Seattle's Jamie Cheever runs season best in steeple at Hoka One One Middle Distance Classic...

LOS ANGELES—Seattle resident Jamie Cheever (left/photo by Paul Merca) won the top section of the women’s 3000 steeplechase at the Hoka One One Middle Distance Classic at Jack Kemp Stadium on the campus of Occidental College Friday night, as she lowered her time down to a season best 9:37.12. 

In the process, Cheever, who is sponsored by Seattle-based Oiselle and runs for Club Northwest, towed three Oiselle sponsored athletes—2012 US Olympian Shalaya Kipp, Pasco alum Marisa Howard, and University of Washington alum Mel Lawrence, all under the Olympic Games standard of 9:45.00.

For Lawrence in fourth, her time of 9:43.90 was the fastest time she’s run as a professional, and the fastest since running 9:40.98 as a University of Washington undergrad in 2009.  Lawrence has gone through some injuries over the last few years before getting herself with a good training situation under the Oiselle Little Wing group with her sister and WSU alum Collier Lawrence in Bend, Oregon.

Another athlete with Washington ties that got the Olympic standard Friday night was Seattle Pacific alum Jessica Tebo, who ran a season best 15:21.88 to finish second in the women’s 5000 to get under the Olympic standard of 15:24.00.

Tebo, who ran for the Seattle based Brooks Beasts the last two seasons, is now back in Boulder training under University of Colorado coach Mark Wetmore, who coached her as a fifth-year senior at CU in 2012.  Tebo’s mark is just short of her personal best of 15:18.17 set two years ago.

Other highlights:

—In the women’s 800, Seattle’s Phoebe Wright was third in the women’s 800 in 2:01.03; 

—Washington alum Katie Mackey, who has the Olympic standard already, was third in the women’s 1500 in 4:06.33; 

—In the men’s 1500, Auburn-Riverside alum Jordan McNamara was second in the men’s 1500 in 3:38.26.

Comments