Interview with Matt Gibney at Harry Jerome Track Classic

Matt Gibney Chasing Fast 1500 in Vancouver

Matt Gibney is entered in the elite 1500 meter race at this weekend's Harry Jerome International Track Classic in Vancouver. Last weekend he ran a 3:43.01 1500 in New Jersey and is likely to find himself in a fast-paced race here. The start list showcases Canadian 1500 champion Nathan Brannen. Six in the race have run faster than Gibney this year, so he looks to get towed to a new SB. Here's the start list.

TIMEX Men’s 1500m PR/SB NTL

Nathan Brannen’82 3:34.65/3:36.98 CAN
Taylor Milne’81 3:36.00/3:37.20 CAN
Geoff Martinson’86 3:39.12/3:39.58 CAN
Ryan Foster’88 3:41.26/3:41.26 AUS
Anthony Berkis’89 3:42.54/3:42.54 CAN
Peter Corrigan’89 3:43.76/3:43.76 CAN
Mathew Gibney’88 3:40.58/3:44.38 AUS
Diego Borrego’88 3:43.32/3:45.37 MEX
Kyle Boorsma’88 3:40.55/3:45.86 CAN
Justin Marpole Bird’88 3:44.53/3:46.91 CAN
Matt Lincoln’82 3:38.44/3:47.42 CAN

Frances Koons after USATF 5000 meters

Nicole Schappert & Frances Koons to Test Manchester Mile

Field for ‘Mile’ an Elite One
By JOHN HABIB
New Hampshire Union Leader
Published Jun 28, 2011


If runners weren’t excited enough about the first HASLAW Manchester Mile, wait until they see the field of elite runners planning to participate in the race.

Race director and coordinator John Mortimer released names of nine men and five women elite runners who will compete in the mile run, set for Sunday at 10 a.m. on Bridge Street near Derryfield Park. Also, a 5k race will commence at 9:15 a.m.

The downhill course, which features a 188-foot drop from the starting line to the finish line at Pulaski Park, promises, according to Mortimer, to be one of the fastest mile runs in the country. The world record is 3:43. Since the course is downhill, Mortimer has said no world record can be officially set but, with many talented runners in the field, there’s a good chance someone could topple the 3:43 time.

Top male runners supplied by Mortimer include Rob Novak of the New York Athletic Club, Liam Boylan-Pett of the New Jersey-New York Track Club/Powerbar and 2011 Millennium Mile champion Brian Gagnon of Lowell, Mass.

Novak, a former high school national 800-meters champion who later became an NCAA All-American and Big East champ for Seton Hall, has a personal best time of 3:59.70 for the one mile.

Boylan-Pett, an NCAA All-American and three-time Ivy League champion from Columbia University, has achieved personal best times of 3:56.4 for the one-mile on the roads, 3:59.7 on the track and 1:46.0 for the 800 meters.

Gagnon, who impressed with his 3:54 time in the 2011 Millennium Mile, is a two-time NCAA All American from the University of Connecticut.

Michael Rutt and Aidan Walsh, both from the New Jersey/New York Track Club, are in the field along with former Ivy League champ Jeff Moriarty of Westwood, Mass., Kevin Alliette of New Balance Boston, Tim Ritchie of the Boston Athletic Association and Justin Lutz of the United States Navy.

Rutt of Sinking Springs, Pa., is a former Big East Athlete of the Year from the University of Connecticut. His specialty is in middle distance running, posting a personal-best time of 1:46.63 for 800 meters. His teammate, Walsh, was a bronze medalist at the 2004 Irish Olympic Trials (1,500 meters) and he’s an eight-time NCAA Northeast Conference Champion.

Moriarty was the Ivy League champion in the 800-meters and 1,000-meters in 2010 while at Columbia. He still holds the school record in the 800-meters (1:47) which is a personal best. Alliette was an NCAA Division II All-American at UMass-Lowell and a former New England 1,000 meters champ.

Ritchie was the 2010 USATF-New England cross country champion and, while running for Boston College, was honored as an All-ACC athlete in track and cross country. Lutz, of Framingham, Mass., has run a mile in 4:09. Another runner to watch is Sam Horn of Reading, Mass., who has run a 4:02 mile.

The women’s field is just impressive, beginning with Frances Koons (New Balance), a kidney cancer survivor and former Villanova University star. Koons was a nine-time NCAA All American and a seven-time Big East champion for the Wildcats. Koons owns personal bests of 4:31.5 for the one-mile and 15:43.8 for the 5k race.



Nicole Blood (Nike) of Saratoga, N.Y., while running for the University of Oregon, was a nine-time NCAA All American, a four-time PAC-10 champion, and she broke her school record in the 5,000 meters. Her personal-best times are 4:38.8 in the mile and 15:38.6 in the 5k.

Julie Culley ( NYAC) was an NCAA All American for Rutgers University. The Clinton, N.J., resident has qualified for three USA National World Championship teams (2008 World Indoor Championships in the 3,000 meters, the 2009 World Cross Country Championships, and the 2010 Outdoor World Championship 5,000 meters). She has personal best times of 15:21 for 5k and 4:34 in the mile.

Two other elite runners to watch are Nicole Schappert (N.J.-N.Y. Track Club), a three-time NCAA All American at Villanova and Caitlin Malloy (New Balance Boston) from Medford, Mass., a four-time Division III All-American for Tufts University. Schappert has run a personal-best time of 4:35 in the mile.

Villanova Signee Alex Wasik 2nd in Pole Vault at Nike Track Nationals

Villanova recruit Alex Wasik, the defending Ohio Division 1 state pole vault champion, took second at this past weekend's Nike Track Nationals. Wasik also ran 15.55 in the 100 meter hurdles, good for 9th place.

Womens Pole Vault

Name Yr School Finals H# Pts
1. Monteverde, Angina 12 Clovis West 3.81m (12'6) 1
2. Wasik, Alexandra 12 Medina 3.53m (11'6.75) 1
3. Kallenberger, Britta 11 LS West 3.53m (11'6.75) 1
4. Bowser, Haley 12 Chandler 3.53m (11'6.75) 1
5. Parrish, Elizabeth 10 Kentwood 2.93m (9'7.25) 1
6. Mullins, T'Kara 10 Pine Forest (Pen 2.83m (9'3.25) 1
7. Crowe, Elena 11 Harv-Wst 2.83m (9'3.25) 1
8. Bredemus, Therese 12 Hopkins High Sch 2.83m (9'3.25) 1
9. Brown, Alexis 10 Delsea 2.63m (8'7.5) 1
10. Wesley, Jaylon 9 De Soto 2.13m (6'11.75) 1
11. Wright, Chelsea 10 Western Branch 2.13m (6'11.75) 1

Blincoe Back in Gear with 3:38.48 in Poland -- Best 1500 since 2005

Adrian Blincoe has started his 2011 outdoor season with a nice opening salvo in Szczecin, Poland, on Saturday where the former Villanova great and current assistant coach went 3:38.48 over 1500 meters (equivalent to a 3:56.3 mile). This opening time for 2011 already surpasses his seasons best times for the past five years. Blincoe has been struggling with injuries for the past several months, but seems to be in a position now to plan his quest for the 2012 Olympics. He's the New Zealand National Record holder at 5000 meters (13:10.19).

Men's 1500
6 3 Benson SEUREI 88-01-01 KENYA(KEN) 3:36.72
8 1 Mulugeta WONDIMU 85-02-28 ETHIOPIA(ETH) 3:37.23
15 15 Artur OSTROWSKI 88-07-10 TS Olimpia Poznań(POL) 3:37.57 PB
16 16 Szymon KRAWCZYK 88-12-29 PLKS Gwda Piła(POL) 3:38.09 PB
10 4 Bartosz NOWICKI 84-02-26 WKS Śląsk Wrocław(POL) 3:38.24
9 5 Adrian BLINCOE 79-11-04 NEW ZEALAND(NZL) 3:38.48
3 11 Oleksandr BORYSYUK 85-12-09 UKRAINE(UKR) 3:39.10 SB
1 19 Łukasz KUJAWSKI 88-03-02 SKLA Sopot(POL) 3:39.92 PB
11 7 Jeremy ROFF 84-08-11 AUSTRALIA(AUS) 3:40.27
17 17 Krzysztof ŻEBROWSKI 90-07-09 ULKS Macovia Maków Mazowiecki(POL) 3:41.33 PB
14 13 Damian ROSZKO 91-11-11 KS Podlasie Białystok(POL) 3:41.84 PB
13 10 Łukasz PARSZCZYŃSKI 85-05-04 KS Podlasie Białystok(POL) 3:41.85
2 14 Szymon SZNURA 90-03-07 OŚ AZS Poznań(POL) 3:43.33 PB
4 8 Morten MUNKHOLM 85-09-22 DENMARK(DEN) 3:43.37
5 6 Mateusz DEMCZYSZAK 86-01-18 WKS Śląsk Wrocław(POL) 3:43.71
12 9 Adam CZERWIŃSKI 88-10-02 WKS Wawel Kraków(POL) 3:43.94
7 2 Ismael KOMBICH 85-08-16 KENYA(KEN) 3:48.30
1 18 Dickson TUWEI 92-08-31 KENYA(KEN) DNF

Photos of Reid over Elmore at Canadian Nationals 1500

FitzSimons Injured at USA Junior Championships

Villanova's freshman 800 meter ace Chris FitzSimons entered this weekend's USA Junior championships in Eugene as one of the favorites in the 800 meters. He was last year's 3rd place finisher and both men who came home in front of him in 2010 (Casimir Loxsom of Penn State and Robbie Andrews of Virginia) had "graduated" out of Juniors to the Senior rank. Unfortunately for FitzSimons, he was injured -- and based on the video very painfully so -- in the midst of his 800 preliminary race. The initial diagnosis is that Chris has suffered a hernia. No word yet on the necessity of surgery or the rehabilitation timeline. Stay tuned for updates.

More on Sheila Reid's Canadian 1500 Title

Reid, Brannen win 1500m titles at Canadian championships
June 25, 2011
By Mihira Lakshman, Canadian Running

It’s been a June that Sheila Reid will likely never forget. The 21-year-old from Newmarket, Ont., added a Canadian championship to her already impressive resume, winning the women’s 1500m in 4:16.97, Saturday in Calgary.

Reid, who represents Athletics Toronto, upset veterans Malindi Elmore and Hilary Stellingwerf with a slick pass along the inside rail on the homestretch. She made a similar move when she won the NCAA 1500m title two weeks earlier.

“That seems to be my new thing,” Reid told CBC Sports. “My last 100 is always on fire.”

It’s been a breakthrough year for Reid, who also won the NCAA 5000m title and cross-country championship this season. “I’ve been working my butt off. I trained myself to the best shape of my life this year. It’s really exciting to come back to Canada and win these championships.”

Also on Saturday, Nate Brannen of Cambridge, Ont., edged Speed River’s Taylor Milne in a sprint over the final 100m, taking the men’s 1500m title in 3:50.33.

On Friday, Hamilton’s Reid Coolsaet, representing Speed River, completed the 10,000m, 5000m double, winning the 5K in a relatively slow 14:09.83.

Another Crown for Reid: Wins Canadian National 1500 Title

Sheila Reid did not let the historic 1500-5000 double at the NCAA championships satisfy her competitive drive. Today in Calgary, Reid captured her first Canadian national championship, winning the 1500 meter title in 4:16.97. She defeated Hilary Stellingwerff (4:17.44) by half a second and stalwart Malindi Elmore (4:17.85) by almost a full second. Both Stellingwerff and Elmore own faster 1500 PRs, but the race developed into a sit-and-kick affair and, as demonstrated in her two NCAA wins, Sheila Reid has a very dangerous kick.


Event 9 Women 1500 Meter Run
================================================================================
Canadian: $ 4:00.27 1985-08-30 Lynn Williams
Championship: % 4:04.51 2004 Malindi Elmore
Name Year Team Seed Finals Points
================================================================================
Finals
1 Reid, Sheila 89 Athletics Toronto 4:11.85 4:16.97
2 Stellingwerff, Hilary 81 Speed River Tfc 4:06.99 4:17.44
3 Elmore, Malindi 80 Ucac 4:09.10 4:17.85
4 Van Buskirk, Kate 87 Athletics Toronto 4:15.37 4:24.39
5 Cliff, Rachel L. 88 Speed River Tfc 4:18.45 4:31.73
6 Hinther, Ashley 84 PR Athletics Track 4:18.82 4:35.99
7 Wyman, Jillian 89 Ontario Unat 4:25.50 4:39.55
8 Digby, Erica M. 89 Unattach BC 4:39.97
9 Roy, Joanie 91 LE Coureur Nordique 4:33.28 4:42.02
10 Hughes, Mélanie 90 Corsaire Chaparal 4:29.55 4:45.65

Ward 5th in Heat -- Fails to Advance in USATF 100 meter Hurdles

Villanova senior All-American Shericka Ward finished 5th in her heat, and 22nd of 27 competitors today in the 100 meter hurdles. She failed to qualify for the semi-finals.


Heat 2 Wind: +2.5

Place Athlete Name Affiliation Time Qual
1 Lolo Jones Asics 12.73 Q
2 Nichole Denby unattached 12.78 Q
3 Dawn Harper Nike 12.80 Q
4 Jasmin Stowers L S U 13.10 q
5 Shericka Ward Villanova University 13.30
6 Vanneisha Ivy unattached 13.31
7 LaTisha Holden Arizona 13.39

Rhines Doubles Back to 4th in 5000 -- Koons 12th

Having the night before already made the USA World Championship team at 10,000 meters, Jen Rhines said that she wanted to have fun in the 5000. She finished a strong fourth in the 5000 meters Friday night in 15:19.12, behind AR holder Molly Huddle, Amy Hastings, and Angela Bizzarri. Also in the race, former Villanova All-American Frances Koons finished 12th in 15:45, 26 seconds behind Rhines. Koons stayed in the the top 5-6 runners through 2500 meters, but the pace picked up over the last 2000 and Huddle, Bizzarri, Hastings, and Rhines separated themselves. Huddle gapped everyone over the final 800 meters and won easily.


1 Molly Huddle Saucony 15:10.01
2 Amy Hastings Brooks 15:14.31
3 Angela Bizzarri Brooks 15:16.04
4 Jennifer Rhines adidas 15:19.12
5 Julie Culley New York Athletic Club (NYAC) 15:21.18
6 Desiree Davila Hansons-Brooks Distance Projec 15:25.35
7 Neely Spence Shippensburg 15:27.72
8 Lauren Fleshman Nike 15:31.26
9 Alissa McKaig ZAP Fitness Reebok 15:33.40
10 Kim Conley unattached 15:38.13
11 Elizabeth Maloy New Balance 15:38.74
12 Frances Koons New Balance 15:45.25
13 Sara Slattery unattached 15:54.21
14 Kellyn Johnson McMillan Elite / adidas 16:07.18
15 Meghan Armstrong Team USA Minnesota / Asics 16:12.79
DNF Renee Metivier Baillie Nike
DNS Jordan Hasay Oregon
DNS Jackie Areson unattached
DNS Shannon Rowbury Nike
DNS Amy Begley Nike
DNS Kara Goucher Oregon TC Elite
DNS Shalane Flanagan Oregon TC Elite
DNS Jennifer Simpson New Balance

Jen Rhines 3rd at USATF 10,000 -- Makes USA World Team

Jen Rhines made yet another Team USA tonight, qualifying for the US World Championship team by virtue of a typically professional performance in the USATF 10,000 meter championship race. Shalane Flanagan ran away from everyone else in the race, gapping everyone else by 40 meters within the first mile (4:52). Jen Rhines and Kara Goucher ran as tandem, also detached from the rest of the pack, but not in contact with Flanagan. Goucher sat behind Rhines for about 8000 meters and then left Rhines behind in a decisive surge. Goucher never threatened Flanagan, who won by 17 seconds in 30:59. All Rhines had to do was not get caught from behind and stay in third. Desi Davila closed the gap to Rhines somewhat, but was till 7 seconds in arrears at the finish.

1 Shalane Flanagan Oregon TC Elite 30:59.97
2 Kara Goucher Oregon TC Elite 31:16.65
3 Jennifer Rhines adidas 31:30.37
4 Desiree Davila Hansons-Brooks Distance Projec 31:37.14
5 Magdalena Lewy Boulet Saucony 31:48.58
6 Amy Begley Nike 32:34.75
7 Anne Bersagel New Balance Silicon Valley / A 32:54.08
8 Cassandra Slade Boulder Running Company/adidas 32:55.98
9 Sarah Porter unattached 32:57.15
10 Allison Grace Morgan ZAP Fitness Reebok 32:57.57
11 Emily Brown Team USA Minnesota / Asics 33:00.74
12 Danielle Stack Iowa State University 33:04.17
13 Katherine Newberry New York Athletic Club (NYAC) 33:05.31
14 Kathryn Matthews Boston U 33:11.00
15 Addie Bracy Carrboro Athletics Club 33:13.75
16 Nicole Feest Boulder Running Company/adidas 33:15.70
17 Tara Erdmann unattached 33:17.54
18 Stephanie Marcy Stanford 33:18.18
19 Bridget Lyons Georgia 33:24.95
20 Alisha Williams Boulder Running Company/adidas 33:32.59
21 Liz Costello Tennessee 33:52.55
22 Jeannette Faber Boston AA 33:52.95
23 Kim Ruck Clemson University 33:54.64
24 Kristina Vegh Sun Elite 34:05.64
25 Kara Millhouse Penn State 34:22.20
26 Zoila Gomez unattached 34:24.77
DNF Megan Hogan Team USA Minnesota / Asics
DNF Rachel Booth New Balance Silicon Valley / A

Curtis 4th in USATF 10,000 -- Misses World Team (for now)

Tonight witnessed a typical slow, tactical championship race in the men's 10,000. The race was won by Galen Rupp in 28:38 -- a full 85-90 seconds slower than his PR. Bobby Curtis finished in the dreaded 4th place in 28:42 (78 seconds slower than his PR) and seems to be off the World Championship team (the top 3 make the team, even if -- as in Scott Bauhs' case in 3rd -- one of the 3 only has the WC "B" standard). Curtis has the "A" standard, but failed to finish in the top three tonight. Interestingly, both Galen Rupp and Matt Tegenkamp are scheduled to run in the 5000 Friday. If either finishes in the top 3 in that race, they'll be facing a choice to run the 10,000 or 5000 at the World Championships. If one opts for the 5000, then Bobby Curtis will make the USA team at 10,000. For now, he's off to London for a 5000 race next week.

Men's 10,000 Meters

1 Galen Rupp Nike 28:38.17
2 Matt Tegenkamp Oregon TC Elite 28:39.97
3 Scott Bauhs adidas 28:40.51
4 Robert Curtis Reebok 28:42.50
5 Tim Nelson Oregon TC Elite 28:43.41
6 Ryan Vail Brooks 28:45.60
7 Aaron Braun McMillan Elite / adidas 28:48.31
8 James Strang unattached 28:49.28
9 Bobby Mack unattached 28:51.99
10 Scott Smith McMillan Elite / adidas 28:53.13
11 David Jankowski ZAP Fitness Reebok 28:53.63
12 Christopher Landry unattached 28:54.94
13 Jorge Torres Reebok 28:55.74
14 Nick Arciniaga McMillan Elite / adidas 28:57.64
15 Abdi Abdirahman Nike 28:57.79
16 Luke Puskedra Oregon 29:02.12
17 Patrick Smyth Nike 29:05.90
18 Charlie Serrano Run Racing TC 29:15.20
19 Jason Hartmann Nike 29:15.91
20 Sergio Reyes Asics Aggie Running Club 29:17.65
DNF Stephen Haas New Balance
DNF Brian Olinger Reebok
DNS Chris Solinsky Oregon TC Elite

Ellen Dougherty Fails to Advance in USATF 1500

Ellen Dougherty was off her game today in the 1500 meter preliminaries and did not advance. She recently ran a creditworthy 4:17.18, but couldn't match that time today. She went 4:24.39 in heat #1.


Heat 1 -- Women's 1500

1 Jennifer Simpson New Balance 4:14.20 Q
2 Gabriele Anderson Team USA Minnesota / Asics 4:14.25 Q
3 Anna Pierce Nike 4:14.32 Q
4 Shannon Rowbury Nike 4:14.40 Q
5 Treniere Moser Nike 4:14.41 q
6 Jackie Areson unattached 4:14.42 q
7 Lauren Hagans Asics 4:14.86
8 Erin Donohue Nike 4:15.11
9 Sara Vaughn adidas 4:15.30
10 Lauren Bonds adidas Raleigh Track Club 4:16.21
11 Lauren Centrowitz New Balance 4:16.59
12 Brittany Sheffey Tennessee 4:21.20
13 Katrina Drennen unattached 4:22.64
14 Ellen Dougherty New York Athletic Club (NYAC) 4:24.39

Sheila Reid: 1st Team All-American in the Classroom

Capital One Academic All-America Women's Track & Field/Cross Country Team - University Division

The 15 members of the Capital One Academic All-America ® Women’s Track & Field/Cross Country University first team have an average G.P.A. of 3.89.

Seven of the first team selections have perfect 4.00 G.P.A.’s.

Jordan Hasay is joined on the Capital One Academic All-America® University Division Women’s Track & Cross Country first team by two repeat selections, seniors Whitney Carlson of North Dakota State and Kimberly Williams of Florida State.

A second team pick in 2010, senior Ashley Cattran of Dayton also was named to the first team. A pair of third team honorees last year, seniors Kelly Phillips of Virginia Tech and Natalie Willer of Nebraska, were also named to the first team this year.

Seniors Mary Angell of Kentucky, Olivia Johnson of Marquette, Nora Mehl of UAB, Sofie Persson of Mississippi and Sheila Reid of Villanova also earned first team honors. Graduate students Vera Neuenswander of Indiana and Kate Niehaus of Stanford join juniors Tara Diebold of Arkansas and Chanelle Price of Tennessee to complete the Capital One Academic All-America® University Division first team.

A zoology major with a 4.00 G.P.A., Carlson earned third team Academic All-America® honors as a sophomore and was named to the first team the last two years. A first team All-American after finishing fifth in the heptathlon at the NCAA Outdoor Meet, she won 15 Summit League titles in her career at North Dakota State. The winner of the NCAA Elite 88 Award, she is also the recipient of an NCAA post-graduate scholarship. A native of Buchanan, N.D., she was the Summit League Indoor Athlete of the Year twice and won the Outdoor award once. Carlson will attend dental school at the University of Nebraska.

The most decorated women’s track and field performer in Florida State history, Williams is a business administration major with a 3.50 G.P.A. The top collegiate jumper in the country, she was the NCAA Indoor champion in the triple jump. A native of Kingston, Jamaica, Williams finished her career with 12 Atlantic Coast Conference titles. The first female in ACC history to win four straight indoor and outdoor triple jump titles, she is a five-time NCAA champion and a nine-time All-American. Williams was named as the ACC Track Scholar-Athlete of the Year for the second time.

A pre-med major with a 3.98 G.P.A., Cattran was named as the Atlantic 10 Conference Track Student-Athlete of the Year twice for Dayton. A member of the Atlantic 10 champion indoor distance medley relay team, Cattran finished ninth in the 1500-meter run at the Atlantic 10 Meet. An All-Atlantic 10 selection, the Centerville, Ohio native helped the Flyers finish second in the A-10 Outdoor Championship Meet.

The pole vault record holder at Virginia Tech, Phillips is a biology major carrying a perfect 4.00 G.P.A. The winner of the Elite 88 award at the NCAA Meet, she was the two-time Atlantic Coast Conference indoor pole vault champion. Phillips is the recipient of the ACC’s Weaver-James-Corrigan graduate scholarship. The co-president of the Student Athlete Advisory Council, the Blacksburg, Va. native was an All-American in the indoor season.

A biological sciences and philosophy major with a 3.92 G.P.A., Willer owns the indoor and outdoor pole vaulting records at Nebraska. A four-time Big 12 Conference champion in the pole vault, she earned All-American honors three times in her career. Willer helped Nebraska win the 2011 Big 12 Conference indoor track title. A two-year captain of the Cornhuskers, the Elkhorn, Neb. native was also the USA and Pan-Am pole vaulting champion in 2009.

The 2011 Southeastern Conference runner-up in the discus throw, Angell has a double major of kinesiology and exercise science with a 3.80 G.P.A. A native of Byron Center, Mich., she was Kentucky’s top scorer at the SEC Championship with 14 points. She placed third in the shot put at the SEC Meet to qualify for the NCAA Meet. She finished her career ranked third on UK’s all-time list of discus and shot put leaders.

An accounting major holding a perfect 4.00 G.P.A., Johnson was the captain of the Marquette cross country squad. As a senior, she was Marquette’s top finisher in every race. A native of Milford, Iowa, she also competed in the 1500-meter run. A three-time BIG EAST All-Academic selection, she was the winner of the 2011 Delta Sigma Pi Golden Key Award. Johnson is also a member of Beta Gamma Sigma.

Honored as the Conference USA Scholar-Athlete of the Year, Mehl is a psychology major with a 4.00 G.P.A. at UAB. The UAB record holder in the high jump, she earned all-conference honors and finished fourth in the high jump. A native of Rottwell, Germany, she won back-to-back Conference-USA titles in the indoor pentathlon.

An honorable mention All-American in the 400-meter hurdles, Persson is a marketing major with a 3.83 G.P.A. at Mississippi. She also earned All-American honors at the NCAA Indoor Meet by finishing third in the 800-meter run. The school record holder in four different events, the Helsingborg, Sweden native was recognized as the top marketing student in the UM Business School.

The winner of the Honda Award (Most Outstanding Female Athlete of the Year) for cross country, Reid led Villanova to its second consecutive national championship as a senior. An English major with a 3.37 G.P.A., she was the NCAA individual cross country champion. She also took first place at the BIG EAST Championship and the NCAA Regional Meet. A native of Newmarket, Ontario, Canada, she was an 11-time BIG EAST champion and a seven-time All-American for the Wildcats. Reid also anchored Villanova’s NCAA champion indoor distance medley relay team.

A graduate student with a 4.00 G.P.A. who is working on her Master’s degree in counseling, Neuenswander won the 2011 Big Ten Conference championship in the pole vault and tied the conference record. A three-time All-American for Indiana, she was the NCAA runner-up in the pole vault in 2009. A native of Jefferson City, Mo., she earned her undergraduate degree in Social Studies and had a 4.00 G.P.A.

A member of Stanford’s back-to-back NCAA champion cross country teams in 2006 and 2007, Niehaus is a graduate student working on her Master’s degree in bioengineering with a perfect 4.00 G.P.A. The winner of the NCAA Elite 88 Award in 2009, she was a two-time NCAA qualifier for the Outdoor Championship Meet. A native of Columbia, S.C., Niehaus was the Pacific-10 Conference runner-up in the 10,000-meter run in 2009.

A two-time All-American pole vaulter at Arkansas, Diebold is a communication disorders major with a perfect 4.00 G.P.A. A native of Branson, Mo., she helped the seventh-ranked Razorbacks finish third at the Southeastern Conference Outdoor Meet. She was named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll twice and finished sixth in the pole vault in the 2011 NCAA Indoor Championship Meet.

The Southeastern Conference champion in the indoor and outdoor 800-meter run in 2011, Price is majoring in journalism and electronic media and has a 3.92 G.P.A. A member of Tennessee’s NCAA champion distance medley relay team in 2009 and 2010, Price is a seven-time All-American. A five-time All-SEC honoree, the Easton, Pa. native was honored as the co-winner of the SEC Women’s Track and Field Scholar Athlete of the Year award in 2011.

FIRST TEAM
Name School Dist. Yr. Hometown G.P.A. Major
Mary Angell Kentucky IV Sr. Byron Center, Mich. 3.80 Kinesiology, Exercise Sci.
Whitney Carlson (1) # North Dakota State VII Sr. Buchanan, N.D. 4.00 Zoology
Ashley Cattran (2) Dayton IV Sr. Centerville, Ohio 3.98 Pre-Med
Tara Diebold Arkansas VI Jr. Branson, Mo. 4.00 Communication Disorders
Jordan Hasay Oregon VIII So. Arroyo Grande, Calif. 3.96 Human Physiology
Olivia Johnson Marquette V Sr. Milford, Iowa 4.00 Accounting
Nora Mehl UAB IV Sr. Rottweil, Germany 4.00 Psychology
Vera Neuenswander # Indiana V Gr. Jefferson City, Mo. 4.00 Social Studies Ed./Counseling
Kate Niehaus Stanford VIII Gr. Columbia, S.C. 4.00 Bioengineering
Sofie Persson Mississippi VI Sr. Helsingborg, Sweden 3.83 Marketing
Kelly Phillips (3) Virginia Tech III Sr. Blacksburg, Va. 4.00 Biology
Chanelle Price Tennessee IV Jr. Easton, Pa. 3.92 Journalism & Electronic Media
Sheila Reid Villanova II Sr. Newmarket, Ontario 3.37 English
Natalie Willer (3) Nebraska VII Sr. Elkhorn, Neb. 3.92 Biological Sci. / Psychology
Kimberly Williams (1) Florida State III Sr. Kingston, Jamaica 3.50 Business Administration

SECOND TEAM
Name School Dist. Yr. Hometown G.P.A. Major
Brigetta Barrett Arizona VIII So. New York, N.Y. 3.57 Theater Arts
Sarah-Anne Brault West Virginia II Jr. Winnipeg, Manitoba 3.96 Economics
Brittany Burns Marist I Gr. Watertown, N.Y. 3.96 Education Psychology
Kaitlyn Dugan New Hampshire I Sr. Hatfield, Pa. 3.98 Chemistry
Betsy Graney William & Mary III Sr. Harper Woods, Mich. 3.94 Kinesiology & Health Sci.
Rhiannon Johns UAB IV Jr. Sault Ste.Marie,Ont.,Can. 4.00 Mathematics
Anne Kesselring Oregon VIII So. Nurnberg, Germany 4.10 Undeclared
Bridget Lyons Georgia III Sr. Evans, Ga. 3.88 Biology / Spanish
Ashley Miller Nebraska VII Jr. Tipton, Iowa 3.83 Nutritional Science & Dietetics
Kaitlyn Peale (3) Michigan IV Sr. Columbus, Ohio 3.92 Industrial & Operations Eng.
Trecey Rew Northwestern State VI Gr. Garland, Texas 3.86 Communications; Sport Ad.
Amy Shackelford Stephen F. Austin VI Sr. Port Neches, Texas 4.00 Secondary Education
Faith Sherrill Indiana V Sr. Ft. Wayne, Ind. 3.59 Elementary Education
Jessica Ubanyionwu Baylor VI Jr. El Paso, Texas 3.96 Health Sci. Studies (Pre-Med)
Stephanie Wilson Santa Clara VIII Sr. San Jose, Calif. 3.90 English

THIRD TEAM
Name School Dist. Yr. Hometown G.P.A. Major
Yolanda Berryhill Georgia State III Sr. Leesburg, Ga. 3.74 Exercise Science
Chelsea Blanchard Indiana V Jr. Ft. Wayne, Ind. 3.97 Visual Art Education
Keri Bland West Virginia II Sr. Fairview, W.Va. 3.37 Mathematics & Sec. Educ.
Brittany Borman Oklahoma VI Jr. Festus, Mo. 3.66 Health & Exercise Science
Sarah Callister Weber State VIII So. Ogden, Utah 4.00 Nursing
Corey Conner Maine I Jr. Townsend, Mass. 3.82 Nursing
Kianna Elahi Iowa State VII Jr. Omaha, Neb. 3.72 Chemical Engineering
Kelsey Hanley Indiana State V Sr. Arcadia, Ind. 3.42 Safety Management
Lauren McNamara Southeast Missouri St. VII Sr. Breese, Ill. 4.00 Mass Comm., Spanish
Sarah Pease Indiana V Sr. Elizabeth, Ind. 3.68 Human Biology
Kristin Reffett Murray State IV Sr. Evansville, Ind. 4.00 Business Admin., Accounting
April Rotilio West Virginia II Sr. Bellaire, Ohio 3.72 Ex. Physiology; Phys.Therapy
Ashley Schnell UNC-Greensboro III Jr. Lincoln, Neb. 4.00 Music
Renee Tomlin Georgetown II Gr. Ocean City, N.J. 3.61 French; Linguistics
Emily Zimmerman Dayton IV Jr. Dayton, Ohio 4.00 Adolescence-Young Adult Ed.

Capital One Academic All-American of the Year: Jordan Hasay, Oregon


(1) Capital One Academic All-America 1st team selection in 2010 # Capital One Academic All-America 3rd team in 2009
(2) Capital One Academic All-America 2nd team selection in 2010
(3) Capital One Academic All-America 3rd team selection in 2010

Let'sRun Handicaps the USATF 10,000 Races

Here's a very nice preview of the USATF 10,000 meter races that prominently feature two of Villanova's former stars -- Jen Rhines and Bobby Curtis. Both Rhines and Curtis are among the top favorites to finish in the top three and make Team USA for this year's World Championships. Both have already achieved the World Championships "A" standard and have run well at various times this season. Thanks to the folks at LetsRun.com for the coverage. Click on the title of this post to go to the original source.


2011 USATF 10,000m Preview: Rupp vs Solinsky, Shalane Flanagan vs Kara Goucher

By LetsRun.com
June 22, 2011

The 2011 USATF Nationals get underway Thursday and we'll have all the action covered on little LetsRun.com.

Thursday starts off with a bang with a ton of distance action highlighted by the men's and women's 10,000m finals (schedule here). Plus there is the start of the women's and women's 800 (so that mean's the hot men's 800m with Nick Symmonds, Khadevis Robinson, and Robby Andrews) and the men's and women's 1500m, plus the men's steelpe. We preview the 10,000m finals below.


Men's 10,000m: A Rupp-Solinsky Battle for the Ages or a Rupp Coronation?

With our sport suffering in popularity everything possible needs to be done to promote it, yet one day out from the 2011 USATF Championships we don't even know who is running the men's 10,000m final in Eugene, Oregon.

American record holder Chris Solinsky is entered as is all-time US #2 and Oregon Duck hometown hero Galen Rupp. Athletes are allowed to scratch from events with no repercussions and Solinsky has said that his focus will be on the 5,000m at the World Championships. So will he run the 10,000m Thursday night? Or did he enter perhaps to play mind games with Galen Rupp. There definitely is tension between the Solinsky - (and coach) Jerry Schumacher camp, and the Galen Rupp -(and coach) Albeto Salazar camp as we chronicled yesterday here.

We would love to see the two fastest Americans ever at 10,000m square of before the Hayward field faithful. The same battle was supposed to happen 3 weeks ago at the Pre Classic as both Rupp and Solinsky were late entrants. Then Rupp ended up warming up and not starting the race, and Solinsky ended up dropping out, and then hinted at some possible tension with the Salazar-Rupp group.

So assuming these two gladiators square off, who comes out on top? We at LetsRun.com were split in our analysis on the Rupp-Solinsky battle 3 weeks ago. Everything since then seems to tilt in Rupp's favor. Solinsky dropped out of the Prefontaine 10,000m which never can be good for confidence, and then revealed he had a hamstring problem we previously were not aware of. A 100% healthy Galen Rupp should beat a 95% Solinsky. Then, Solinsky in his post-race comments indicated that perhaps in the psychological battle between these two that Rupp had gotten under his skin. Can Solinsky put that and his injury behind him to triumph over Rupp on Rupp's home territory?

We hope we find out on Thursday. A 10,000m match race between Solinsky and Rupp would bore most of America, but it would be pure pleasure for LetsRun.com.

If Solinsky, doesn't run, this is Rupp's race to lose for sure. The only concern is the pollen count. Rupp has allergy problems and did not run Pre because of the pollen count. What happens if there is a high pollen count on Thursday? Rupp still probably wins unless Solinsky is in the field. Of the other contenders, the key question is how does Bobby Curtis respond? After opening with a great start to the season in Australia, the former NCAA champion Curtis has struggled lately. Can he turn it around? Tim Nelson continues to improve under the radar and appears to be the guy who if anyone can try and mount a Solinsky-Rupp challenge.

Editor's Note: And since everyone knows Matt Tegenkamp does not run the 10k, we did not include him in our preview (or put him in our contest). However, the start lists are out and #16 is Matt Tegenkamp. The 2007 Worlds 4th place finisher at 5,000m made his 10,000m debut earlier this year (27:28 for 6th at Stanford). Is he really running the 10,000m at Nationals? There is no reason except for psychological ones to enter the 10,000m (with it being the first event) unless you're going to start. Solinsky, Rupp, and Tegenkamp all in the same race? Clearly we need to get some sleep...

The pollen forecast is out for Thursday from pollen.com and pretty much the only place in the US with a high pollen count will be Oregon. Alberto Salazar has indicated that he thinks Rupp can race well with high pollen, the concern is his recovery.

LetsRun.com Picks: We still believe a 100% Solinsky is going to beat Rupp, but indications are he's not 100%. Look out for Tim Nelson.
1. Galen Rupp
2. Chris Solinsky
3. Tim Nelson

Form Chart
Athlete    2011 Best    2010 Best  Comments

Bobby Curtis  27:24.67  27:33.38   
Nice PR at Stanford to solidify himself as one of the best in the US (7th on the
all-time list, in fact), but Curtis has struggled since then. Has he just been 
training hard and will be rested and ready for USAs or did he peak early?

Tim Nelson  27:28.19  27:31.56   
Consistently in the upper echelon of US 10,000 men over the last 3 years, Nelson
made the Worlds team in 2009 and continues to chip away at his PR.

Scott Bauhs  27:51.78  28:03.99   
The 2-time World XC team member needs to knock one out of the park to make the team
on the track.

Ryan Vail  27:57.42  NM   
Sub 28 in the US and we would be surprised if he made team

Aaron Braun  27:57.88  NM   
Sub 28 in the US and we would be surprised if he made team

Brian Olinger  28:07.52  NM   
Concentrated on steeple through last year (PR of 8:19 from 2007).

Bobby Mack  28:11.00  NM   

Jorge Torres  28:12.25  NM   
The veteran has made several World XC teams, an Olympic team in the 10,000 and WCs
in the 5,000, but with the caliber of US runners he's facing now, he'll likely need
to be in better than lifetime PR shape (27:42) to make the squad this time.

Chris Solinsky  NM          26:59.60   
Probably the class of the field if healthy and fit, especially in a fast finish. The
AR holder (and only non-African-born sub-27:00 runner) struggled with a hamstring 
issue and dropped out early at Pre. But if the injury concern is resolved, you just 
can't count out a sub-27 guy who also runs 3:35 and 12:55, can you?

Galen Rupp  NM          27:10.74   
Training partner Mo Farah ran 26:46 at Pre and said Rupp was in the same shape but 
was held out of the race due to allergies. We'll find out soon enough if that was 
wishful thinking, but if he's in PR form, Rupp should be a lock for the US team.

Ed Moran  NM          29:03.07   
Runner-up last year, has not raced in 2011 but entered. 13:20/27:43 pbs

Women's 10K: Shalane Flanagan Headlines 2008 Olympic Trials Rematch

All three U.S. Olympians (2007 World Champs bronze medallist Kara Goucher, 2008 Olympic bronze medallist Shalane Flanagan, and Amy Yoder Begley) return from 2008 and if the race is anywhere near as memorably as their battle in 08 in Eugene then the fans are in for a treat. In 2008, Flanagan kicked past Goucher for the win and Begley ran an inspired race to set a huge personal best and dip under the Olympic A standard as she was encouraged by a raucous Hayward Field crowd.

Veteran U.S. team member Jenn Rhines will almost certainly have a great deal to say about the outcome. Begley does not seem anywhere close to her form of the past few years but is a gritty competitor and hopes to bounce back here.

Realistically, the U.S. team will likely come from this foursome as no one else has demonstrated they are capable of achieving the IAAF A standard of 31:45.00. Of the other competitors, Boston marathon runner-up Desiree Davila may be most likely to upset these pre-race prognostications (Davila ran a 15:34 5k two weeks ago in her first race since Boston, Goucher ran 15:11 at Pre).

But let us lose sight that Shalane Flanagan is the class of this field, coming off of a World XC bronze medal. Only Kara Goucher has shown the ability to run with an in form Flanagan, and Goucher is coming back from maternity leave. Goucher's return is impressive but she has not returned to her 2007 form.

LetsRun.com Picks: Everyone else is racing for 2nd place.
1. Shalane Flanagan
2. Kara Goucher
3. Jenn Rhines

Form Chart
Athlete  2011 Best  2010 Best  Comments

Shalane Flanagan            30:39.57   NM   
2008 Olympic bronze medalist is the American record-holder and in form in 2011 (XC
bronze)

Jennifer Rhines             31:43.00   NM   
Rhines is a strong candidate to make the team here as she has the WC A standard and 
is a savvy and tough racer, But has to decide if 10k or 5k is focus

Kathy Newberry              32:57.51   NM   
Veteran of several US world cross country teams.

Magdalena Lewy Boulet       33:16.11   33:16.11   
Olympian in marathon

Lisa Koll                   NM         31:18.07   
Injured and not running

Amy Begley                  NM         32:06.45   
2008 Olympian has come up big in Eugene before but only ran 15:52 2 weeks ago

Desiree Davila              NM         32:06.85   
2011 Boston Maraton runner-up has had a great year and could surprise here, although
hitting the WC A standard would represent a 20 second personal best

Kara Goucher                NM            NM   
Goucher has had a highly successful return to competitive running after giving birth 
to her first child (15:11 5k at Pre)

Sheila Reid is Finalist for Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year

“Top Three” Finalists Announced for 2011 Honda-Broderick Cup

June 22, 2011

Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year to be Named on June 27th at a Ceremony in New York

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Collegiate Women’s Sports Awards today announced the “Top Three” finalists for the prestigious Honda-Broderick Cup, its annual top honor designating The Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year. This year’s finalists are, in alphabetical order: Blair Brown, Penn State University (volleyball); Maya Moore, University of Connecticut (basketball); and Sheila Reid, Villanova University (cross-country, track and field). The winner of the 2011 Honda-Broderick Cup will be revealed at a special press conference on June 27th at Columbia University in New York. The “Top Three” finalists were chosen from previously announced Honda Sports Award winners in 12 different NCAA-sanctioned sports, by a vote from among more than 1,000 NCAA-member institutions.


Career Highlights of the “Top Three”

Blair Brown (senior, volleyball) – A native of Purcellville, VA, Brown led the Penn State University Lions to their fourth straight NCAA championship title as team captain in her senior year, scoring a match-high 18 kills in the national title game. A three-time AVCA All-American, she was named Big Ten Player of the Year, as well as the University Park Regional Most Outstanding Player. In addition to guiding the Nittany Lions to the NCAA Championship, Brown earned a spot on the NCAA Championship All-Tournament Team. Brown started all 37 matches during her senior year and led her team with 521 kills (4.24 kills average per set on .320 hitting). She closed out her college career with 1,295 kills, graduating in December 2010 with an English and Political Science major. In the summer of 2010, Brown trained with the U.S. Women’s National Volleyball Team.

Maya Moore (senior, basketball) – Moore, a native of Jefferson City, Missouri, who grew up in Lawrenceville, Georgia, has been nominated for the Honda Sports Award for basketball all four years of her college career and won the honor last year. Notably, because she won the Honda-Broderick Cup last year, she now has a shot at making history as only the second athlete to be named as Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year twice. (Tracy Caulkins won in ‘82 and ‘84). Moore led the UConn team to four Final Four appearances, two national titles and a 150-4 record. She is the fourth-leading scorer in NCAA history, with 3,036 points. Honored as the Capital One University Division Academic All-American of the Year and BIG EAST Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 2010 and 2011, Moore was also selected as a CoSIDA Academic All-American in 2009. A three-time WBCA Wade Trophy honoree and four-time WBCA State Farm First Team All-American, she won the Naismith Trophy, the Associated Press Player of the Year Award and the USBWA Player of the Year Award in 2009 and 2011. She was also the John R. Wooden Award honoree in 2009 and 2011. Moore held a 3.669 GPA in sports media and promotion. She was the #1 draft pick for the WNBA this year and is currently playing with the Minnesota Lynx.

Sheila Reid (senior, cross-country, track and field) – Reid, a native of Newmarket, Ontario, recently capped a great year when she was crowned the NCAA Outdoor Champion in the 1,500-meter and 5,000-meter races – the first woman in history to win both events in the same year. She was also the Indoor National Champion in the distance medley. She was selected All-American in the 3,000-meter. She finished her season as the Big East Indoor champion in the 1,000-meter, 4x800-meter relay, distance medley relay and outdoor titlist in the 1,500-meter and 5,000-meter. The indoor and outdoor Mid-Atlantic Region Athlete of the Year is a 12-time Big East Champion, a nine-time All-American selection and NCAA individual cross country titlist. Like many Honda Sports Award winners, Reid is an academic standout in addition to her excellence in athletics. The four-time BIG EAST Academic All-Star was selected to the Academic All-District first team and holds a GPA of 3.408 with a major in English.

The other eight individual Honda Sports Award winners who were nominated to become “Top Three” finalists this year include: Kelsey Bruder of the University of Florida (softball), Melissa Henderson from Notre Dame (soccer), Kayla Hoffman from the University of Alabama (gymnastics), Katinka Hosszu from the University of Southern California (swimming & diving), Jana Juricova of the University of California, Berkeley (tennis), Katie O’Donnell from the University of Maryland (field hockey), Shannon Smith of Northwestern University (lacrosse) and Marta Silva Zamora from the University of Georgia (golf).

Other Honors to Be Presented on June 27th

In addition to the annual Honda-Broderick Cup, the Collegiate Women’s Sports Awards Program also presents its annual Honda Inspiration Award to a female college athlete who has overcome adversity to excel in her sport. This year’s recipient is basketball star Jessica Breland, a 2011 graduate of The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill who overcame a tough bout with Hodgkin’s lymphoma in her college years to return to the court and is now in her rookie year with the WNBA’s New York Liberty. The program also honors the Honda Sports Award Athletes of the Year from both NCAA Division II and Division III colleges. University of Massachusetts Lowell’s field hockey star Sammy Macy, who captained her team to an undefeated 24-0 record and a national title this season, won the Division II Award. Amherst College’s swimming standout Kendra Stern, the 2011 NCAA Division III Swimmer of the Year and a 10-time NCAA individual champion, won the Division III Award.

The June 27 awards ceremony in New York will be hosted by ESPN SportsCenter co-host Sage Steele, who will be joined to help present The Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year award by 2000 Honda-Broderick Cup winner Cristina Teuscher, a former Columbia University swimmer and Olympic gold medalist.

Past winners of the Honda-Broderick Cup include some of the most talented and accomplished collegiate athletes in recent history: Candace Parker (basketball, 2008), Jackie Joyner-Kersee (track & field, 1984), Mia Hamm (soccer, 1994), Cheryl Miller (basketball, 1983), Tracy Caulkins (1982, 1984, swimming), Chamique Holdsclaw (basketball, 1998), Misty May (volleyball, 1999) and Lisa Fernandez (softball, 1993).

USA Juniors: Chris FitzSimons 800 meter Starlist

Chris FitzSimons is in heat #3, scheduled for Friday, June 24 @ 2:55 P.M. Final will be Saturday, June 25 @ 5:10 P.M.


Event 106 Men 800 Meter Run Junior
===============================================================================
Name Year Team
===============================================================================

Heat 1 Prelims
1
2 Myles Andrews unattached
3 Joseph Woiwode unattached
4 Desmond Pierce East Tenness
5 Zavon Watkins Syracuse Tra
6 Jani Lane unattached
7 Chrisshun Jamerson unattached
8 Immanuel Hutchinson unattached

Heat 2 Prelims
1
2 Dalen Fink Kansas
3 Nathan Strum Cal-Davis
4 Sean Kluttz Charlotte
5 Chris Low College of t
6 William Ledder Georgetown U
7 Sean Canavin unattached
8 Nick Hartle PS Vegas Fly

Heat 3 Prelims
1
2 Connor Reck unattached
3 Matthew Bevil Brown
4 Christopher Hall unattached
5 Nathan Prom Iowa
6 Derrick Daigre unattached
7 O'Neal Wanliss New Horizon
8 Christopher FitzSimons unattached

Cats in Action at 25th New Jersey International Invitational

On Saturday June 18th at Holmdel high school in New Jersey, several Villanovans competed in the 25th New Jersey International Invitational track and field meet. Shericka Ward won the final of the 100 meter hurdles over former UConn Husky April Garner. In the women's mile, Carmen Douma-Hussar defeated recent Fordham graduate Melissa Salerno. The men's 1500 meters pitted two Australian NCAA All-Americans against one another in a solid field of milers. Penn State's Ryan Foster evened-up his career record against Matt Gibney 2-2 in winning the race in 3:42.71 to Gibney's 3:43.01. By the way, Foster and Gibney were Australia's only track and field Academic All-Americans this year.

Was that Villanova's Mike Brown (Big East 400H champion from 2000) in the 800 meters (running 1:54.50)?

Here are some of the results of note (for full results: click the title of this post):

THE CHRISSY D'ALESSANDRO SHAHEEN MEMORIAL
Women 1500 Meter Run Elite
Name Team Finals
Finals
1 Douma-Hussar, Carmen New Balance 4:16.15
2 Salerno, Melissa New Balance 4:17.83
3 Hall, Marielle Unattached 4:31.06
4 Lacy, Megan Juventus 4:35.40
5 Callan, Chelsea Unattached 4:43.82
6 Capozzi, Michelle Lasalle 4:53.01
7 Thomas, Lindsay Shore AC 5:01.42

THE DAWN BOWLES-FITCH
Women 100 Meter Hurdles Elite
Name Team Prelims
Preliminaries
1 Garner, April Unattached 13.33q -0.1
2 Ward, Shericka Villanova 13.40q -0.1
3 Marshall, Shameka Shore AC 13.43q -0.1
4 Williams, Rebecca CPTC New 13.86q 0.2
5 Nesfield, Tiffany Unattached 14.11q 0.2
6 Outman, Maddy Unattached 14.28q -0.1
7 Miller, Heather CPTC New 14.56q 0.2
8 Salke, Katherine Shore AC 14.95q 0.2
9 Di Luca, Tara Westchester TC 17.23q -0.1

THE DAWN BOWLES-FITCH
Women 100 Meter Hurdles Elite
Name Team Finals
Finals
1 Ward, Shericka Villanova 13.16 0.6
2 Garner, April Unattached 13.40 0.6
3 Williams, Rebecca CPTC New 13.80 0.6
4 Marshall, Shameka Shore AC 13.86 0.6
5 Nesfield, Tiffany Unattached 14.03 0.6
6 Outman, Maddy Unattached 14.44 0.7
7 Salke, Katherine Shore AC 14.63 0.7
8 Miller, Heather CPTC New 14.64 0.7
9 Di Luca, Tara Westchester TC 15.72 0.7

THE EAMONN COGHLAN
Men 1500 Meter Run Elite
Name Team Finals
Finals
1 Foster, Ryan Unattached 3:42.71
2 Gibney, Matthew Villanova 3:43.01
3 Turlip, Matt NYU 3:48.28
4 Guarino, Josh RUNR Elite 3:50.99
5 Perozze, Vince Unattached 3:51.86
6 Heibell, Chris Regan TC 3:52.12
7 Spooner, Chris CPTC New 3:53.49
8 Day, Kevin Unattached 3:54.01
9 Bowen, Khari Juventus 3:58.19
10 Arbuckle, Luke Unattached 4:00.11
--- Dawson, Owen Unattached DNF

Are Distance Runners the Smartest Runners?

The 2011 NCAA Capital One Academic All-American Men's Track & Field teams were announced yesterday, and 44 track and field athletes were recognized for their superior academic achievements. According to the official press release, to be eligible for Academic All-America consideration, "a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative G.P.A. of 3.30 on a scale of 4.00, have reached sophomore athletic and academic standings at his/her current institution and be nominated by his/her sports information director."

When one examines the list of academic over-achievers, one is struck by the skewed distribution by event. This list of 44 NCAA Division 1 Academic All-Americans is dominated by distance runners. As the list below reveals, fully 26 of the 44 members of the men's Academic All-American team are distance runners. On the other extreme, only 4 of the 44 can be categorized as sprinters (three of these 4 are primarily 400 meter hurdlers, and only one -- Darius Law of the University of Charlotte -- specializes in the flat 200/400 sprints). Interestingly, there are also more combined events athletes among the academic stars than one would expect, given their relative numbers on typical track and field squads.

What might explain this result? Does distance running require a degree of discipline above and beyond that required of runners competing at shorter distances? To make this argument, one would assume that the discipline and hard work required to be an NCAA Division 1 distance runner would translate well to the classroom, resulting in good grades. That argument, however, seems to assume that sprinters are somehow less disciplined and hard-working than distance runners, a perverse variation on the theory that sprinters are somehow "born" while distance runners are "made." Following that logic, one would be forced to argue that the "making" of a quality distance runner lends itself more directly to the "making" of an outstanding student.

Of course, perhaps there is no causal chain involved at all. Perhaps some sort of self-selection process is at work. Could it be that already smart high school kids are somehow more inclined -- should they join the track team -- to opt for the distances than for the sprints? After all, the stereotypical body-type of the nerdy high school geek looks embarrassingly similar in the mind's eye to the typical high school freshman on the boy's cross country team. This tongue-in-cheek suggestion surely has no basis in reality, does it?

In any event, here is the list for consideration:

2011 CAPITAL ONE NCAA DIVISION 1 TRACK & FIELD ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICANS

First Team
Philip Adam		Rice		Decathlon/Throws
Bjorn Barrefors		Nebraska	Decathlon
Miles Batty		Bringham Young	Middle Distance
Peter Bolgert		Marquette	Distance
Tim Burns		Loyola (Md)	Distance
Nathan Corder		Alabama		Distance
Chris Derrick		Stanford	Distance
Ryan Foster		Penn State	Middle Distance
Elliott Heath		Stanford	Distance
David Klech		Oregon		Decathlon/Hurdles
Darius Law		Charlotte	Sprints/200-400
Chris Lemon		Dayton		Distance
Lee Ellis Moore		Mississippi	Sprints/400H-400
Scott Roth		Washington	Pole Vault
Miles Unterreiner	Stanford	Distance

Second Team
Eric Bailey		Oklahoma	Sprints/400H-400
Will Barry		Texas A&M	Distance
Hillary Bor		Iowa State	Distance
Matt Carey		Rice		Distance
Alex Federinko		Duquesne	Jumps
Nicholas Gordon		Nebraska	Jumps
Kevin Johnson		Massachusetts	Distance
Barnabas Kirui		Mississippi	Distance
Scott Krapf		Illinois State	Distance
Matthew Lemon		Dayton		Distance
Nate Polacek		Nebraska	Pole Vault
Cody Rome		US Naval Acad	Distance
Jamie Sandys		Arizona State	Decathlon/Jumps
Jareb Stallbaumer	Kansas		Jumps
Michael Zajac		South Carolina	Throws

Third Team
Andy Bayer		Indiana		Distance
Ed Bonnevie		Delaware	Distance
Adam Dailey		Nebraska	Sprints/400H-400
Dominic Devaud		Maryland-BC	Decathlon
Ben Engelhardt		Arizona State	Distance
Matthew Gibney		Villanova	Middle Distance/Distance
Tyler Hitchler		Nebraska	Throws
Daniel Howell		Utah State	Distance
Ben Jasinski		South Dakota St	Jumps
Elliott Krause		Wisconsin	Distance
David Moore		Tennessee-Chatt	Distance
Ciaran O'Lionaird	Florida State	Distance
Marvin Reitze		South Carolina	Pole Vault
Dan Sloat		Rice		Middle Distance

Matt Gibney named 3rd Team Academic All-American

2011 Capital One Academic All-America®

Villanova's Matt Gibney was named today a 2011 member of the Capital One Academic All-American team in track and field. The Villanova senior is majoring in English and carries a 3.78 GPA. Gibney was also in 2011 a 1500 meter All-American on the track, for the second time.

For a complete list of the track and field Academic All-Americans, click the title to this post.

Here is the Villanova Athletic Department's official press release:

VILLANOVA, Pa.--For the first time since 2007 the Villanova men's track & field/cross country program has an academic All-American, as senior Matthew Gibney (Albury, Australia) was named today to the Capital One Academic All-America third team, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). This is a top academic honor for Gibney, who is coming off an All-American performance in the 1500 meters at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships two weeks ago.

The Capital One Academic All-America program recognizes student-athletes for having at least a 3.3 grade-point average while also having outstanding accomplishments in competition. Gibney finished his 2010-11 campaign with a terrific outdoor season while also maintaining a cumulative 3.78 GPA as an English major.

Gibney was previously named a first team Academic All-District 2 selection in order to be eligible for the All-America ballot. He also was named to the Philadelphia Inquirer Academic All-Area track squad and is a two-time BIG EAST Academic All-Star.

At the NCAA Championships earlier this month Gibney finished in fourth place in the finals of the 1500 meters to earn All-America honors for the second time in the last three years. Most impressively, however, he led Villanova to a Championship of America title in the distance medley relay at the Penn Relays in late April. Gibney anchored the Wildcats to their 94th championship all-time at the Penn Relays and the 24th in the DMR. He was also the anchor of the team's champion DMR squad in 2009. At the outdoor BIG EAST Championships Gibney received All-BIG EAST recognition in the 800 meters.

In addition to his outdoor season Gibney advanced to the national championships indoors in the Mile after running his first career sub-four minute Mile during the season at the Flotrack Husky Classic (3:58.12). He was also the BIG EAST runner-up in the Mile and led Villanova to a second place finish in the 4x800 meter relay at the conference meet.

During cross country season, Gibney overcame an injury during the early part of the year to return to the Wildcats lineup for the postseason meets. He made his season debut by winning the Haverford Invitational in late October and then was a part of team's top seven runners at all three postseason meets in the BIG EAST Championships, NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional and NCAA Championships.

The last Villanova men's track runner to earn Academic All-America honors is Drew Eckman, who was a third team selection in 2007. Gibney is now one of six Wildcats from the men's track team to receive this award, joining Terrence Mahon (1993, third team); Sean O'Neill (1987, first team; 1986, second team; 1985, third team); Carlton Young (1983, first team); and Michael England (1983, first team).


Villanova Men's Track Academic All-America Selections

Matt Gibney - 2011 third team
Drew Eckman - 2007 third team
Terrence Mahon - 1993 third team
Sean O'Neill - 1987 first team, 1986 second team, 1985 third team
Carlton Young - 1983 first team
Michael England - 1983 first team


Capital One Academic All-America Men's Track & Field/Cross Country

FIRST TEAM
Philip Adam, Rice
Bjorn Barrefors, Nebraska
Miles Batty, BYU
Peter Bolgert, Marquette
Tim Burns, Loyola (Md.)
Nathan Corder, Alabama
Chris Derrick, Stanford
Ryan Foster, Penn State
Elliott Heath, Stanford
David Klech, Oregon
Darius Law, Charlotte
Christopher Lemon, Dayton
Lee Ellis Moore, Mississippi
Scott Roth, Washington
Miles Unterreiner, Stanford


SECOND TEAM
Eric Bailey, Oklahoma
Will Barry, Texas A&M
Hillary Bor, Iowa State
Matt Carey, Rice
Alex Federinko, Duquesne
Nicolas Gordon, Nebraska
Kevin Johnson, Massachusetts
Barnabas Kirui, Mississippi
Scott Krapf, Illinois State
Matthew Lemon, Dayton
Nate Polacek, Nebraska
Cody Rome, Navy
Jamie Sandys, Arizona State
Jareb Stallbaumer, Kansas
Michael Zajac, South Carolina


THIRD TEAM
Andy Bayer, Indiana
Ed Bonnevie, Delaware
Adam Dailey, Nebraska
Dominic Devaud, UMBC
Ben Engelhardt, Arizona State
Matthew Gibney, Villanova
Tyler Hitchler, Nebraska
Daniel Howell, Utah State
Ben Jasinski, South Dakota State
Elliot Krause, Wisconsin
David Moore, Chattanooga
Ciaran O'Lionaird, Florida State
Marvin Reitze, South Carolina
Dan Sloat, Rice

Rhines, Curtis, Koons, Ward & Dougherty at USATF Nationals

Here are the schedules for the five Villanova alums who are qualified and declared for competition in the USATF National Championship meet. Jen Rhines is qualified and declared at both the 5000 and 10,000 meters. She'll likely run the 5000 on Friday only if something untoward happens in the 10,000 race on Thursday night. The good news for Curtis is that AR holder at 10,000 meters Chris Solinsky is contesting the 5000 meters. Top three finishers qualify for Team USA at the 2011 World Championships.

The meet is being held at Heyward Field in Eugene, Oregon, so all times listed below are Pacific time.

Women's 1500 meters.....Semi-finals: Thursday, June 23 @ 6:15 p.m.
1. Ellen Dougherty (4:17.18)


Women's 5000 meters.....Final: Friday, June 24 @ 7:20 p.m.
1. Jen Rhines (15:14.88)
2. Frances Koons (15:29.96)


Women's 10,000 meters.....Final: Thursday, June 23 @ 7:15 p.m.
1. Jen Rhines (31:43.00)


Women's 100 meter Hurdles.....First Round: Saturday, June 25 @ 1:20
1. Shericka Ward (13.16)


Men's 10,000 meters.....Final: Thursday, June 23 @ 7:55 p.m.
1. Bobby Curtis (27:24.00)

Nova Recruit Rob Denault Drops 1500 PR to 3:45.63

Canadian Junior Rob Denault, who will join Marcus O'Sullivan's squad in the fall, bettered his 1500 PR on Saturday at the University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario. Running for the Newmarket TC (in the same hometown as Sheila Reid), Denault is currently #2 on the Canadian Junior performance chart at both 800 meters (1:52.24) and 1500 meters (3:45.63). Here are the results from Denault's race on Saturday:

Men's 1500 Meters

  1 Robert Denault            93 Newmarket Huskie       3:45.63
  2 Curtis Vollmar            87 EMU Alum               3:48.05
  3 Saheed Khan               84 Toronto Olympic        3:48.88
  4 Dan Kramer                89 USATF                  3:49.34
  5 Alastair Brown            90 Athletics Manitoba     3:49.36
  6 Matthew Jurysta           89 UNATTACHED             3:50.26
  7 BJ CUNLIFFE               92 DURHAM DRAGO           3:52.47
  8 Stephen Holmes            90 Speed River TFC        3:53.02
  9 Jeremy Walsh              90 London Runner          3:54.25
 10 Joshua Bolton             90 BRANTFORD T.F.C.       4:00.25
 -- Josh Roundell             86 Speed River TFC            DNF
 -- Jordan Langridge          90 U OF WINDSOR               DNF

Chris FitzSimons Readies for USA Junior Championships

Chris FitzSimons didn't get much of a chance during his just completed redshirt freshman year at Villanova to showcase his considerable 800/1500 talent. One year ago at the New Balance Outdoor Nationals he was leading Hamden (CT) high school to the national prep title in the DMR (with a 4:05.70 1600 anchor) and 4 x 800 meters (with a 1:47.15 anchor). He followed those stunning performances by finishing 3rd in the 800 meters (in 1:48.83) at the 2010 USA Junior Nationals, trailing only Casimir Loxsom and Robby Andrews (Andrews is a 2-time NCAA champion at 800 meters, and Loxsam is a 2-time All American at that distance). Neither Loxsom nor Andrews are eligible for Juniors, so FitzSimons must be considered one of the favorites in the event. Here is the Status of Entries for the 800 meters:

Name                    Affiliation       Time    Seed                             
William Ledder         Georgetown Univ    1:49.60 1:49.60 qualified declared
O'Neal Wanliss         New Horizon TC     1:49.61 1:49.61 qualified declared
Immanuel Hutchinson    unattached         1:49.63 1:49.63 qualified declared
Christopher FitzSimons unattached         1:49.91 1:49.91 qualified declared
Nathan Strum           California-Davis   1:50.19 1:50.19 qualified declared
Chris Low              College Canyons    1:51.19 1:51.19 qualified declared
Connor Reck            unattached         1:51.38 1:51.38 qualified declared
Jani Lane              unattached         1:51.82 1:51.82 qualified declared
Joseph Woiwode         unattached         1:52.15 1:52.15 qualified declared
Matthew Bevil          Brown University   1:52.24 1:52.24 qualified declared
Sean Canavin           unattached         1:52.28 1:52.28 qualified declared
Dalen Fink             Univ of Kansas     1:52.28 1:52.28 qualified declared
Nathan Prom            Univ of Iowa       1:52.45 1:52.45 qualified declared
Chrisshun Jamerson     unattached         1:50.32 1:50.32 updated   pending
Nick Hartle            PS Vegas Flyers    1:49.91 1:49.91 qualified open
Christopher Hall       unattached         1:50.06 1:50.06 qualified open
Derrick Daigre         unattached         1:50.26 1:50.26 qualified open
Myles Andrews          unattached         1:50.63 1:50.63 qualified open
Sean Kluttz            Charlotte          1:51.37 1:51.37 qualified open
Taylor Wardall         Univ of Oklahoma   1:51.45 1:51.45 qualified open
Zavon Watkins          Syracuse TC        1:50.61 1:50.61           pending
Gabriel Genovesi       Univ of Akron      1:52.26 1:52.26           pending
Desmond Pierce         E. Tennessee State 1:52.53 1:52.53           pending
Will Drinkwater        unattached         NT      NT      not qualified open
Thomas Mullen          UMass--Amherst     1:52.66 1:52.66 not qualified open
Austin Mudd            unattached         1:49.25 1:49.25 qualified scratched
Matthew Hillenbrand    Univ of Kentucky   1:50.83 1:50.83 qualified scratched

Andrew Blaich Receives PhD in Computer Science & Engineering

From SILive.com, which highlighted the academic achievements of NCAA athletes:

Andrew Blaich

Andrew Blaich of West Brighton received a doctor of computer science and engineering degree from the University of Notre Dame, South Bend, Ind.

Blaich received a full scholarship with stipend to attend Notre Dame in 2006. In November of 2010, Blaich's dissertation, "Enhancing End-Hosts to Improve Computer Security and Wireless Performance for Networked Environments," was successfully defended.

Blaich, son of Charles and Mary Blaich, earned a bachelor of science degree in computer engineering in 2005 and a master of science degree in computer engineering in 2006 from Villanova University's College of Engineering, Villanova, Pa., where he was a four-year member of the cross-country and track teams.

A 2001 graduate of Monsignor Farrell High School's Scholars Program, Blaich was a multiple Advance All Star in cross-country and track.

Blaich accepted a position as a senior engineer in the Advanced Technology Laboratory in San Jose, Calif., for Samsung Information Systems of America, Inc.

Nova Signee Courtney Chapman Anchors USA #2 All Time DMR

Villanova's women's recruiting class looks increasingly strong as the summer wears on. One reason for that is the strong performance of Fayetteville-Manlius's Courtney Chapman (pictured above, left). Over the weekend at the New Balance Outdoor Nationals in Greensboro, NC, Chapman ran the 1600 anchor leg of the #2 all-time USA prep girls DMR (11:25.13). Her squad broke the existing high school national record of 11:31.26 handily (by over 6 seconds), but were beaten in the race by Harvard-Westlake (which was led by USA #1 800 meter runner Amy Weissenbach). In fact, each of the top three squads broke the existing national record. In addition, Chapman previously finished 3rd in the 1500 meters at the New York state meet, in 4:23, an 11 second PR.

Like Father, Like Son: Double Olympic Gold

Olympic Games bond father-son track champions
Amy Rosewater, TeamUSA.org
June 17, 2011

There are many fathers who get to share their passion for sports with their sons. But there are not many dads who earned an Olympic gold medal in the same event as their son.

In fact, it is believed that in the United States there is only one such father-son duo: Charles and Chip Jenkins.

Charles competed in the Melbourne 1956 Olympic Games and won two gold medals — one in the 400 and the other in the 4 x 400 relay. Thirty-six years later, Chip went to Barcelona and came home with an Olympic gold medal in the 4 x 400.

“I was delighted when he did that,’’ Charles said with a chuckle. “He was following the old man.

“I was very happy for a variety of reasons. A lot of people don’t even make the team or medal at all. So for him to win a gold medal in the same event I did is very special.’’

Though neither father nor son are involved in the competitive track world these days — Dr. Charles Jenkins is a public affairs specialist for the United States Social Security Administration and Chip is an attorney specializing in trademarks and intellectual property — their Olympic bond will never break. The two see each other frequently, as Charles lives in Sykesville, Md., and Chip lives in Washington, D.C. The two plan on getting together this Sunday for Father’s Day, perhaps for dinner.

And the two share a mutual admiration.

Not that they don’t have their competitive moments.

“I go fishing with Chip in Connecticut and the last couple of years I’ve caught the largest fish,’’ Charles said. “Once he caught the largest fish and a friend of ours convinced us to stay another half hour and during that half hour, I caught a bigger fish. We’re so competitive that way.’’

You don’t get to become an Olympic champion without those competitive juices.

Charles never will forget how difficult the road was toward becoming an Olympic champion back in 1956. At that time (as is the case now), the United States had one of the most formidable teams, if not the most, in the world. So making the team provided intense competition.

The favorite was Lou Jones (pictured here, behind Jenkins), who won the 400-meter event in the 1955 Pan-American Games in world-record time (45.4 seconds). At the U.S. Olympic Trials, Jones broke his own record with a 45.2. Jenkins, meanwhile, was predicted by the media to place fourth.

“It really didn’t matter,’’ Jenkins said now of those predictions. “I just felt that I could win, and my attitude was just to ignore it.’’

With all eyes on Jones, Jenkins laid low out of the spotlight. He leaned heavily on American teammate and 1952 Olympic gold medalist in the 200, Andy Stanfield. The two were roommates in Melbourne, and Jenkins said he followed Stanfield’s advice. Stanfield helped him in workouts and also persuaded him to live a little away from the track as well. They danced in the Olympic Village and made friends with athletes from other countries.

Those friendships became vitally important for Jenkins in his pursuit of gold. Before Jenkins headed to Melbourne, he was jogging in Boston when he noticed a group of French athletes. They exchanged information, and one of those athletes wound up making the French team.

At the Olympic Games, the top-three athletes in each heat advanced to the next round. Before the semifinals, this French athlete, named Jean-Paul Martin DuGard, approached Jenkins.

“He said, ‘I have something very important to tell you,’’ Jenkins recalled. “In your heat, almost all of you can make the final, so you are going to have to run your best time if you are going to make the final.’’

The advice changed Jenkins’ strategy and he wound up winning that heat in 46.1 seconds. The fourth-fastest finisher clocked in at 46.2. In the next heat, Lou Jones won in 47 seconds.

“Conceivably, I could have been left out of the final,’’ Jenkins said. “I’ll never forget that.’’

In the final, Jones had garnered most of the American support, but Jenkins had some U.S. fans as well as an international fan base. Jenkins wound up winning, and Jones finished a disappointing fifth. To this day, Jenkins keeps in touch with his French friend.

Following those Games, Jenkins went on to coach men’s and women’s track at Villanova and he also had a diverse governmental career. He went on a goodwill tour as a coach working in Bangkok; he worked on the administrative staff for the Peace Corps in Indonesia, and he received an Ed.D (Doctor of Education) from the University of Massachusetts in 1978. A year later, he received an honorary Doctorate of Public Administration from Villanova.

Although he would have liked to have traveled to many subsequent other Olympic Games, his jet-setting career prevented him from doing so. He did, however, make it to the Los Angeles 1984 Olympic Games and hopes to travel to London next summer.

He did not travel to Barcelona, although he regrets that decision now. He did, however, tune into the Games and saw the American team, with Chip Jenkins representing the United States, win the 4 x 400 relay. Chip raced in the preliminaries but not the final.

Chip Jenkins grew up in Silver Spring, Md., and gravitated to track early, partly because of his family history and partly because he could run faster than almost all of the neighborhood kids.

Growing up as the son of a two-time gold medalist had its advantages. Chip said he often would take out his dad’s medals and show them off to friends.

“But the novelty wore off fast,’’ he said.

Chip had to make a name for himself. And he did that fast, too. He was a star track athlete in high school. He had a high school coach but when he graduated, he chose to go to Villanova and be coached by his father.

Although folks knew him as “Charlie Jenkins’ son,’’ Chip said it wasn’t hard to live in his father’s shadow.

“Things were pretty equal,’’ he said. “Most people do the same workouts and there are not a lot of secrets. The only difference is in the runner’s desire.’’

As a freshman, Chip was not among the superstars on the Villanova team.

“I told another coach that I thought Chip was going to be really good by his sophomore year and he told me later that he laughed when I said that. But I tell you, that coach was very happy when Chip was a senior and was done competing.’’

Charles said his son was “very receptive’’ to his coaching. Chip recalled one meet at the Meadowlands where his dad’s advice really came through for him.

“I had been losing races and from a technical standpoint, my dad told me to do something with my arms even when I was tired at the end of the race, and I actually listened to him,’’ Chip said with a laugh. “I beat (Olympic gold medalist) Antonio McKay that day and I beat him the next day.

“I was always strong enough but I didn’t care as much about technique,’’ Chip added. “Sometimes, you have to use your brains, too.’’

Chip had the right combination of brains and brawn at the 1992 U.S. Olympic Trials, which were held in Louisiana. Those Trials were difficult for many of the athletes, especially those who competed in the 400 because of the sideshow involving Butch Reynolds (at the time, the world-record holder in the event) and a doping scandal. The Trials were difficult for Chip as well because he had taken about 18 months off from running and started law school.

Chip went to Barcelona more like a businessman than an athlete. Although he went to the Opening Ceremony, he wasn’t in Barcelona for the pomp and circumstance of the Games. He was there for one reason: to win a medal.

“It was all business,’’ said Chip, who didn’t catch any other athletic events at the Games but did manage to check out some of Spain’s beaches. “I was there to win, and if we didn’t win, something went terribly wrong. I always felt that as a 400 runner in America, you know you’re among the best. I don’t know why and I’m not going to say it’s easy for an American to win the 400 but it just seems to be that way.’’

The United States men have won 15 of the Olympic 4 x 400 titles, dating back to the first time the relay was held in the Games in 1912. The U.S. men have won the last five Olympic relays.

When Charles was on the winning relay in 1956 up until Chip raced in 1992, the United States had won all but two Olympic titles (Kenya won in 1972 and the Soviet Union won in 1980 when the United States boycotted the Moscow 1980 Olympic Games). American men have swept the 400-meter event in the last two Olympic Games in Athens and Beijing (Jeremy Wariner won the gold in Athens and LaShawn Merritt was the 2008 gold medalist).

Chip clearly remembers his race in Barcelona when he trailed a Cuban runner by five yards and made a gutsy inside pass. When he passed the baton to his teammate, the United States had a five-yard lead. Chip thought he hadn’t run hard enough.

“Usually, we’d have a 20-yard lead,’’ he said. “I thought, ‘What went wrong?’ Then I realized, ‘Oh yeah, this is the Olympics. It’s not easy.’ ’’

An ocean away, Charles beamed with pride.

Today, as Father’s Day approaches, he’s even more proud of his son. Chip is not only an Olympic gold medalist, but he’s an accomplished attorney — just like his mother. Issie Jenkins is retired now but worked as an attorney for the Internal Revenue Service, the Justice Department and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. In addition to Chip, Charles and Issie are proud parents to daughters Theameta and Robyne.

“My wife and I are very, very proud of Chip, but we are very, very proud of all three of our kids. I am very thankful for my Olympic experience and for Chip’s, but there are other things in life after running, and all three of my children have done other very exciting things.’’

Koons and Dougherty Run Well at Boston Twilight 1500

We almost missed this one, inasmuch as it was held the same day Matt Gibney and Sheila Reid were contesting the NCAA 1500 meter final in Des Moines. At Bentley College outside Boston last Sunday, Frances Koons and Ellen Dougherty competed in the 1500 meters at the New Balance Twilight meet. According to the race description at the New Jersey-New York Track Club blog, Frances Koons was out front racing Lauren Centrowitz, both leading with about 400m to go. As Koons and Centrowitz exchanged leads, they were caught in the last 100 meters by Karly Hamric (6th 2010 NCAA 1500m) and Annick Lamar from Haverford College. Koons finished fourth, in a very respectable 4:15.31. Ellen Dougherty was less than 2 seconds behind, running 4:17.18 in 6th place.

 1   462 Karly Hamric           Riadha                 4:14.30  
 2   453 Annick Lamar           NYAC                   4:14.36  
 3   441 Lauren Centrowitz      New Balance            4:15.28  
 4   444 Frances Koons          New Balance/           4:15.31  
 5   358 Lauren Hagans          Asics/Knoxvi           4:15.87  
 6   452 Ellen Dougherty        NYAC                   4:17.18  
 7   443 Melissa Salerno        New Balance            4:18.83  
 8   455 Erin Koch              Pacers New B           4:20.33  
 9   445 Rachel Cliff           New Balance/           4:20.79  
10   366 Catherine Beck         CPTC- New Ba           4:20.92  
11   503 Laura Nagel            Unattached             4:22.44  
12   487 Lindsey Gallo          Unattached             4:23.12  
13   451 Rolanda Bell           NYAC                   4:23.61  
14   479 Randelle Boots         Unattached             4:28.24