Futsum Highlights ISU Classic

Feb 11, 2015 by Meg Bellino

Remember when Wisconsin’s Sarah Disanza ran the fourth-fastest NCAA indoor 5000m mark ever? (If you live under a rock, here’s proof of her 15:20 set back in December). Well, she’s back! Sure she got some speed work in at the Armory Invitational running a leg of the Badger’s DMR, but she makes her long awaited individual return running the 3000m this Saturday at the Iowa State Classic.

Disanza’s story is special. The New Jersey native ran 4:46.32 for 1600m and 10:15.02 for 3200m in high school. In her freshman year in at the University of Wisconsin she finished 104th at the NCAA XC championships. After redshirting indoor season, she went on to run 4:20.72 for 1500m and advancing to the NCAA East prelims. Not too bad.

Fast forward to the fall of 2014 where Disanza is a force kept under the radar until Nov. 22nd, 2014. Don’t get us wrong, the sophomore was good during the season, finishing second at the Big Ten meet and third in the Great Lakes region. But her runner-up performance at the NCAA championships was huge and put her on the map. What she did two weeks later in Boston in that 5k reaffirmed this.

So with Disanza running the 3000m this weekend at the ISU Classic, let’s look deeper into the event and highlight other big names that will toe the line in Ames, Iowa.

Editor's Note: Just kidding we just recieved confirmation from her coach that Disanza is not running this weekend. Bummer.

Women’s 3,000m
Baylor’s Rachel Johnson making the trek from Waco, TX. Johnson has a 9:08.36 PR to her name and finished 8th last year in the NCAA. In fact, one week after Disanza ran her devastating 5k, Johnson posted one of her own, an impressive solo 15:40.45 effort. While there are plenty of other impressive names in the field (ISU’s Katy Moen, Villanova’s Stephanie Schappert, and North Dakota State’s Erin Teschuk) we picture this race coming down to Disanza and Johnson. This is one match-up you don’t want to miss.

Men’s 5,000m
In this race last year, two of the fastest marks in the NCAA were set (Reed Connor of Wisconsin and Patrick Tiernan of Villanova, both 13:37, respectively). The field assembled this year could lead to similar results. Connor is back, now running unattached. He’ll be joined by former Wisconsin teammate Maverick Darling, now running for Saucony. Collegiates Mark Parrish of Florida, Marc Scott of Tulsa, Edwin Kibichiy of Louisville, and John Mascari of Indiana State will be chasing NCAA qualifying marks. How low will they go? Mascari’s PR is only 13:59.06, but after finishing eighth in the NCAA cross country championships, we think he’s got the grit to finish at the top.

Other HUGE NAMES
Futsum Zienasellassie is back! And this Northern Arizona star is looking to prove that he’s not just a cross country guy. He’ll be headlining the men’s 3000m against Big Ten studs Mason Ferlic of Michigan and Malachy Schrobilgen of Wisconsin.

The men’s mile should feature a slew of sub-4:00s. Chad Noelle is fresh off of anchoring the Oklahoma State men to a 9:30.65 DMR with a 3:56.82 split. If he produces a similar mark, he could be a favorite to win an NCAA mile title.

The women’s mile features several All Americans. A name you may have never heard of? Gabriela Stafford of Canada. Just two weeks ago at the Armory Invitational, the Toronto runner ran 2:42.75 in the 1k and 2:06.49 for 800m to win both races. She’ll have Wisconsin’s Molly Hanson to keep her company.