FOR THE SECOND TIME in 3 years Woody Kincaid’s searing finish locked up a national title. This time it came despite the efforts of American Record holder Grant Fisher to break away with 3 laps to go.
For most of the 25 laps, while various faces led the front-end of the race, the trio of men with a WC standard ran in mid-pack, Fisher leading Joe Klecker and Kincaid. The first leader was Oklahoma State’s Isai Rodriguez (2:56.29 at 1K and an avid frontrunner), who yielded to BYU alum Brandon Garnica. International vet Paul Chelimo, still a 10K rookie, bolted to the front for a stint, but it was Garnica who led past 3K (8:38.35).
At 4K, Chelimo took over again, then it was Sam Chelanga who led through halfway in 14:28.78. Throughout all the lead changes, Sean McGorty stayed close, usually 2nd or 3rd. Finally, just past 8K (23:13.65) and a steady string of 71-second laps, Connor Mantz took the lead from Chelimo and tried to do something with it. His 66.26 thinned the herd to 9 but didn’t shake any of the principals.
At 3 to go, Fisher surged to the front, knowing that a hard long close might be the only way to sap Kincaid’s kick. After a 60.44 lap, he boasted a 5-meter lead. Over the next lap, a 59.91, it had grown to nearly 10m. But would it be enough? For a few moments it looked good for the Stanford alum. Then the portents shifted against him.
Approaching the bell, Klecker started eating into his margin. On the backstretch, Kincaid unleashed his stride. Fisher still led with 200 left but Klecker was just a step behind and Kincaid had the momentum of a runaway train. He flew past Klecker and then Fisher on the turn with unmatchable speed, his 54.76 closer taking him to the line in 28:23.01. Klecker came 2nd in 28:24.50. A sapped Fisher did not have enough to hold off McGorty on the final stretch, and his Bowerman teammate took the third spot, 28:24.96–28:25.61.
Said Kincaid, 30, “I’ve never felt this strong this late in a race. It played out like I hoped it would. There are lot of ways it could have gone.
“At the bell I knew I was on the team, but I didn’t know I was going to win. When I came up on [Fisher] with 200, it was like, ‘Game over.’”
Explained Fisher, “I thought I had squeezed [the pace] well enough to shake some people and still have something left at the end, but I just called it wrong. I’m pretty disappointed.”
MEN’S 10,000 RESULTS
(July 06)
1. Woody Kincaid (Nike) 28:23.01 (54.84, 1:55.17, 2:55.63, 4:01.57) (14:30.66/13:52.35)
(70.48 [1:10.48], 71.80 [2:22.28], 70.99 [3:33.27], 66.38 [4:39.65], 68.92 [5:48.57], 69.04 [6:57.61], 67.20 [8:04.81], 69.73 [9:14.54], 69.85 [10:24.39], 69.67 [11:34.06], 72.59 [12:46.65], 69.83 [13:56.48], 67.77 [15:04.25], 69.14 [16:13.39], 72.23 [17:25.62], 71.95 [18:37.57], 71.23 [19:48.80], 70.49 [20:59.29], 71.46 [22:10.75], 63.57 [23:14.32], 67.12 [24:21.44], 65.94 [25:27.38], 60.46 [26:27.84], 60.33 [27:28.17], 54.84);
2. Joe Klecker (OAC) 28:24.50 (56.91, 1:56.75, 2:57.36, 4:03.25) (14:30.41/13:52.35);
3. Sean McGorty (NikBowTC) 28:24.96 (56.61, 1:56.94, 2:58.01, 4:04.20) (14:29.49/13:55.48);
4. Grant Fisher (NikBowTC) 28:25.61 (58.48, 1:58.37, 2:58.81, 4:04.62) (14:30.21/13:55.40);
5. Paul Chelimo (ADP) 28:29.34 (59.54, 2:00.61, 3:02.16, 4:08.80) (14:28.86/14:00.48);
6. Conner Mantz (Nike) 28:29.36 (59.00, 2:01.03, 3:02.28, 4:09.04) (14:29.11/14:00.25);
7. Isai Rodriguez (OkSt) 28:32.79 (62.23, 2:03.82, 3:05.47, 4:11.12);
8. Cole Sprout (Stan) 28:39.54 (63.89, 2:08.69, 3:11.65, 4:17.35);
9. Sam Chelanga (Nike/USAr) 28:52.01; 10. Benjamin Eidenschink (unat) 28:59.36; 11. Tai Dinger (WiRRT) 29:03.00; 12. Brian Shrader (Sauc) 29:03.79; 13. Blaise Ferro (Puma) 29:05.51; 14. Ryan Johnson (USAF) 29:07.25; 15. Ryan Ford (Zap) 29:28.13; 16. Matthew Pereira (CPTC) 29:32.68; 17. Allen Sumrall (Rail) 29:51.52; 18. Willy Fink (UArm) 29:56.54; 19. Habtamu Cheney (UtV) 30:00.60; 20. Jacob McLeod (Ar) 30:22.37;… dnf—Brandon Garnica (RunEl).
