Derrick and Heath Defend Edinburgh Titles

Derrick and Heath Defend Edinburgh Titles

Jan 10, 2015 by Taylor Dutch
Derrick and Heath Defend Edinburgh Titles




In mud and sleet, Americans Garrett Heath and Chris Derrick each defended their 4k and 8k titles, respectively, at the Great Edinburgh XCountry International Challenge. Derrick’s victory helped lead Team USA to an overall team win in both the men’s 8k race as well as the team event with 121 points over Europe (189) and Great Britain (223). 
 
“I love this part of the sport [cross country] and I really want it to thrive,” said Derrick after defending his title in the men’s 8k with a finishing time of 25:31. 
 
The two-time national champion in cross country was followed close behind by former Stanford teammate Jake Riley who clocked a runner-up performance in 25:33. Team USA made up six of the top ten spots with Reed Connor finishing fourth, Andrew Colley in sixth, Craig Forys in seventh, and Bobby Curtis finishing 10th to round out a six-man score of just 30 points. 
 
Runner-up Great Britain mixed up the top five spots with Jonathan Hay finishing third (25:36) and teammate Charlie Hulson crossing the line in a time of 25:39 for fifth place. Hay covered the course at last year’s challenge with a 10th-place finish and Hulson improved by 18 places compared to his 2014 performance. Great Britain totaled a team score of 66 points, and was followed by third-place Europe led by an eighth-place individual finish by Stefano La Rosa. 
 
In the men’s invitational 4k, Heath, another Stanford alum, held a commanding lead after the first 2k loop to successfully defend his title from 2014 that shocked the crowd in Edinburgh. His performance in 2015 was no surprise as the U.S. 1 Mile Road champ battled wind and mud to secure his second victory with a time of 12:11, eight seconds over World Cross Country Champion Japheth Korir (12:19). 
 
Dathan Ritzenhein followed for a third-place finish in 12:27 for his second podium finish in four days after taking the victory at the Campaccio 10k in Milan, Italy. 2013 World 1500m Champion Asbel Kiprop followed Ritz for a fourth-place finish and Great Britain’s Tom Lancashire closed in for fifth-place overall. 
 
The terrain of the course proved difficult for American record-holder Bernard Lagat who finished 15th overall. 
 
In a surprise victory, Great Britain’s Emilia Gorecka ran through a hail storm in the women’s 6k race to secure one of the greatest performances of her career. After finishing 12th at the European Cross Country Championships in Bulgaria last month, Gorecka received redemption with a huge victory by seven seconds over Europe’s Fionnuala Britton. Trihas Gebre followed for third-place overall and U.S. 10 Mile Silver Medalist Brianne Nelson led Team USA with a fourth-place individual finish. 
 
After finishing third at the NCAA Cross Country Championships in November, Emma Bates scored as the second runner to cross the line for Team USA with a sixth-place finish, and was followed close behind by Frances Koons (eighth). 
 
Europe took the team victory with 44 points led by a runner-up finish from Britton and a third-place finish from Gebre. Team USA followed with a total score of 61 points and Great Britain finished third with 81 points overall. 
 
The junior races were dominated by Team USA as both men’s and women’s races resulted in huge victories for the Americans. Yemaneherhan Crippa took the individual victory representing Europe, and Oklahoma State runner Cerake Geberkidane led Team USA with a runner-up finish covering the 6k course in 19:57. He was followed by Foot Locker runner-up Olin Hacker in third place, Caleb Webb for fourth and Andrew Rafla for fifth to round out a team score of just 14 points. 
 
The women’s race was led with an individual win from Team USA’s Makena Morley and runner-up and Foot Locker champion Anna Rohrer. Europe’s Anna-Emilie Moller followed for third-place and Pheobe Law covered the course for a fourth-place finish for Great Britain. Team USA earned the victory with 16 points secured by a sixth-place finish from Ryen Frazier and a seventh-place finish from Katie Lembo.