SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, CALIFORNIA, March 29 — Telahun Haile did not win the TEN, but he probably ran the best race of the day at the annual event aimed at delivering World Championship qualifying times. The 25-year-old Ethiopian, best known for placing 4th in the 5000 at the ’19 Worlds, missed the start, and had to run an extra 90m or so just to get to the line long after the others had departed. It took him four laps to catch up, as Harvard alum Graham Blanks led the pack behind two pacers.
The leaders passed 3000 in 8:06.3, and with Blanks finally in front, halfway in 13:30.4. That was just above the pace needed to better the 27:00 WC standard. Behind him hovered a tight pack that included South African Adrian Wildschuut, Haile, and New Mexico’s Habtom Samuel, among others. New Mexico Kenyan Ishmael Kipkurui ran 10th.
Samuel moved to the lead at 8K (21:38.05), then Haile took over. With a kilo left, 5 remained in the lead pack, Haile trying to stay within hailing distance of the wavelights that had started to pull away. With two left, Wildschuut went to the front. Blanks slipped back on the final lap and 4 came hard off the final turn, the two Lobos sprinting past Wildschuut.
Kipkurui, just 7th in the NCAA Indoor 5000 two weeks earlier, sprinted best, his 55.82 close buttoning up a Collegiate Record 26:50.21, topping Nico Young’s 26:52.72 from the same race last year. Samuel, the indoor runner-up, moved to No. 2 collegian ever with his 26:51.06 ahead of Wildschutt (26:51.27). Haile recorded a 26:52.79 — amazing in that it included his extra running at the start of the race.
Blanks held on to get the Tokyo standard in 26:57.30, a PR by 78-seconds in his second 25-lapper ever. “There were some moments near the end where I thought I wouldn’t get it,” he said. “Hard standard, very hard.”
Elise Cranny took the earlier women’s race that was originally aimed at Alicia’s Monson’s American Record of 30:03.82. That fell away early, with the next natural target being the Tokyo standard of 30:20. At halfway, Shelby Houlihan, one of the pacers, led at 14:59.8 and Cranny ran a stride ahead of Weini Kelati, the rest of the field having already fallen back. As the wavelights moved away, Houlihan dropped a lap later.
The race became a 2-woman duel. With 2 to go, Kelati moved past Cranny but was unable to escape her kick. With 300 left Cranny pounced and Kelati had no response. They finished 30:36.56–30:38.60, the Nos. 8 and 9 performances in U.S. history. Britain’s Calli Hauger-Thackery was a well-back 3rd in 30:53.73. In 9th, New Mexico’s Pamela Kosgei moved to No. 2 among collegians all-time with her 31:02.73.
“I’m pretty disappointed in the outcome,” admitted Cranny.
THE TEN RESULTS
Men’s Events
1500: 1. Fouad Messaoudi’ (OkSt-Mor) 3:35.55; 2. Jackson Sharp’ (Aus) 3:36.82; 3. Josh Thompson (Nike) 3:37.28; 4. Olin Hacker (HOKANnAz) 3:39.23; 5. Josiah Tostenson (OrHS) 3:40.06.
10,000: I–1. Ellis Cross’ (GB) 27:43.15; 2. Anthony Camerieri (Sauc) 27:45.82; 3. Rory Linkletter’ (Can) 27:48.23; 4. Skylar Stidam (unat) 28:06.75; 5. Kenta Sekiguchi’ (Jpn) 28:07.46; 6. Silas Frantz’ (Ger) 28:09.14; 7. Florian Le Pallec’ (Fra) 28:10.72; 8. Kartik Kumar’ (Ind) 28:11.34; 9. Shotaro Ishihara’ (Jpn) 28:14.50; 10. Carlos San Martín’ (Col) 28:17.47; 11. Jose Luis Santana’ (Mex) 28:18.52.
II–1. Ishmael Kipkurui’ (NM-Ken) 26:50.21 CR (old CR 26:52.72 Nico Young [NnAz] ’24)
(67.68, 64.04 [2:11.72], 64.71 [3:16.43], 64.91 [4:21.34], 64.85 [5:26.19], 65.04 [6:31.23], 64.89 [7:36.12], 64.69 [8:40.81], 64.97 [9:45.78], 64.57 [10:50.35], 65.17 [11:55.52], 65.21 [13:00.73], 64.72 [14:05.45], 64.30 [15:09.75], 64.87 [16:14.62], 64.53 [17:19.15], 64.52 [18:23.67], 64.70 [19:28.37], 65.80 [20:34.17], 64.76 [21:38.93], 64.66 [22:43.59], 65.35 [23:48.94], 64.50 [24:53.44], 60.96 [25:54.40], 55.81) (finish: 55.81, 1:56.77, 3:01.27, 4:06.62);
2. Habtom Samuel’ (NM-Eri) 26:51.06 (2, 2 C) (57.20, 1:58.29);
3. Adriaan Wildschutt’ (SA) 26:51.27;
4. Telahun Haile’ (Eth) 26:52.79;
5. Graham Blanks (NBal) 26:57.30 (4, 7 A);
6. Gulveer Singh’ (Ind) 27:00.22;
7. Ahmed Muhumed (HOKANnAz) 27:03.19 (7, x A);
8. Casey Clinger (BYU) 27:11.00 (5, 6 C);
9. Denis Kipngetich’ (OkSt-Ken) 27:20.10 (6, 7 C);
10. Sean McGorty (Nike) 27:20.19; 11. Drew Hunter (Asics) 27:24.49; 12. Efrem Gidey’ (Ire) 27:26.95; 13. Amon Kemboi’ (Ken) 27:31.41; 14. Kieran Tuntivate’ (Tha) 27:36.56; 15. Jonas Raess’ (Swi) 27:36.96; 16. Brian Barraza (Roots) 27:37.54; 17. Valentin Soca’ (Uru) 27:37.65; 18. Aaron Bienenfeld’ (Ger) 27:39.82; 19. Anthony Rotich (Army) 27:53.64; 20. Rory Leonard’ (GB) 28:09.20.
Women’s Events
1500: 1. Abby Nichols (HOKANnAz) 4:11.91; 2. Flomena Asekol’ (Ken) 4:13.77; 3. Ankita’ (Ind) 4:13.97; 4. Stephanie Brokaw (unat) 4:14.32; 5. Hanna Hermansson’ (Swe) 4:14.67; 6. Casey Monoszlay (Valor) 4:16.36; 7. Cailee Peterson (MnDE) 4:16.60.
10,000: I–1. Katie Camarena (Sauc) 31:45.79; 2. Claire Green (PenDC) 31:49.29; 3. Jenna Ramsey-Rutledge (CSM) 32:31.16; 4. Sarah Astin’ (GB) 32:34.90; 5. Cailie Logue Hughes (PumaTUSAMn) 33:24.30.
II–1. Elise Cranny (Nike) 30:36.56 (x, 8 A);
2. Weini Kelati (UArmDS) 30:38.60 (x, 9 A);
3. Calli Hauger-Thackery’ (GB) 30:53.73; 4. Taylor Roe (PumaE) 30:58.66; 5. Lauren Ryan’ (Aus) 30:58.69; 6. Emily Infeld (Brk) 30:59.38; 7. Jessica McClain (Brk) 30:59.71; 8. Dominique Scott’ (SA) 31:02.32;
9. Pamela Kosgei’ (NM-Ken) 31:02.73 (2, 2 C);
10. Everlyn Kemboi (unat) 31:24.13; 11. Ella Donaghu (Nike) 31:32.93; 12. Florencia Borelli’ (Arg) 31:36.48; 13. Courtney Wayment (On) 31:43.17; 14. Sarah Lahti’ (Swe) 31:44.94; 15. Allie Buchalski (BrkB) 31:52.41; 16. Bailey Hertenstein (Nike) 31:53.26; 17. Holly Campbell’ (Aus) 31:54.00; 18. Amanda Vestri (Brk) 31:56.56; 19. Seema’ (Ind) 32:14.66; 20. Vanessa Fraser (Sauc) 32:21.01; 21. Laura Galván’ (Mex) 32:43.13; 22. Katrina Coogan (NBalB) 32:53.73.
