by Larry Eder
The Stanford Invitational is known for its distance races. For me, it is the official opening of the outdoor season. My last indoor meet was in Serbia (March 3-5), and then, we wrote about the fine New Balance Indoor Champs and the NCAA Indoors.
The weather was perfect on March 31, as we sat in the stands, near the 100 meter start at Angell Field. The 5000 meter races were exciting, as Amy Aloise-Neale caught Karissa Schweizer just before the finish, 15:39.30 to 15:39.75, both in personal bests! In the men’s 5000 meters, David Elliot waits until the very, very end, winning in a PB of 13:36.68 as four men fought over the 5000 meter elite race.
We were ready for the 10,000 meter races.
The women’s race went out fast, sub 32 minute pace, as Kellyn Taylor, HOZA NAZ Elite, who took sixth in the Olympic Trials marathon and 4th in the Olympic Trials 10,000 meters, took the lead and began pushing the pace.
Stephanie Bruce, five days after racing in Uganda at the World Cross Country, was in hot pursuit, as was Eilish McColgan, 2017 European Indoor bronze medalist. Charlotte Taylor, San Francisco, was already running the race of her life.
The halfway was reached in 15:52, and Kellyn Taylor was quickly passed by Stephanie Bruce and Anna Rohrer, the Notre Dame sophomore in her 10,000m debut. Over the next ten laps, Rohrer and Bruce battled, as Charlotte Taylor took over third and McColgan and Kellyn Taylor battled over fourth and fifth.
Anna Rohrer has this long stride and high arm carry, and she continued to push. Stephanie Bruce would not let Rohrer go, and Charlotte Taylor was running hard in third. At 8400 meters, Anna Rohrer dropped the pace to sub five minute mile pace and tried to break Stephanie Bruce, but Stephanie was going no where.
At the bell, Anna Rohrer took off, but Stephanie Bruce was battling Rohrer, meter for meter. Anna Rohrer ended up winning in her debut, 31:58.99 to 31:59.88. Eilish McColgan took off over the last lap, regaining third place and running 32:10.59. Charlotte Taylor took fourth in 32:11.39. All four ran personal bests. In fifth, Kellyn Taylor ran 32:16.78.
Anna Rohrer has shown a strong aptitude for the 10,000 meters, and Stephanie Bruce continues to impress. Eilish McColgan needs to build her mid race strength as she can run fast over 10,000 meters and Charlotte Taylor was quite impressive. Kellyn Taylor ran a good opener, and will run faster and smarter this season.
Record Timing – RT Race Data – RT Race Timing – RT Timing Solutions
Stanford Invitational Stanford University -Stanford, California Event 86 Women 10000 Meter Run #1/Invite =============================================================== Name Year School Finals =============================================================== Finals 1 Anna Rohrer Notre Dame 31:58.99 2 Stephanie Bruce NAZ Elite 31:59.88 3 Eilish McColgan Nike 32:10.59 4 Charlotte Taylor San Francisco 32:11.80 5 Kellyn Taylor NAZ Elite 32:16.78 6 bethany sachtleben Saucony Hurricanes 32:50.70 7 Mara Olson adidas RME 33:09.13 8 Jamie Kempfer Missouri 33:09.67 9 Kinsey Gomez Skechers Per 33:12.20 10 Bethan Knights California 33:31.25 11 Veronica Eder Auburn 33:35.73 12 Sharon Lokedi Kansas 33:37.01 13 Jordann McDermitt Eastern Michigan 33:37.37 14 Olivia Pratt Butler 33:46.03 15 Anna Braswell Ole Miss 33:47.22 16 Kaylee Flanagan Washington 33:52.48 17 Jaci Smith Air Force 33:54.99 18 Paige Stoner Syracuse 33:55.69 19 Maggie Schmaedick Oregon 33:56.32 20 Gillian Schriever Pittsburgh 34:05.13 21 Mary Alex England Ole Miss 34:07.45 22 Emily Bean Ole Miss 34:07.57 23 Amy Regan Stevens Institute 34:42.02 -- Elianna Shwayder Harvard DNF
FHT Copyright 2017
The 10,000 meters is a classic distance race. 25 laps around the track. If you are fit, if the conditions are good, and if you have a fast group of runners to run with, the 10,000 meters can be a fine experience.
This elite men’s 10,000 meters as a fine field, with one purpose: to run fast, and get some qualifiers. A pack of eight runners broke off from field early on, and began churning strong laps, putting them in low 28 minute pace. Kemoy Campbell, NB/Jamaica, Ben Bruce, Martin Hehir, bot of HOKA NAZ Elite, Erik Peterson of Butler, Jerrell Mock of Colorado State, Alfred Chelanga of Alabama, and Abbabiya Simbassa of American Distance Project were all there. Martin Hejir pushed the pace as athletes continued to push the pace, as they got closer and closer to a strong 28 minute low pace.
With a lap to go, Kemoy Campbell, Abbabiya Simbasa, and Alfred Chelanga took off. Martin Hejir, who had lead near the end of the race held on, and Ben Bruce, former steeplechaser, was pushing himself on, running a sixteen second personal best (his wife had run a fifteen second PB in the women’s elite 10,000 meters).
Using a 61.6 last lap, Abbabiya Simbasa ran 28:03.83 for the win. Alfred Chelanga ran 28:04.95 for second and Kemoy Campbell ran 28:06.40, a NR for the Jamaican.
Martin Hehir, 28:08.60 and Ben Bruce, 28:09.09, both joined the sub 28:10 club and put two HOKA NAZ Elite with some fast times for 2017.
Record Timing – RT Race Data – RT Race Timing – RT Timing Solutions
Stanford Invitational Stanford University -Stanford, California Event 30 Men 10000 Meter Run #1/Invite =============================================================== Name Year School Finals =============================================================== Finals 1 Abbabiya Simbassa American Dis 28:03.83 2 Alfred Chelanga Alabama 28:04.95 3 Kemoy Campbell New Balance 28:06.40 4 Martin Hehir NAZ Elite 28:08.60 5 Ben Bruce NAZ Elite 28:09.29 6 Erik Peterson Butler 28:11.02 7 Jerrell Mock Colorado St. 28:11.80 8 joseph gray Merrell 28:18.73 9 Miguel Amador Montilla Equipo Porvenir 28:30.55 10 Antibahs Kosgei Alabama 28:35.79 11 George Parsons North Carolina St. 28:43.74 12 Clayton Young BYU 28:45.36 13 Matthew Leach Strava TC / rabbit 28:45.48 14 Grant Fischer Colorado St. 28:45.83 15 Alex Short San Francisco 28:46.83 16 Reed Fischer Drake 28:47.86 17 Matt Baxter Northern Arizona 28:48.02 18 Scott Smith NAZ Elite 28:53.75 19 Gilbert Kirui Iona 28:54.90 20 Joel Reichow South Dakota St. 28:56.24 21 Cory Glines Northern Arizona 29:13.14 22 Brady Johnson Portland 29:19.87 23 jose pena Venezuela 29:38.56 24 Craig Lutz NAZ Elite 29:39.13 -- Aaron Braun NAZ Elite DNF
FHT Copyright 2017
