped aside. Schneider, who had run a WC qualifier two weeks prior at the Payton Jordan Invitational (15:21.44), looked very comfortable as she kept the pressure on Praught-Leer, moving past the Jamaican with 650m to go. At the bell, Schneider and Praught-Leer accelerated, knowing that the Olympic qualification was within reach. As they rounded the final turn, Praught-Leer made one final attack, but Schneider responded with a surge down the homestretch that could not be matched.
She crossed the line in a outdoor world leader of 15:06.71 with Praught-Leer a couple strides behind in a Jamaican Record 15:07.50. Paquette finished 3rd, just missing her lifetime best in 15:14.64, 3.12 ahead of Bruce, whose 15:17.76 was a whopping 27-second PR. Even more satisfying for the two was that they both bettered the WC qualifying standard. Knowing that the race could not have played out like it did without Coburn’s assistance, Schneider unabashedly acknowledged of her 10-second PR, “It was perfect.”
In the men’s 5, Lawi Lalang won the race, but was disappointed with the outcome, as his 13:25.14 was 2.64 short of the 13:22.50 WC standard. Making his debut in the event, miler Josh Kerr finished 2nd in 13:28.66, making up lots of ground over the last half mile, but was never close enough to challenge and push Lalang.
Clear skies and cool temps provided near perfect conditions as Kate Grace and Clayton Murphy got the evening started on the right foot with solid 800 wins. Grace outdueled Swede Hanna Hermansson and Cory McGee down the stretch to take her 2-lapper in 2:02.95, while Murphy had his hands full on the men’s side, edging past Puerto Rico’s Ryan Sanchez in the final strides, 1:46.10–1:46.21.
The steeplechase saw Courtney Barnes take the women’s race in 9:59.82 and Jordan Mann finished strong to win the men’s in 8:30.99. In the 1500s, Nikki Hiltz set a PR 4:07.71, outrunning Karissa Schweizer (4:08.51) and Germany’s Konstanze Klosterhalfen (4:09.16). Swede Kalle Berglund pulled away from a bunched field down the homestretch to take the men’s race in 3:37.84 over Kirubel Erassa (3:38.26), Drew Hunter (3:38.55), Sam Parsons (3:38.63) and Sean McGorty (3:38.75).
USATF DISTANCE CLASSIC MEN’S RESULTS
Eagle Rock, California, May 16—
800: I–1. Brannon Kidder (BB) 1:47.17; 2. Kyle Langford’ (GB) 1:47.31; 3. Drew Piazza (OTC) 1:47.74; 4. Drew Windle (BB) 1:48.03; 5. Izaic Yorks (BrkBB) 1:48.22; 6. Neil Gourley’ (GB) 1:48.42; 7. David Ribich (BrkBB) 1:49.27; 8. Christian Harrison (BAA) 1:49.47.
II–1. Clayton Murphy (NikOP) 1:46.10; 2. Ryan Sanchez’ (PR) 1:46.21; 3. Craig Engels (NikOP) 1:46.73; 4. Samuel Ellison (BAA) 1:47.01; 5. Erik Sowinski (Nik) 1:47.21; 6. Harun Abda (OTC) 1:47.23; 7. Wesley Vázquez’ (PR) 1:47.52; 8. Robert Ford (HokaNJNY) 1:48.33.
1500: I–1. Daniel Estrada’ (Mex) 3:42.50; 2. Mac Fleet (unat) 3:43.49; 3. Joe Coffey (CollTC) 3:44.43; 4. Julius Bor (USAr) 3:45.291.
II–1. James Randon (SaucF) 3:42.35; 2. Woody Kincaid (BowTC) 3:42.43; 3. Jacob Edwards (ColRC) 3:43.43; 4. Joshua Thompson (BowTC) 3:43.57; 5. Matt Hughes’ (Can) 3:44.14; 6. Nick Harris (unat) 3:45.19; 7. Chad Noelle (unat) 3:46.07.
III–1. Kalle Berglund’ (Swe) 3:37.84; 2. Kirubel Erassa (ADP) 3:38.26; 3. Drew Hunter (adiTinE) 3:38.55; 4. Sam Parsons’ (Ger) 3:38.63; 5. Sean McGorty (BowTC) 3:38.75; 6. Jordan Gusman’ (Aus) 3:39.16; 7. Lopez Lomong (BowTC) 3:39.72; 8. Sam Prakel (adi) 3:40.90; 9. Mo Ahmed’ (Can) 3:41.30; 10. Daniel Herrera (HPW) 3:43.69; 11. Murphy 3:45.79.
St: 1. Jordan Mann (NBalOS) 8:30.99; 2. Frankline Tonui (USAr) 8:32.02; 3. Mason Ferlic (Nik) 8:32.24; 4. David Goodman (unat) 8:33.42; 5. John Gay’ (Can) 8:33.59; 6. Brian Barraza (adi) 8:34.75; 7. Craig Nowak (FurmE) 8:36.60; 8. Tripp Hurt (unat) 8:39.16; 9. Adam Visokay’ (GB) 8:39.83; 10. Troy Reeder (FurmE) 8:40.36; 11. Donn Cabral (HokaNJNY) 8:41.25; 12. Benard Keter (USAr) 8:42.05; 13. Dylan Hodgson (unat) 8:42.54; 14. Kaur Kivistik’ (Est) 8:43.85.
5000: 1. Lawi Lalang (USAr) 13:25.14; 2. Josh Kerr’ (GB) 13:28.66; 3. Henry Wynne (BrkBB) 13:32.33; 4. Sam McEntee’ (Aus) 13:33.67; 5. Chris O’Hare’ (GB) 13:33.99; 6. Mauricio Gonzalez’ (Mex) 13:35.29; 7. Tommy Curtin (SaucF) 13:36.08; 8. Diego Estrada (Asics) 13:37.56; 9. Trevor Dunbar (BAA) 13:44.30; 10. Jeffrey Thies (TinE) 13:44.66; 11. Lucas Bruchet’ (Can) 13:45.26; 12. Dillon Maggard (BB) 13:46.63; 13. Darius Terry (HokaAg) 13:47.08; 14. Jacob Thomson (BAA) 13:48.43; 15. Nick Willis’ (NZ) 13:49.93; 16. Will Leer (UArmNYAC) 13:50.97; 17. Kyle Medina (TinE) 13:55.11; 18. Craig Lautenslager (unat) 13:57.79; 19. Kevin Lewis (TMn) 14:06.36; 20. Joseph Berriatua (TinE) 14:17.36.
USATF DISTANCE CLASSIC WOMEN’S RESULTS
800: I–1. Savannah Camacho-Colon (unat) 2:05.39; 2. Shea Collinsworth (Nik) 2:05.62; 3. Julia Stepanova’ (Rus) 2:06.22; 4. Gabriela Medina’ (Mex) 2:06.25; 5. Devan Wiebe (Ocean) 2:06.99.
II–1. Laurence Cote’ (unat) 2:03.47; 2. Lauren Johnson (BAA) 2:03.87; 3. Rebecca Mehra (Ois) 2:03.94; 4. Alethia Marrero’ (PR) 2:04.51; 5. Ashley Taylor (UArm) 2:06.39; 6. Sabrina Southerland (OTC) 2:09.86.
III–1. Kate Grace (BowTC) 2:02.95; 2. Hanna Hermansson’ (Swe) 2:03.21; 3. Cory McGee (NBal) 2:03.35; 4. Luisa Real’ (Mex) 2:04.15; 5. Samantha Murphy’ (Can) 2:04.32; 6. Maite Bouchard’ (Can) 2:04.69; 7. Konstanze Klosterhalfen’ (Ger) 2:07.60.
1500: I–1. Courtney Frerichs (BowTC) 4:15.96; 2. Jenna Hinkle (HokaAg) 4:16.45; 3. Dana Mecke (CSTC) 4:16.98; 4. Angelin Figueroa’ (PR) 4:18.34; 5. Erika Kemp (BAA) 4:19.64; 6. Alex Wilson (Ois) 4:19.66; 7. Jessy Lacourse’ (Can) 4:20.14; 8. Raquel Lambdin (MissAC) 4:20.69; 9. Marielle Hall (BowTC) 4:20.93; 10. Faith Makau’ (Ken) 4:22.90; 11. Carina Gillespie (AF) 4:23.05; 12. Maddy Berkson (PenDC) 4:23.29.
II–1. Nikki Hiltz (adi) 4:07.71 PR; 2. Karissa Schweizer (BowTC) 4:08.51; 3. Klosterhalfen’ 4:09.16; 4. Amy-Eloise Neale’ (GB) 4:09.31; 5. Sage Hurta (unat) 4:09.37; 6. Hanna Green (OTC) 4:09.73; 7. Grace Barnett (MamTC) 4:11.68; 8. Katie Mackey (BB) 4:12.35; 9. Mariah Kelly’ (Can) 4:12.60; 10. Elise Cranny (BowTC) 4:13.21
11. Hannah Fields (unat) 4:13.87; 12. Amanda Rego (CSTC) 4:13.94; 13. Violah Lagat’ (Ken) 4:14.53.
St: 1. Courtney Barnes (McKird) 9:59.82; 2. Maria Bernard-Galea’ (Can) 10:05.71; 3. Jessica Furlan’ (Can) 10:15.08; 4. Christine Thorn (RRP) 10:17.79.
5000: 1. Rachel Schneider (UArm) 15:06.71 PR (AL, out WL);
2. Aisha Praught-Leer’ (Jam) 15:07.50 NR; 3. Lauren Paquette (unat) 15:14.64; 4. Stephanie Bruce (HokaNAE) 15:17.76 OR; 5. Helen Schlachtenhaufen (SaucF) 15:30.83 PR; 6. Regan Yee’ (Can) 15:31.62 PR; 7. Rachel Cliff’ (Can) 15:32.49; 8. Erica Digby’ (Can) 15:33.51; 9. Sarah Pagano (adi) 15:37.69; 10. Maggie Montoya (RRP) 15:38.21; 11. Breanna Sieracki (unat) 15:38.53; 12. Allie Buchalski (BB) 15:41.28; 13. Elvin Kibet (USAr) 15:41.31; 14. Shannon Osika (Nik) 15:43.76; 15. Maya Weigel (PenDC) 16:12.77;… rabbit—Emma Coburn (NBal).