While a few meets were rescheduled due to the swine flu scare, and many states started to shift towards their state meet series’, the first weekend in May did not disappoint with fast results from around the country pouring in. This week, we wrap up the Prospect Invitational in Illinois, while highlighting many other top national performances.

Every year the Prospect Invitational is widely regarded as the top track and field meet for distance runners in the state of Illinois outside of the state meet. Often is the case, the top male runners in Illinois go head-to-head, with the end results often showing numerous Illinois #1 times by the end of the evening.

The evening started on an exciting note, as York (IL) battled a strong field of competition in the 4×800m relay, taking home the title in an IL #1 time of 7:50.83. York used a strong third leg to pull away from the pack, showing that they will once again contend for the state title in the event. Meanwhile, Prospect (IL) finished second in 7:53.37, despite running without one of their top 800m runners.

As usual, the 3,200m run was the top individual race of the evening. Senior Steve Sulkin (York, IL) pushed the pace from the gun, running right on 9-flat pace for nearly the entire race. Sulkin was trailed by Phil Fairleigh (Cary-Grove, IL), who sat right off of Sulkin’s left shoulder lap after lap. With two laps to go Sulkin started to gap Fairleigh, and then the York star took off with 300m to go and went on to win in 9:01.11. Fairleigh finished with a huge personal best of 9:05.13. Sulkin’s senior teammate Jordan Herbert (York, IL) finished third in 9:10.38, while junior Pat Lesiewicz (Schaumburg, IL) finished fourth in 9:14.52.

The 800m dash was won from the start, as senior Ryan Mangone (Barrington, IL) seemed to be shot out of a cannon, torching a first 400m in 52 seconds, then coming home in a very respectable and top Illinois time of 1:53.56. Senior Pat Morgan (York, IL) finished second in 1:55.64, while fellow senior David Way (York, IL) finished third in 1:55.83.

As the meet wound down, the 1,600m run was the last distance event of the evening. With many of the top ranked runners in the state in the race, this race promised to be exciting. From the gun, Peter Callahan (North Shore Co. Day, IL) took the lead, pushing the pace through the first 400m in 62 seconds. Callahan then relinquished the lead to others in the pack and the race slowed dramatically for two laps. At the bell lap Callahan shot to the lead once again, dragging out the rest of the field, sprinting away from the field in the final 200m to win in 4:16.00. Alex Lyons (Lyons Twp., IL) finished second in 4:16.90, while Steve Sulkin finished third in 4:19.23.

Prospect Invitational Meet Results

Despite missing valuable training time in past weeks due to illness, Jordan Hasay (Mission Prep, CA) showed fine form Saturday evening at the Payton Jordan Invitational at Stanford University. Competing against many of the top professional and collegiate athletes in the U.S., Hasay finished eleventh overall in 4:16.80. Her time is the fourth fastest all-time at the prep level, giving her six of the top eleven best all-time performances, including her U.S. #1 mark of 4:14.50 set at the Olympic Trials last summer.

Payton Jordan Invitational Results

New U.S. #1 Times in 3,200m, mile and 800m

In addition to Hasay’s U.S. #1 time in the girls 1,500m, new U.S. #1 performances were earned in the boys 3,200m and mile event, while the girls 800m dash has a new leader in the rankings.

At the CNY Coaches Association Meet in New York, Chris Stogsdill (Marcellus, NY) ran a new U.S. #1 time in the boys’ mile, taking home the race win in 4:07.93. The senior, who’s committed to Iona College, outran junior Alex Hatz (Fayetteville-Manlius, NY), who finished second in a great time of 4:10.80. CNY Coaches Asso. Meet Results

In the boys 3,200m, Erik Olson (Novato, CA) lowered his U.S. #1 time in the event, as he won by just over 20 seconds at the Sacramento Meet of Champions. Olson, who’s only a junior, has shown this outdoor season thus far that he is the man to beat in the event, dipping under nine minutes for the second time. Sacramento Meet of Champions Results

Beating her personal best by over 1.5 seconds, Charlene Lipsey (Hampstead, NY) ran to a new U.S. #1 time in the girls 800m dash Saturday at the St. Anthony’s Invitational. The junior showed why she might just be the best 800m runner in the country this season, as she blazed to a 2:05.83 finish. St. Anthony’s Invitational Results

* 2008 Midwest Distance Gala 800m champion Tommy Brinn (Otsego, MI), ran quite the speedy double over the weekend. Brinn won over the span of 30 minutes the 400m dash and 800m dash at the Allegan Invitational Friday evening. Brinn took home the title in the 400m dash in 47.83, while winning the 800m dash in 1:53.09. Both were meet records. Brinn Blazes in 400/800 Double

* The girls 800m is a strong event this year, with Illinois senior Stephanie Brown (Tri-Valley, IL) being one of the best in the country. On Friday evening, Brown scored a big win at the Meet of Champions in East Peoria, Illinois, winning the 800m in 2:09.89, becoming the fifth athlete to dip under the 2:10 mark this outdoor season. Brown came back later in the meet to win the 1,600m run in 5:09.47. Meet of Champions Results

* The Trevor Dunbar (Kodiak, AK) continued this weekend, this time seeing the Portland-bound senior running at the Juneau Invitational. Dunbar won the 800m, 1,600m and 3,200m races, all with relative ease. Dunbar cruised to victory in the 1,600m race in 4:10.78, while winning the 3,200m in 9:10.74 and the 800m in 1:58.57 respectively.

* At the Henderson Invitational earlier in the weekend, Tatnall (DE) showed why they are one of the strongest girls distance squads in the country. The squad ran a trio of runners in the 1,600m run that went 1-3-4, with Katie Buenaga, Haley Olivere and Allison Calvarese going 4:55.34, 5:06.68 and 5:07.93 respectively. The team’s top runner, Juliet Bottorff, won the 3,200m run by just over 49 seconds, cruising to a 10:27.11 victory. The top performance on the boys side was from junior Tom Mallon (Central Bucks South, PA), who won the 800m dash in 1:52.02, while leading two other teammates under 1:56 for second and third place overall.

* One of the best performances to come out of the mountain region this year happened this past weekend when Evan Appel (Dakota Ridge, CO), a three-time Foot Locker finalist and Stanford-bound senior, won the 3,200m run at the Tiger Invitational with a 9:07.82 clocking, winning by 22 seconds.

Lopez Lomong Helps Brothers Share in American Dream (Universal Sports)

Interview with Top Canadian Prep Miler Jeremy Rae (Dyestat)

Checking in with Matt Tegenkamp (Running Times)

Brief Chat with Olympic 1,500m Medalist Nick Willis (Runner’s World)

Coverage from the Payton Jordan Invitational (Runnerspace)

On the third leg, Morris Hills pulled slightly ahead handing off to the anchor leg. Albemarle’s Anthony Kostelac ran an amazing 1:49.33 to edge Morris Hills’ anchor Liam Tansey, who ran 1:50.65. As the crowd rose to their feet in the final leg, there was talk of the national record going down, and as Kostelac crossed the line, a new national record flashed across the giant screen in the stadium. Albemarle set a new national record of 7:30.67, while Morris Hills also broke the old record of 7:32.89, with their runner-up performance of 7:31.60.

Albemarle (VA) - 7:30.67 National Record

Garrett Bradley 1:55.43, Zach Vrhovac 1:50.57, Luke Noble 1:55.34, Anthony Kostelac 1:49.33

Morris Hills (NJ) - 7:31.60

Vincent Chiusano 1:55.22, Lucas Clybe 1:52.17, Sean Pohorence 1:53.56, Liam Tansey 1:50.65

One performance that seemed to be overlooked among the national record breaking race was junior Tom Mallon’s 1:49.79 anchor leg for third place Central Bucks (PA). Central Bucks ran a great race to finish in 7:36.93, while Mallon showed why he is one of the top 800m runners in the country this season.

Elsewhere, Chelsey Sveinsson (Greenhill School, TX) and Jeremy Rae (Ontario, Canada) won the girls and boys mile races. Sveinsson crushed the girls field in a U.S. #1 time of 4:46.85, winning by nearly 13 seconds over runner-up Natalie Bower (Greater Latrobe, PA). Meanwhile, the Notre Dame-bound Rae ran a great race from start to finish, beating one of the stronger fields seen this season, with a winning time of 4:08.13, which was a meet record. Runner-up finisher Drew Shields (Fishers, IN) came home in 4:12.34, while third place finisher Bobby Peavey (Kellam, PA) ran 4:13.02.

In the girls 3,000m run, 2008 mile champion Stephanie Morgan (Barnesville, OH) pulled away from senior Emily Jones (Bromfield, MA) in the final straight, winning in 9:31.32. Jones finished in second place with a 9:32.22 effort, while Shelby Greany (Suffern, NY) was third in 9:35.42.

On the boys side, Robert Micikas (Crestwood, PA) upset the field, winning in 8:23.84, with Foot Locker finalist Ben Furcht (Lower Merion, PA) second in 8:24.72. Many thought Foot Locker champion Solomon Haile (Sherwood, MD) would pull away from the field early on, but that never was the case, as Haile finished fourth, while Foot Locker third place finisher Thomas Porter (Mountain View, VA) finished fifth.

Other notable winners: Upper Dublin (PA) won the boys distance medley relay in 10:08.48, out dueling W.W.-Plainsboro North (NJ), who ran to a runner-up finish in 10:11.28. The finest performance of the boys DMR came from Robby Andrews, who powered his Manalapan H.S. (NJ) team to a third place finish behind a 4:06.2 1,600m anchor performance. On the girls side, Tatnall (DE) upset Southern Regional (NJ), winning 11:49.37-11:58.74.

Penn Relays Results

Houlihan posted one of the top 800m performances in the country this season, winning in a near photo finish with Sara Stoakes (North Tama, IA), edging the senior 2:10.17-2:10.22. Houlihan ran the 800m final on Friday, then coming back Saturday to win the 1,500m event in 4:37.03, besting in-state rival Katie Flood (Dowling Catholic, IA), who finished second in 4:39.11. Houlihan also helped her team pick up the 4×800m relay title, as E. Sioux City (IA) won by just over ten seconds in 9:20.77.

While Flood didn’t earn the 1,500m win, she did impress in the girls 3,000m run on Friday, going 1-2 with teammate Ashlie Decker, as Flood edged her teammate 10:05.48-10:12.50. The winner on the boys side was Omet Kak (North Des Moines, IA), who won the 3,200m race, as well as the 1,600m run. Kak ran 9:19.71 in the 3,200m, while beating Lewi Manirumva (CR Washington, IA) in the 1,600m race, 4:19.43-4:20.51.

Another notable winner was Pleasant Valley (IA), who won the boys 4×800m relay in a close battle with Waukee (IA). Pleasant Valley, who’s established distance dominance over the state the past few years, edged Waukee 7:58.00-7:58.85 to take home the relay title.

Drake Relays Results

While many of the top middle-distance runners were tearing up the track at the Penn Relays over the weekend, one of the top 800m runners was putting on a clinic in windy and warm Minnesota. Zach Mellon (Buffalo, MN), who ran the U.S. #2 time of 1:48.64 last spring as a junior, guided his team to victory in the 4×800m relay and 4×400m relay, while winning the 800m dash as well. Mellon ran a strong anchor leg in the 4×8, and then came back with a 1:55.60 effort in the open 800m event, while anchoring his team from a come-from-behind victory in the 4×4, closing with a 48.9 second split.

Another notable performance came in the boys 1,600m run, where Moses Heppner (Warroad, MN) won in 4:17.74. Heppner surprised the field, running away over the final lap to claim victory. John Holt (Roseville, MN) placed second in 4:18.93. In the girls 1,600m race, Mara Olson (St. Louis Park, MN) won in 5:06.84.

The boys 3,200m run didn’t produce the close finish many had hoped for, as Jeremy Drenkhahn (Wayzata, MN) won the ran by just over 15 seconds in 9:23.50. The girls side was won by Jamie Piepenburg (Alexandria, MN) in 11:06.66.

Another athlete that stood out Friday evening was junior Harun Abda (Fridley, MN). Abda, who ran 1:50.74 for 800m as a sophomore last spring, won the boys 400m dash in 49.40.

Hamline Elite Meet Results

Down the Backstretch Live Coverage

* A new U.S. top three performance in the girls 4×800m relay was had at the St. Vrain Invitational (CO). Coloroado’s Thompson Valley High School ran the top three performance of 9:04.94 behind standout athlete Laura Tremblay’s 2:10 split. The Classical Academy (CO) finished second in 9:17.48.

High School Running Movie Premiers on Hallmark (Runner’s World)

Interview with Oregon’s Nathan Mathabane (Dyestat)

As student-athletes get back from spring break, the outdoor season really picked up this week, as the Texas Relays and Florida Relays took hold of the results page. Dozens of great performances were put up at these two events, including a hyper-impressive double by Texas sophomore Chelsey Sveinsson, who won the 3,200m run in 10:12.11 and the 1,600m run in 4:46.47 at the Texas Relays.

As usual, the Texas Relays provided the top highlights of the first weekend in April, as athletes from around Texas, and a handful of other states, converged in the state capital of Austin and took to the annual showdown. No distance athlete impressed more than Chelsey Sveinsson (So., Greenhill, TX), who won both the 3,200m run and 1,600m run.

Sveinsson beat some strong competition in the process, showing that she’s taken her talent to the next level. Sveinsson ran a U.S. #1 time in the 3,200m event, besting Sarah Andrews (Jr., The Woodlands, TX) 10:12.11-10:21.34 for the win. Six athletes in total dipped under 10:49 in the race. With a big win Friday, Sveinsson then came back Saturday, easily winning the 1,600m race in 4:46.47, 16 seconds ahead of second place.

In the relays, Long Beach Poly (CA) showed they aren’t just a sprint powerhouse, as they racked up wins in the 4×800m relay and Distance Medley Relay. LBP won the 4×800m relay in a meet record and U.S. #1 time of 9:07.95, then coming back Saturday to win the DMR by just over four seconds in 12:10.38.

While Long Beach Poly dominated the girls side, on the boys side The Woodlands (TX) once again ruled the track, winning the 4×800m relay on Friday and DMR on Saturday. The Woodlands won the 4×8 by just over six seconds, running 7:46.03, besting the relay team from Georgetown (TX), who finished second in 7:52.76 and had two sophomores and a junior on their relay. The Woodlands beat out Georgetown 10:06.12-10:16.85 for the DMR title.

Elsewhere, Craig Lutz (So., FM Marcus, TX) showed that he’s going to be a sub-nine contender this spring, as the sophomore won the boys 3,200m run 9:03.99-9:08.63 over Austin Roth (Sr., Lake Highlands, TX). Zachary Ornelas (Sr., CP Vista Ridge, TX) won the boys 2k steeplechase by nearly 18 seconds, taking home top honors in 5:58.88, while Alex De La Garza (Sr., Mercedes, TX) won the boys 1,600m run in 4:15.77.

Texas Relays Results

While the Texas Relays garnered much of the attention this past weekend, the Florida Relays put up impressive numbers as well. From the girls 800m, to the boys 1,600m, to the boys 4×800m relay, some of the top times in the nation were put up.

The girls 800m event found another national-caliber star. Senior Skyler Wallen (Miami Northwestern, FL) outran a strong field to break the 2:10-barrier with a 2:09.00 winning effort. Wallen finished well ahead of Becca Deloache (Myers Park, FL), who finished second in 2:11.96. Wallen then came back Saturday to lead her Miami Northwestern 4×800m relay squad to victory with a 9:17.45 winning time.

In the boys 1,600m run, Derek Wehunt (Sickles, FL) showed that he will be a force this spring. After racing to a 9:06.78 3,2000m finish at the FSU Relays last weekend, Wehunt backed that up with a U.S. #1 time of 4:11.14 to win the race by nearly two seconds. The senior showed he’s ready to compete on the next level and will get his chance next weekend, as he’s registered to run the boys 3,200m run at the Arcadia Invitational. Behind Wehunt was runner-up Connor Revord (Tampa Jesuit, FL) in 4:13.12 and Colin Baker (Bishop Kenny, FL) in 4:13.96.

Perhaps the best relay race of the weekend came in the boys 4×800m relay, which saw two more teams dip under the 7:50 barrier. Flagler Palm Coast (FL) and Wharton (FL) raced all the way to the finish, with Flagler Palm Coast pulling out the win 7:46.57-7:47.88. Flagler then came back later in the day to win the boys 4×400m relay in a new meet record time of 3:13.15, one of the all-time top marks in the state.

In the girls 1,600m run, Joane Pierre (Immokalee, FL) beat Brittany Koziara (Boone, FL) 5:01.26-5:02.65, showing she’ll be a force in the state this spring. Senior Taylor Lord (Chapel Hill, NC) won the boys 3,200m event in 9:30.35, easily beating the rest of the competition, while Sean Obinwa (Wharton, FL) won the boys 800m dash in 1:53.12. Foot Locker qualifier Kayla Hale (Holy Trinity, FL) won the girls 3,200m run by nearly ten seconds in 10:37.81.

Florida Relays Results

* Foot Locker runner-up Trevor Dunbar (Sr., Kodiak, AK) ran 9:08.63 for 3200m at the Big C Relays at The Dome in Anchorage. The Dome hosts many meets throughout the Alaskan winter and spring, offering up a 400m indoor track. Dunbar won by nearly 34 seconds.

* Elijah Greer (Sr., Lake Oswego, OR) ran a U.S. #2 800m mark at his home invitational, the Laker Classic, Friday evening. Greer easily beat the field with a winning time of 1:51.47.

The always impressive Arcadia Invitational is taking place next weekend, so we’re going to release a special edition Distance Gala Weekly on either Wednesday evening or Thursday morning this week, previewing a handful of the top distance races at the event. Some big names are in the start lists; including Foot Locker champion Jordan Hasay (Sr., Mission Prep, CA), Foot Locker runner-up Trevor Dunbar (Sr., Kodiak, AK), and middle distance standout Mac Fleet (Sr., University City, CA). Check back later this week as we offer the best match-ups, key insights and breakdown the deep fields of Arcadia.

Alan Webb to Open up at Kansas Relays (Race Results Weekly/Letsrun)

June 3, 2009 will be National Running Day (RunningDay.org)

The Obsession Behind the Jamaican Boys & Girls Championships (The Guardian)

Grindstone Mountain Project - April 1 (Dyestat)

In-Depth Seb Coe Interview (London Telegraph)

Distance Gala Weekly (DGW): You’ve been relatively quiet this indoor season, really only taking part in the Reebok Boston Indoor Games. What have you been up to since Foot Locker? How’s your training going?

Trevor Dunbar (TD): Well after Footlocker was over I took a week off from running and tried to get my academics back on track, because I had finals that week after missing almost two weeks of school. I started training slowly for the track season, and I had a minor setback with wisdom teeth surgery, but other than that everything went well until I injured my achilles two weeks before BIG. It felt okay at BIG but then I tried returning too aggressively and I got setback for about three weeks. Now I feel healthy after working out through cross training very devotedly; and I’m back to running right now feeling not too out of shape, so I am happy despite the less than savory winter campaign.

DGW: When do you plan to open up your season?

TD: Well, the first major focus right now is Arcadia in the 5000. I’ve seen what Haile did at NSIC and I am pumped to get in raging shape so I can throw down something good, but I know that staying healthy is the most important thing so it will be safe to play it slow and try to make sure I am really, really fit in June. But to answer the question, I will open up in two weeks, just a small intersquad meet, nothing big, and run the 1600. Don’t expect much.

DGW: Do you plan to make any trips down to the lower-48 before the national championship events roll around?

TD: Arcadia, but other than that nothing really. Travel is tough on me.

DGW: You chose earlier this school year to attend Portland next fall. Why Portland?

TD: It was a very difficult choice for me and I could have seen myself doing well at many different places; but Portland was where I felt best fit me. I found that it was a place that didn’t attract a lot of glamour, was a close tight-knit team atmosphere with teammates who equaled my passion for the sport.

I found this combination was really what I wanted most, but I didn’t find it exclusively at UP. So, I also took into consideration the great temperate area for running, easy travel to home, my parents went there (albeit that didn’t mean much), we have a badass recruiting class, and of course Coach Conner is well…Coach Conner.

DGW: What are your goals for your senior track season? Are you eying a certain national title?

TD: Yeah I am definitely hoping to attend NON and run the two mile. That is what I am most psyched for the whole season right now. But also I should be attending Golden West and Junior Nationals in Eugene, so that is the tentative plan thus far. Goals time wise I have set out in my mind but I don’t really want to share publicly (I never know how things will go).

DGW: You gained a lot of national notoriety last fall with your 9:01 3200 effort on an icy track while it was snowing. What was it like receiving so much attention for what was more or less a time trial?

TD: I think the video got way too much hype. Every year there are a hefty handful of kids that are capable of doing that same thing, but are not isolated enough to need to. I had no idea it would explode like it did and felt slightly embarrassed when everyone talked to me about that when there was so many more actual races that I was way more proud of.

It was cool to get other people from my team and town some media exposure though. Living my brief glory on Flotrack and the famous Letsun.com, by bringing something to the table so unique was pretty fun too. If for nothing else, I now have a lot of material to pull jokes from when I’m at big meets. Ladies especially I notice have a soft spot for the oddball.

While a few of the state’s top runners didn’t compete in this past weekend’s Ohio State Indoor Track and Field Championships, plenty of talented individuals were left to make the weekend one to remember. Perhaps the most notable performer of the weekend was Danny Neff (Sr., Vandalia-Butler, OH), who won the boys 800m and 1600m events.

Neff simply outraced the field in both events. In the 1,600m race, Neff distanced himself from Donny Roys (Sr., Medina, OH) over the final half of the race, finishing with a very strong time of 4:12.38, while Roys came in a strong second at 4:17.84. Four athletes in total dipped under 4:20. Neff, who will be attending the University of Georgia next fall, also won the 800m race, but this time had to out kick Willie Brown (Sr., John Adams, OH) to the finish line, outleaning Brown for the win, 1:53.49-1:53.52.

The best girl’s performance came in the 1,600m, which saw Hannah Neczypor (So., North Royalton, OH) run to one of the more impressive 1,600m races this season thus far. Neczypor out ran Madeline Chambers (Jr., Magnficat, OH), running the top time in Ohio this season thus far in 4:54.38. Chambers, who was doubling back after helping her Magnificat H.S. team win the girls 4×800m relay in 9:27.82 (winning by nearly 20 seconds), finished in the runner-up spot with a 5:00.42 performance.

The other top distance race of the championship was the boys 4×800m relay, which saw three teams dip under 8:10. Glenville (OH) outran Gahanna-Lincoln (OH), edging the squad out 8:05.33-8:06.58. Perennial power Hilliard Davidson (OH) placed third overall in 8:09.02.

Ohio State Indoor Championship Results

After starting his season off with a 1:52.23 800m effort two weeks ago, middle distance standout Elijah Greer (Sr., Lake Oswego, OR) ran his first 1,500m race of the season at the Oregon Preview Saturday afternoon. The University of Oregon-signee placed fifth overall behind a quartet of current UO runners, running a U.S. #1 time of 3:50.70. Coming in slightly behind Greer was fellow prep runner Nathan Mathabane (Sr., Lincoln, OR), who finished in seventh with a great early season time of 3:52.80.

Mathabane doubled back and ran well in the 3,000m race later in the day. He placed 13th overall, again mostly against collegiate competition, running 8:52.87. However, he did get beat by fellow in-state rival Bryce Burgess (Sr., Franklin, OR), who ran to a seventh place finish in an impressive 8:26.31. Burgess, like Greer, will be taking his talents to the University of Oregon next fall.

Men’s 1,500m Results

3:48.17 - Scott Wall (Oregon)

3:49.38 - Kenny Klotz (unattached)

3:49.96 - James Withers (Oregon)

3:50.43 - Shadrack Biwott (Oregon)

3:50.70 - Elijah Greer (unattached)

3:51.37 - Sean Williams (Brooks Eastside)

3:52.80 - Nathan Mathabane (unattached)

3:53.79 - Luke Puskedra (unattached)

Oregon Preview Results

Video Interview with Elijah Greer (Runnerspace)

Will Cross Country be added to the 2014 Winter Olympics? (InsidetheGames)

New U.S. Outdoor National Championship Website Debuts (Runnerspace)

Brian Sell: The Other American Running Boston (Universal Sports)

Ryan Hall: One Month until Boston (Running Times)

Video Interview with Distance Legend Haile Gebrselassie (Track & Field News)

Last week we published the top 12 best performances of championship weekend, which included Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake’s double relay victory at the NSIC. Originally we stated that Sam Roecker, Molly Pezzulo, Meaghan Gregory and Rachael Cyrus were the quartet for both the winning 4×1 mile relay and Distance Medley Relay. However, it was brought to our attention that Rachael Cyrus ran on the 4×1 mile relay, while Kendra Adams ran the 400m leg for the squad. We apologize for the error.