by Larry Eder
Vivian Cheruiyot takes the 2011 World Cross Country Champs, photo by PhotoRun.net.
So, what do you do if you just won the World Cross Country title in Punta Umbria, Spain on March 20? Well, you head over to Ponteverde, Spain and run a 10,000 meter track race, if you are Vivian Cheruiyot.
Vivian Cheruiyot, in her debut at the distance, lead from the 2nd kilometer on, and hit the 5,000 meter mark in 15:37.1, and took just 15 minutes to run the second half of the race! Pretty darn impressive for a debut over the distance!
On top of that, some blazing performances across the U.S. this weekend in the track & field world! Thanks to our chronicler of all things athletics, Alfons Juck, the man who brings you the daily news from around the world (courtesy of EME News).
FAST 10 KM TRACK DEBUT FOR V.
CHERUIYOT
PONTEVEDRA (ESP, Apr 2): Fresh World CC Champion Vivian Cheruiyot won
the Trofeo Iberico at the 10
000 m with Daegu qualifier and world leading 31:07.02.
It was her track debut at this distance, she was taking care of the pace since
second km, her half split was 15:37.10. Second Dulce Felix of Portugal got
European leading time 2011 and also inside Daegu A-standard 31:45 with
31:33.42. Third Kenyan Commonwealth Games winner Grace Momanyi was unfortunately
over the standard with 32:15.06. Another top name Jessica Augusto of Portugal was a
non-finisher. Spanish champion Isabel Checa as fourth (32:48.76). Great win for
Kenyan Vincent Rono in men´s race. He was leading the runners from first km (5 km split 13:54.50) and
finished timed with excellent personal best and first sub 28 minutes of the
year 27:52.19. Equally impressive was Olympic medalist and European Indoor
Champion at 1500 m
Rui Silva of Portugal who at age of 33 debuted at 10 km on the track with
superb European leader 27:53.55. Third way back Ricardo Serrano winning the
Spanish title with 28:42.91. In the teams Trofeo Iberico Portugal beat Spain in men and women category.
GORDON GOES JAMAICAN U17 400 M BEST
KINGSTON (JAM, Apr 2): Jamaican Schools Champs ended
with high quality 51.62 of Chris-Ann Gordon (16) in girls U17 400 m. She was already last
year world juniors 4×400 m medalist at age of 15. Her time is Jamaican U17 best
and 13th ever best performer. One class higher Ristanana Tracey impressed after
hurdles with two more individual golds, at the 400 m (52.38) and 800 m (2:05.95). Vere
Technical clocked meet record in the girls 4×400 m 3:33.17. In boys finals
Jevere Bell won the U19 400 m
in 46.54, in U17 Lennox Williams posted 47.96. Finals of the 200 m were marred by
head-wind. Oldest category winner Delano Williams clocked 21.10 against -1.4
wind. Also to note Stefan Fennell with 13.68 (-2.9) at 110 m hurdles (junior height)
and meet record of Ashinia Miller in boys shot put 18.98 (6 kg). Munro College
won the boys 4×100 m in fast 39.92. Jamaica College (JC) and Holmwood Technical
High held off strong challenges from main rivals Kingston College
and Edwin Allen High respectively to emerge boys and girls’ champions on the
final day of the Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA)/
GraceKennedy 2011 meet at the National Stadium yesterday.
TEENAGER WINS
BERLIN (GER, Apr 3): There was a Kenyan double
triumph in the 31st Vattenfall Berlin Half-Marathon. In warm weather conditions
and a slight wind Geoffrey Kipsang took the race with 1:00:38 from his fellow
Kenyans Eliud Kiplagat (1:00:52) and Daniel Chebii (1:00:56). Kipsang is still
a junior, fresh from Punta Umbria
win. Best German here Stefan Koch as 20th (1:04:50). Valentine Kipketer was the
unexpected women’s winner, after big favourite Sabrina Mockenhaupt dropped out
at 12 km
(10 km
split 32:59 for her). The Kenyan ran 1:10:12 and was well ahead of Fate Tola
(Ethiopia/1:11:40), Sonia Samuels (Great Britain/1:12:56) and Austrian Andrea
Mayr (1:13:22). A record number of 25,500 runners from 102 nations had entered
the race. Organizers are informing in a release.
KOGO 27:15
BRUNSSUM (NED, Apr 3): Kenyan olympic medalist Micah Kogo won the 23rd
Parelloop 10 km
road race with fast 27:15. It was already a third win here for him after 2007
and 2009 (at that time world record 27:01). Second Mike Kigen 27:26 and third
Mark Kiptoo 28:13 over Philip Langat 28:14. Best non African was Belgian Abdi
Bashir as 14th in 29:01. In women race Kenyan Elizabeth Cherono achieved 32:45
ahead of last year winner Tabitha Wambui (33:00), best European Dutch Ilse Pol
as 5th (34:26).
US SATURDAY (fast relays, superb 400 m by Bartholomew and
Henry)
WESTWOOD: Former HS talent Dentarius Locke improved at a Dual Meet his 100 m personal best after two
years to 10.29 (+1.1). Ellen Wortham improved at 400 m hurdles to 56.62 and
Trinidad´s Annie Alexander registered new personal best in shot put 17.62 m.
LOS ANGELES: Still a junior Josh Mance improved at 400 m to 45.86, he is World
Youth 2009 and World Junior 2010 relay gold medalist. 20-years old Aareon Payne
improved in women´s 200 m
to 23.09 (+1.6).
AUBURN: 2007 World champion Donald Thomas of Bahamas cleared as first
this year outdoors 230 in
high jump at Tiger Track Classic. Fast 100 m saw Keenan Brock beating Harry Adams,
both timed with 10.21 (+0.8), for both personal bests. More impressive for
Brock who still belongs to junior category.
GAINESVILLE: Second day of Florida Relays was mainly
devoted to relays. Except of men´s 4×100 m all other top times were world
leaders. G.W. Express (Bershawn Jackson as anchor) clocked 3:00.80 in men´s
4×400 m, Speed Divas 42.75 (with Lauryn Williams and Mershevet Myers) and
3:29.67 (Natasha Hastings as anchor) in women´s 4×100 m and 4×400 m. Pure
Athletics got 38.74 to beat Florida State 38.87 and Florida 38.91 in men´s sprint
relay.
FAYETTEVILLE: Aries Merritt continues in his fine display
of shape from indoors and started the outdoors at Arkansas Spring Invite with
world leading 13.36 (+1.2) at 110
m hurdles. Jamaican Kimour Bruce posted windy 10.20
(+3.7) in the 100 m.
BATON ROUGE: Sensational 400
m race from LSU Invitational. National record holder of
US Virgin Islands Tabarie Henry clocked 44.83 and beat NCAA Champion from
indoors Demetrius Pinder of Bahamas
(45.06). World Youth Champion at 100
m in 2009 Prezel Hardy again improved in the 100 m to 10.21 (+0.9) at age
of 18 and achieved also new PB in the 200 m 20.74 (0.0). Second Gabriel Mvumbure of Zimbabwe also
improved his fastest time to 10.23, third was Horatio Williams 10.25 (he was
the fastest in the 200 m
20.67). Barrett Nugent won the 110
m hurdles in 13.58 (-2.5) and Texas AM posted solid 3:02.21 in the 4×400 m
(including Henry and Pinder). In women events Semoy Hackett of Trinidad won the 100 m in 11.23 (-0.3) and Kimberlyn Duncan was
the best in the 200 m
with world leading and personal best 22.76 (-1.0). Jessica Beard clocked 51.55
at the 400 m
and Jamaican Natasha Ruddock windy 13.01 (+2.4) at 100 m hurdles. Texas AM beat at 4×100 m
LSU in 43.16 vs. 43.48.
LUBBOCK: Grenadan 2009 World participant Rondell
Bartholomew (20) was the sensation of the day at Texas Tech Open meet. He
improved to excellent world leading 44.65 at the 400 m. It was his first sub
45 of the career (before 45.28 last year). This Caribbean island is now having
two excellent quarter milers with world junior indoor best holder Kirani James
and also two other solid runners Kevin Bowen and Joel Phillip from last year
(45.92 and 46.32 last year) so they can have strong relay in Daegu. US Indoor
champion Omo Osaghae won the 110
m hurdles in fast 13.29, but wind was +2.2. Another Berlin participant Gil
Roberts was the fastest in the 200
m (20.65, +1.9). Puerto-Rican Jamele Mason improved at 400 m hurdles to excellent
49.30 and beat Bryce Brown 49.39. Jack Whitt cleared outdoor PB in pole vault 558 cm. 20-years old Candace
Jackson was fast at 200 m
with 22.89 (+2.3) and Trinidad´s World Junior 2008 silver winner Janeil
Bellille improved at 400 m
hurdles to 55.80.
TUCSON: Jeshua Anderson achieved good 49.33 at 400 m hurdles at Jim Click
Shootout.
SAN MARCOS: Decathlon olympic winner Bryan Clay competed
twice at Mangrum Invitational in California.
He won 110 m
hurdles (14.10, +1.2) and discus (45.79). This two events were his outdoor
season openers. He plans for first decathlon most probably in Gotzis, Austria
end of May.
LATE ADDITION
ZHENGZHOU (CHN, Mar 27): Tilastopaja informs about
Zheng-Kai International marathon. Kenyan Eliud Cheptei wins in 2:10:21 personal
best and course record and in women race Wei Jie with huge improvement to
2:26:41 ahead of Ethiopian Tsega Gelaw 2:29:35.
