USATF cross country champ Emily Infeld runs world leading 5000m time at Husky Classic...
SEATTLE—One week after winning the USATF cross country title, the Nike Bowerman TC’s Emily Infeld (left/photo by Paul Merca) ran to a closer than expected victory in the featured women’s 5000 meter run to highlight first day action at the Husky Classic at the Dempsey Indoor facility Friday night.
With Bowerman TC teammate and 2017 world championships steeplechase silver medalist Courtney Frerichs setting the pace, Infeld, the 2015 world championships bronze medalist at 10000m tucked behind Frerichs before finishing her pacing duties at the 3200 meter mark.
Infeld and 2016 Olympic triathlon gold medalist Gwen Jorgensen were well clear of the field and ran together after 3200 meters.
On the final lap of the 307-meter oval, Infeld appeared to break away from Jorgensen, only to see the former University of Wisconsin swimmer and runner charge back with 100 meters to go. Infeld had enough race savvy to hold off Jorgensen’s charge, winning the race in 15:15.52, the fastest time in the world (oversized track) this season.
Jorgensen, a two-time Big Ten track and cross country champ at Wisconsin, crushed her previous personal best of 15:52.19 from 2009, running 15:15.64, the second fastest time in the world.
Jorgensen is training with the Bowerman TC, though not on their roster as she makes the transition from triathlete to marathoner.
Five collegians in that race ducked under 16 minutes, compared to nine at the Iowa State Classic, run a few hours before, in a race that has NCAA qualifying implications.
Other highlights:
—In the men’s 5000, 11 collegians (12, counting Division II runner Sydney Gidabuday of Adams State, who was 10th in 13:50.29) ducked under 14 minutes, led by Mike Tate of Southern Utah, who won in a collegiate leading 13:37.33, a little over an hour after Syracuse’s Justyn Knight, the reigning NCAA cross country champion, took the collegiate lead in 13:39.59 at Iowa State.
Spokane native Tanner Anderson of the University of Oregon was fifth in 13:43.74.
In the Iowa State race, sixteen collegians, including Seattle Prep HS grad Joe Hardy of Wisconsin ran under 14 minutes. Hardy finished 13th at Iowa State in 13:51.06.
—In a separate section of the women’s 5000, Washington State cross country All-American Vallery Korir won in a school record 16:07.72;
—The Washington State men and women swept the distance medley relays, with the men winning in 9:49.26, and the women running 11:29.22.
In Albuquerque, New Mexico, Washington freshman Iman Brown was third overall in the women’s 200, as she ran 23.51, breaking her own school record of 23.85 from two weeks ago.at the Don Kirby Invitational hosted by the University of New Mexico.
Oregon’s Lauren Rain Williams won the women’s 200 in 23.16.
The Huskies’ Jason Palmer finished third overall in the men’s 400, as he ran 48.50 to win his heat. Stanford’s Julian Body was the overall winner in 47.90.
Washington State’s highlight at Don Kirby was Zach Smith’s eighth place finish in the mens’ 200, running 21.40.
NOTE: The University of Washington, Washington State University and the University of New Mexico’s sports information office contributed to this report. The IAAF and TFRRS contributed statistical data used in this report.
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