FloAwards: Track & Field Release #14

FloAwards: Track & Field Release #14

May 5, 2015 by Taylor Dutch
FloAwards: Track & Field Release #14

 

 

FLO ELITE

Team USA

World Relays was the Team USA show as the Americans took home seven golds and one silver medal out of the 10 relay races held in Nassau, Bahamas. On the women’s side, Team USA secured a world record (10:46) in the distance medley relay with the powerhouse squad of Treniere Moser, Sanya Richards-Ross, Ajee Wilson and Shannon Rowbury. The women’s 4x800m squad of Chanelle Price, Molly Beckwith-Ludlow, Maggie Vessey and Alysia Montano took home the win in a championship and American record mark of 8:00. The women’s 4x400m relay team of Phyllis Francis, Natasha Hastings, Sanya Richards-Ross and Francena McCorory also easily took home the win in a championship record of 3:19. 
 
On the men’s side, the 4x800m relay team of Duane Solomon, Erik Sowinski, Casimir Loxsom and Robby Andrews kicked things off with a dominating win and fireworks at the finish line for the American squad. The first day concluded with a huge win for the men’s 4x100m team which saw anchor leg Ryan Bailey take down Jamaica’s Usain Bolt and lead Team USA to a world-leading mark of 37.38. The momentum continued on Sunday with another title in the men’s DMR from Kyle Merber, Brycen Spratling, Brandon Johnson, and Ben Blankenship who crossed the finish line in a world record of 9:15. The meet concluded with an all-star 4x400m squad of David Verburg, Tony McQuay, Jeremy Wariner, and LaShawn Merritt securing the victory in 2:58. 
 
Sally Kipyego (Oregon Track Club)
The Kenyan Olympic Silver Medalist left the crowd speechless at Payton Jordan with an effortless-looking win in the women’s 5k. Kipyego secured the win in 14:57, well below the IAAF World standard mark and heads and shoulders above everyone else in the field other than runner-up Betsy Saina who finished three seconds behind.  
 
Boris Berian (Big Bear Track Club)
The former Adams State NCAA Champion took down the field in the Payton Jordan 800m with an American-leading time of 1:45.30. The mark also took down the stadium record and is now the former D2 standout’s personal best. 
 

FLO FRESHMAN


Justyn Knight (Syracuse)
The rookie from Vaughan, Canada landed a runner-up finish in the 5k at the Payton Jordan Invitational with a time of 13:34. The mark shattered the Canadian Junior record by almost nine seconds and took down the 25-year old Syracuse record. The mark puts him No. 6 on the NCAA descending order list.  
 
Kendal Williams (Florida State)
The ‘Nole won the 100m dash at the Longhorn Invitational with the fastest wind-legal collegiate time this season in 10.09. Prior to the breakout performance, Williams contributed as the lead-off leg to FSU’s winning 4x100m relay team, which clocked the No. 7 mark this season in 39.46. 
 
Brooke Feldmeier (Mississippi)
Feldmeier blew away the field at the LSU Invitational in the 800m with a runner-up time of 2:03, a new school record and the No. 12 mark in the NCAA. The performance was nearly a one second personal best from her NCAA Indoor Championship run.  
 

FLO PERFORMANCE

 
Courtney Frerichs (UMKC)
Frerichs established herself as a serious contender for an NCAA title this weekend at the Payton Jordan Invitational after coming from behind to take the win in the steeplechase at 9:32, breaking her own school record and securing the No. 1 time in the NCAA. The performance also took down a stacked field of pros and top collegiates, including Florida State All American Colleen Quigley. 
 
Kemoy Campbell (Arkansas)
The only collegiate in the field of the fast section of the men’s 5k at Payton Jordan did not fail to disappoint after securing an NCAA-leading time of 13:20. The performance put him in the lead of the NCAA descending order list by more than 10 seconds and secured a 12-second personal best for the All American. 
 
Leah O’Connor (Michigan State)
NCAA Champion Leah O’Connor has shown time and time again that she doesn’t need a stacked field to secure fast marks, and this weekend was no different as the senior ran a nation-leading time of 4:11 in the 1500m at Ohio State. The Spartan took the race from the gun and finished a full nine seconds ahead of the rest of the field. 
 

FLO HIGH SCHOOL

Grant Fisher (Grand Blanc H.S.)
The Stanford commit put on a show on his soon-to-be home track at the Payton Jordan Invitational, clocking 3:42 in section 3 of the men’s 1500m. The performance put him No. 4 on the all-time list and secured a seventh-place finish in a field that included NCAA All Americans. 
 
Christina Aragon (Billings Senior H.S.)
The Billings Senior High School standout shocked the crowd at Payton Jordan with a 4:16 1500m at Payton Jordan. The junior from Montana owns a 1600m personal best mark of 4:56.16 and a 3200m time of 11:05.68, both of which were clocked at altitude at the Montana Class AA and C T&F Championship last year. 
 
Drew Hunter (Loudon Valley H.S.)
Fresh off of his 1600m win at Penn Relays, Drew Hunter clocked an astonishingly fast 4:03 at the Dogwood Track Classic. The Loudon Valley junior secured the No. 1 time in the country with the performance. His win also led Matthew Novak to the No. 2 mark in the country with a runner-up finish in 4:06.