KENNETH ROOKS looked cooked. With more than 5 laps to go, BYU’s new NCAA champion tumbled to the track after hitting a hurdle on the backstretch, rolling over as the field moved on. By the time he got up, he was some 20m back of last place.
“Initially my brain was like, ‘Am I done?’” he said later. The answer: not even close.
Rooks had accidentally practiced for the moment, tripping in a workout 2 weeks ago. Before the race, he silently quizzed himself: “If I fall, how am I going to respond?”
The 23-year-old Walla Walla, Washington, native patiently and assertively made progress in closing the gap. The field moved together, clustered tightly throughout the race with Daniel Michalski, Mason Ferlic, Duncan Hamilton and Bernard Keter at the front.
With a lap to go and Ferlic leading, Rooks had moved up to 3rd. He came off the final waterjump still in 3rd, just off Keter’s shoulder. On the final dry barrier, Rooks passed Keter, who had passed Ferlic, and moved decisively down the homestretch, running at a full sprint as the crowd roared its approval and his nearest competitors — Keter in 2nd, Isaac Updike in 3rd — had no answer.
In assessing the come-from-behind victory, Rooks said he drew inspiration from a legendary 9-time national champion in the event in the ’70s and ’80s.
“I just reminded myself, ‘Henry Marsh used to run from the back of the race,’” he said. “I just had to slowly work my way up and I’ll see how many guys I can get.”
Rooks’ win improved slightly on his previous best of 8:17.62, an American CR when he ran it in May. It also ushers in a new era in an event won each of the last 12 years by either Hillary Bor (who broke his foot in Rabat in May) or Evan Jager.
After the race, Rooks didn’t shy away from the prediction of his coach, Ed Eyestone, that he’s ready to run 8:10.
“I probably am considering how well I ran today with the fall,” he said.
MEN’S STEEPLE RESULTS
FINAL (July 08; interior waterjump)
1. Kenneth Rooks (BYU) 8:16.78 PR (59.76, 2:02.70, 3:08.71, 4:15.44)
(38.20, 66.62 [1:44.82], 69.88 [2:54.70], 66.64 [4:01.34], 66.73 [5:08.07], 66.01 [6:14.08], 62.94 [7:17.02], 59.76);
2. Benard Keter (NikeUSAr) 8:17.19 PR (60.49, 2:03.58, 3:10.00, 4:17.79);
3. Isaac Updike (UArmDS) 8:17.69 (60.61, 2:03.81, 3:10.29, 4:18.09);
4. Mason Ferlic (adidas) 8:18.75 (62.20, 2:04.94, 3:11.58, 4:19.42);
5. Anthony Rotich (NikeUSAr) 8:22.38;
6. Matthew Wilkinson (Mn) 8:23.69 PR;
7. Jackson Mestler (OTC) 8:24.33 PR;
8. Duncan Hamilton (NikBowTC) 8:24.91;
9. Andrew Bayer (unat) 8:27.38; 10. Derek Johnson (Va) 8:29.22; 11. Alec Basten (UArm) 8:31.83; 12. Craig Nowak (unat) 8:31.87; 13. Daniel Michalski (USAF) 8:33.34; 14. Aidan Tooker (OTC) 8:38.47.
HEATS (July 06)
I–1. Ferlic 8:24.14; 2. Michalski 8:24.16; 3. Hamilton 8:24.66; 4. Rooks 8:24.73; 5. Bayer 8:25.18; 6. Johnson 8:26.51; 7. Tooker 8:29.92 PR; 8. Craig Huff (HokaAg) 8:32.03; 9. Joey Berriatua (TinE) 8:40.46; 10. Peter Herold (UCLA) 8:47.67; 11. Ben Garner (TS) 8:56.53; 12. Levi Taylor (Bobcat) 9:10.56.
II–1. Nowak 8:29.17; 2. Keter 8:29.18; 3. Updike 8:29.23; 4. Wilkinson 8:29.28; 5. Rotich 8:29.31; 6. Basten 8:29.45; 7. Mestler 8:30.02; 8. Brian Barraza (TinE) 8:33.34; 9. Julius Diehr (OcSt) 8:42.99; 10. David Ribich (NikeUAC) 8:45.92; 11. Nathan Mylenek (VNTC) 8:51.94; 12. Alexander Slenning (Or) 9:05.33; 13. Jacob Mitchem (SDiTC) 9:05.41.