German Fernandez Runs 3:55.02/7:57.71, Jenny Barringer runs 4:25.81, by James Dunaway, IAAF

Even with German’s dynamic double yesterday, his eyes are focused on Amman, Jordan and the World Cross Country Championships! Photo by PhotoRun.net. German Fernandez will be fun to watch this spring over 5,000 meters ! I see a 13:10 soon in his future!

College Station, Texas, USA, February 28 â€“ German Fernandez, an 18-year-old Californianwho attends Oklahoma State University, won the Big 12 Championships mile in 3:55.02 and returned to the track three hours later to win the 3,000m in 7:.57.71.
The times certainly are excellent for an 18year-old, but more impressive was the seeming effortlessness of Fernandezâ€™ runs. He led from the gun in the mile and won by more than 9 Â½ seconds, clicking off successive quarter miles in 58,6, 58.4, 59.3 and 58.7. In the 3,000 he shared the pace with others, then soloed the last kilometer in 2:30.62.
Fernandex, having established himself as favorite for the NCAA mile two weeks from now on this same track, has reportedly opted to run instead in the IAAF World Junior Cross-country Championships in Jordan, Amman, on the same weekend. The NCAAâ€™s loss will be the IAAFâ€™s gain.
The womenâ€™s mile was almost at the same level of performance, though much more hotly contested Jennifer Barringer, a University of Colorado student who finished ninth in the Beijing 3,000m steeplechase, ran most of the way with Kenyan Sally Kipyego of Texas Tech, then cruised through a 1:03.8 final 440 yards to a 20-metre victory in 4:25.81, a collegiate record.
Other impressive performances were turned in by Desiree Hooker (younger sister of Olympic 200m finalist Marshevet) and Porscha Lucas. Miss Hooker won the high jump with a 1.94 pb, then had two good misses at 1.98; and Miss Lucas won the 200 meters with the yearâ€™s second fastest time, 22.94.
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Special thanks to James Dunaway and the IAAF.
For more on the IAAF, please click http://www.iaaf.org

Author

Larry Eder
Larry Eder has had a 52-year involvement in the sport of athletics. Larry has experienced the sport as an athlete, coach, magazine publisher, and now, journalist and blogger. His first article, on Don Bowden, America's first sub-4 minute miler, was published in RW in 1983. Larry has published several magazines on athletics, from American Athletics to the U.S. version of Spikes magazine. He currently manages the content and marketing development of the RunningNetwork, The Shoe Addicts, and RunBlogRun. Of RunBlogRun, his daily pilgrimage with the sport, Larry says: "I have to admit, I love traveling to far away meets, writing about the sport I love, and the athletes I respect, for my readers at runblogrun.com, the most of anything I have ever done, except, maybe running itself." Also does some updates for BBC Sports at key events, which he truly enjoys. Theme song: Greg Allman, " I'm no Angel."
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