NCAA Championships - Day 2 Wrap Up

Galen Rupp is unstoppable. In the last 10,000m race of his college career, he ran 28:21.45 to get another NCAA title. Rupp sat behind Liberty’s Sam Chelanga and Shawn Forrest of Arkansas through most of the race, but it was evident he had an extra gear.

“It was obvious that [Chelanga and Forrest] wanted to set an honest pace, but I held on and knew just what I had to do and the right time to do it,” Rupp said.

However, Forrest and Chelanga did not let him go without a fight. Over the last 3 laps, the race really began. Rupp made his move and Forrest challenged it. With a quick glance behind him, Rupp picked up his pace. Forrest finished strong, but could not stop Rupp.

In the women’s 10,000m, Providence’s Danette Doetzel ran a strong race for a 33:25.71 win. Last year’s champion, Lisa Koll of Iowa State, lead much of the race, but eventually faded to a ninth place finish.

“I’ve been training really hard, and I knew I was in shape coming in. I was looking forward to this race, but really tried to take it easy early on. The pace came back to me in the last two kilometers or so, and I just took over and was able to hang on,” Doetzel said.

Rupp might be on his way out of the college running scene, but the next big thing is freshman German Fernandez of Oklahoma State. Already a success in high school, Fernandez has been a top runner this year. Tonight he won his heat of the 1500m semifinals in 3:41.39, and is a favorite to win what will be a very competitive final on Saturday.

Another Oregon athlete to watch is Andrew Wheating in the 800m. He won his heat and had had the fastest time of the semifinals, 1:46.21. It will be another Texas vs. Oregon dual in the finals as Tevon Everett ran 1:46.97. On the women’s side, it will likely be a close race between indoor champ Geena Gall of Michigan and Phoebe Wright of Tennessee.

In the 200m, Texas A&M’s Porscha Lucas ran 22.38 in the semifinals, which is the #2 fastest time in the world this year. Chris Dykes represented the Aggie men by running the top 200m time, 20.40.

The preliminary round of the 4×400m was between Florida State and Baylor. Baylor is known for their men’s 4×400, but this year they will have to watch out. Florida State showed they are ready to compete by outkicking Mississippi State by less than 1 second. For the women, LSU and Texas had the top 2 times.

Related posts:

1. 2011 NCAA Outdoor Championships D1
2. NCAA DI Championship Preview and Predictions: 5 Events to Watch