2019 OUTdoor Season Ends

 I'll get to the NCAA and both High School XC Championships soon, but first a question--
Is Valencia, Spain fast (pun intended!) becoming THE place to run fast 13.1's and 26.2's, as well as a WR in the 10k?
In a previous post, I reported on a fairly fast Half there.
But the Women's Marathon was stunning--for speed and depth!

Reza Dereje took Gold with a solid 2:18:30.
She gets the Age 22 Record, and is 8th A-T World!
Azmera Abreha ran 2:18:33 for the Age 21 Record, and is 10th A-T World!
Berhane Dibaba's 2:18:46 is good for best 3rd Place mark, the Age 26 Record, and it makes her 12th A-T World!
That takes care of the podium!

In 4th came Vivian Cheruiyot, her 2:18:52 the best 4th Place mark, and gives her the Age 36 Record!
Zunela (sp?) Yimer's 2:19:28 is the best 5th Place mark, and makes her 14th A-T World!
Workenesh Edesa's 2:20:24 is the best 6th Place mark!
Purity Rionoripa's 2:20:39 takes the best 7th Place mark!
A Gebremeskel's 2:22:29 is good for the best 8th Place mark!
And Tadelech Bekele's 2:22:53 takes the best 9th Place spot!!
Whew!!

The Men's race wasn't exactly a snorefest!
Kinde Atinaw won it in 2:03:51, and makes him 15th A-T World, tied with 1 other!
K Ozbilen's 2:04:18 is Turkey's new National Record, and makes him 23rd A-T World!1

Then there's a 10k run there also--different date!
Josh Cheptegei ran alone (with pacers??) to a 26:38 Road World Record!!
He was a full 100 seconds ahead of second place!!

I'll return to the Roads later, but let's wrap up the Collegiate and HS Cross Country seasons!!
BYU took the Men's team title with 109 points, with Northern Arizona's 163 nipping Colorado's 164 by 1 point!
Perhaps indicative of strategy over speed, or just the talent level of 2019's NCAA Cross people, but NO marks came close to making my Top 24 A-T lists for this meet!!

MEN
1.   Edwin Kurgat                30:33
2.   Joe Klecker                   30:37
3.   Conner Mantz               30:40
4.   Peter Seufer                  30:40
5.   Vincent Kiprop             30:43
6.   Cooper Teare                30:49
7.   John Dressel                 30:53
8.   Amon Kemboi              30:56
9.   Gilbert Kigen                30:57
10. Jaret Carpenter              30:59

Other notables included Oliver Hoare (18th), top Frosh Drew Bosley (22nd), Alex Ostberg (25th), Sam Worley (27th), and Brodey Hasty (47th).

Arkansas beat BYU with 96 points to 102, with Stanford third with 123 points in the Women's race!
1.   Weini Kelati                    19:48
2.   Alicia Monson                19:57
3.   Katie Izzo                       19:59
4.   Taylor Werner                 20:11
5.   Courtney Wayment         20:16
6.   Erica Birk                       20:16
7.   Whittni Orton                 20:17
8.   Ella Donaghu                 20:18
9.   Ednah Kurgat                 20:18
10. Elly Henes                     20:21

Others included Jessica Lawson (11th), first Frosh Melany Stuart (place?), Callie Logue (15th), Anna Rohrer (17th), Kelsey Chmiel (22nd), Fiona O'Keefe (27th), and Katie Rainsberger in 33rd!

In a windy, rainy, and cloudy NXN, the Men's Record was surprisingly broken!!
1.   Nico Young            14:52.3  (moves from 9th A-T to 1st!)
2.   Josh Methner          15:06.1  (14th A-T)
3.   Caleb Brown           15:08.3  (15th A-T)
4.   Matt Strangio          15:08.8  (16th A-T, tied with 1 other)
5.   Conner Ohlson        15:09.0  (18th A-T, tied with 2 others)
6.   Evan Holland          15:09.6  (22nd A-T)
7.   Cole Sprout             15:10.1
8.   Liam Murphy          15:12.0
9.   Carson Belnap         15:13.4
10. Wil Smith                15:15.9

The first two Women had run faster times previously!
1.   Katelyn Tuohy        17:18.3
2.   Taylor Ewert           17:19.1
3.   Syd Thorvildson     17:19.4  (16th A-T)
4.   Claire Walters         17:28.4
5.   Marlee Starliper      17:35.9
6.   Carly Dorostkov     17:36.4
7.   Brooke Rauber        17:38.6
8.   Charlotte Bedner     17:40.5
9.   Kate Peters              17:43.7
10. Fiona Max               17:50.2

As always, San Diego's Footlocker follows NXN by one week, and there are always a few who double back!
The Men didn't approach the A-T list.
1.   Josh Methner               15:08.8  (moved up from 2nd at NXN)
2.   Carter Solomon           15:16.9
3.   Patrick Anderson         15:18.0
4.   Grayden Morris           15:18.1
5.   Judson Greer                15:22.2
6.   Evan Bishop                 15:23.7
7.   Daniel O'Brien             15:24.1
8.   Kevin Antczak             (??)
9.   Jack Jennings               15:29.4
10. Colton Sands                15:30.0

Women had 3 revisions to my list!
1.   Zofia Dudek                 16:45.0  (8th A-T)
2.   Marlee Starliper           16:46.8  (9th A-T--up from 5th at NXN)
3.   Abby Vanderkooi         16:55.2  (13th A-T)
4.   Katelynn Hart               17:14.4
5.   Jenna Hutchins             17:16.1
6.   Taylor Ewert                 17:16.4  (down from 2nd at NXN!)
7.   Syd Masciartelli            17:19.4
8.   Carly McNatt                17:32.6
9.   Kate Wiser                    17:35.9
10. Tatum David                 17:37.8

Taken OFF my list was a HS legend--Jordan Hasay!!

OK, a bit more, and we'll close out the 2019 OUTdoor season (except for my picks for Athlete of the Year for the World and US!!).

Is Fukuoka losing it's historic place in the pantheon of Marathons?
That the winning time (for Mahjoulo Dazzi) was just 2:07:10 doesn't say much for my including it in future reports!

A race in the United Arab Emirates fared better!
Reuben Kiprop--who began the race as the rabbit!!) took the W in 2:04:40!
(Is his career as pacer over??  LOL)
Vivian Kiplagat won the Women's race in 2:21:11.

In the 50k Walk in Takahata, Japan, Masatara Kawano Walked a Japan National Record--and World Leading!--time of 3:36:45!!

In the USATF Club XC Championships, Morgab Pearson took the Men's race in 29:59.
But in the Women's 6k, a VERY interesting 1-2 happened!
A one time HS stud named Aisling Cuffe took the race in 20:07.
Who did she beat?
The CURRENT High School star--Katelyn Tuohy--who ran 20:11.
One for the history books, if you ask me!!

Finally, in a Hawaii Road Mile, Ed Cheserek (3:53.3) and Elle Purrier (4:26.0) were the winners!1

Next--my World and US AOY's!!