With an emphatic display of their distance dominance, the Oregon men won their second NCAA team championship in a row on Saturday in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Oregon won the mile, 3,000m, 5,000m and distance medley relay. The Ducks, with 74 points, easily outscored runner-up Florida, who scored 50, while the hosts from Arkansas ended up third with 39. Here’s a recap of the distance races:
Mile: Cheserek Covers All The Moves
How to Estimate Your Lactate Threshold Pace Edward Cheserek crossed the line first to collect yet another individual NCAA title, his sixth. But it wasn’t an easy win, thanks to a spirited effort by the sensation of the indoor season, Montana State senior Cristian Soratos. After the field trudged through a slow first three laps, top seed Soratos suddenly put in a sprint and covered the next 400 meters in 53.4. Only Cheserek and UTEP’s Anthony Rotich stuck with him. With 400m remaining, those three were nearly 50 meters clear of the field, and Rotich lost contact on the penultimate lap. Despite the mid-race 400 meter sprint to stay with Soratos, Cheserek summoned the strength to cover the final 200 meters in 28.26 for a 3:57.94 to 3:59.86 win. Rotich was well back in third in 4:01.78. Oregon also picked up valuable team points from Johnny Gregorek Nutrition - Weight Loss Daniel Winn Health & Injuries.
3,000m: Jenkins Tops Cheserek As Oregon Goes 1-2-3
If Eric Jenkins felt the previous evening’s 5,000m in his legs on Saturday, it didn’t show, as he kicked away from teammate Cheserek to lead Oregon to a 1-2-3 performance that capped the Ducks’ dominating distance display. Virginia Tech junior Thomas Curtin led through 2,000 meters and covered the first 1600m in 4:23.80, too slow to do any damage to the kickers in the field. And certainly too slow to hurt Jenkins, despite the fact he’d won the 5,000 meters the evening before. Jenkins took the lead soon after 2K and Cheserek and Kemoy Campbell of Arkansas followed him. Cheserek went to the front on the final lap but Jenkins responded with a 25.83 final 200 meters to win in 7:58.81. Cheserek followed in 7:59.42 and a third Duck, Will Geoghegan, Health - Injuries.
5,000First Boston Marathon? Heres What to Know
Although senior Campbell of Arkansas was the crowd favorite, Jenkins proved too strong. Last fall’s cross country runner-up, Jenkins validated his top ranking in the 5,000 meters as he won his first national title in 13:48.36. The race started slow with the pack easing by 1600 meters in 4:37 (14:26 pace), but a couple laps later things started getting serious. Craig Lutz of Texas led at 3,000 meters (8:32.83) with everyone was still in it. Lutz remained up front at 3,800 meters before Jenkins took over on the 20th lap to hit 4,000 meters in 11:19.03. And then the real racing began. Campbell put up the best fight and was right on Jenkins’ shoulder with a lap to go, but a final 200 meters in 26.8 helped Jenkins seal the victory over Campbell, 13:48.36 to 13:49.55. Oregon senior Parker Stinson Health & Injuries Will Geoghegan Nutrition - Weight Loss.
Marathon Pace Charts for Fine-Tuning Training?
Oregon sensation Cheserek took the baton nearly three seconds behind unheralded Iowa State and two seconds behind top-seeded Georgetown. But Cheserek made winning look easy. Despite having run a 3:58 mile prelim a few hours earlier, Cheserek sped to a 3:57.68 1600m anchor leg to give Oregon a comfortable DMR victory, 9:30.53 to 9:32.65 over Penn State. Iowa State held on for third in 9:32.48, just 0.03 seconds ahead of Georgetown.
Related:
Mile: Cheserek Covers All The Moves