Galen Rupp Hopes to Lead Oregon to the NCAA Championship
March 10, 2009 by Cheryl Lowe
This weekend, College Station, Texas will be the ultimate place for the running enthusiast. Texas A&M University is hosting the 2009 NCAA Indoor Championship track meet, and one of the most exciting match ups to watch will be the men’s 5,000 as the University of Oregon senior Galen Rupp runs against rival Sam Chelanga of Liberty University.
Last month, Galen Rupp shattered the American record as well as the collegiate record in the indoor 5,000 at the Tyson Invitational meet in Fayetteville, AR, finishing in 2nd place in 13:18.12. Sam Chelanga finished closely behind Rupp in 13:19.79, good for 3rd place. Bekana Daba of Ethiopia won the race in 13:17.89.
Doug Padilla (Athletics West) set the previous indoor 5,000 American Record at the 1982 Millrose Games, running a 13:20.55. “The indoor 5,000 record was rather soft, as long as it had lasted,” said Kyle Heffner, an exercise physiologist, coach, and internationally experienced distance runner. Heffner was a member of the 1980 U.S. Olympic marathon team with a personal best time of 2:10:55.
Daba, Rupp, and Chelanga were the lead pack for the entire race. Rupp held the lead for the majority of the time, until Daba out kicked him in the final 200 meters for the win. “If Galen had the lead and held him off, I wonder what would have happened [at Tyson]. [Daba] had two steps on him and he could never get those back,” said Heffner.
Rupp, who wants to run professionally after his collegiate career at Oregon, believes that the kick is going to come. He has been working more and more on his speed by running some shorter distances races, such as the mile and the 800.
This past weekend Rupp won the men’s mile race in his first sub-4 performance, finishing in 3:57.86 at the University of Washington NCAA Last Chance Qualifier indoor meet. Whether or not Rupp will have the adequate speed for the final sprint in time for the NCAA Indoor Championships is debatable.
“In the end, it is the kick that determines who wins or loses,” said Nobuya Hashizume, co-founder of the Lydiard Foundation. “Whether [Rupp] is a fast sprinter or not is yet to be seen.”
Hashizume thinks that Rupp will excel in the 10,000 or the marathon in the future. “[Rupp] is a strong and efficient runner, from what I have seen in his cross country performances,” said Hashizume.
In 2008, Track & Field News ranked Rupp as the 2nd best 10K runner in the United States. Rupp is also the 2008 NCAA Cross Country champion.
Rupp, who grew up in Portland, OR, also fairs well in the 3,000-meter event. At this year’s Reebok Boston Indoor Games, he set the American Record in this distance (7:44.69, 2nd place). Legendary marathon runner and Nike coach Alberto Salazar has been working with Rupp to develop his speed and endurance. “[Rupp] is lucky to have Salazar as a coach,” said Hashizume. “[Salazar] has his head together and the results show.”
Hashizume, who has worked with former Oregon track coach Bill Bowerman in the past, thinks that Salazar and current Oregon coach Vin Lananna have been communicating very well regarding Rupp’s training and racing. Salazar has also taken Rupp to Europe a few times to race, and Hashizume thinks this is a good thing. “[Rupp] needs to keep going to those races if he wants to fair against others at the international level,” said Hashizume.
Without a doubt, Galen Rupp has certainly added depth to the University of Oregon cross country and track teams. Since high school, he has also had the unique opportunity to start training with professional athletes such as Adam and Kara Goucher.
No matter what happens for Rupp this weekend, he has the right mentality to be a good sport and a good competitor. Rupp has indicated that his priority is to help the Oregon team advance to the top of the podium.
“It’s one thing to find some talented runner. It’s totally different to find one with a good head on his shoulders,” said Hashizume. “I am excited to see what he will do in 2012, as well as his long-term development.” Hashizume thinks that Rupp will have to make a decision sometime soon whether or not pursuing the marathon distance is a feasible possibility.
“[Rupp] has tons of potential. He’s still young,” said Heffner. “I have a lot of respect for him.”
Keep an eye on Galen Rupp at the 2009 NCAA Division I Indoor Championships in College Station, as he may compete in both the 3,000 and the 5,000 races. The men’s 5,000 final race is scheduled for 7:30 PM on Friday, March 13. The men’s 3,000 final race is scheduled for 6:55 PM on Saturday, March 14.
Check out the full NCAA Indoor Championship schedule of track and field events this weekend.
Cheryl Lowe is a writer for PreRaceJitters.com.
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