Coloradans shine throughout both men’s and women’s races
Niwot native Elise Cranny was reluctant to skip the 1500m at the USA Track and Field Outdoor Championships, but a decision to enter the 10,000m instead paid off.
Cranny, 13th in the Tokyo Olympic 5000m, won the 25-lap 10,000m on the opening night of the four-day championships at Hayward Field in Eugene, OR to book a place on August’s world championships team.
Cranny used her 1500m speed to run away from American record holder Alicia Monson (of Boulder’s On Running Team) and win in 32 minutes, 12.30 seconds. Monson was 5.21 seconds behind, earning a world spot. Third place Natosha Rogers (a Dakota Ridge grad from Littleton) doesn’t have a qualifying time to make the world team but could get in on world ranking come the July 30 cutoff. If she doesn’t, fifth place Karissa Schweizer does have the qualifying time.
In the men’s race, Columbine grad Woody Kincaid won his second U.S. men’s 10,000m title, using his trademark kick and clocking 28:23.01 to prevail by 1.49 seconds over Joe Klecker (of Boulder’s On Running Team), who also made the world team. The third spot will either go to third place Sean McGorty, who doesn’t have the qualifying time yet, or his former Stanford teammate and traveling roommate Grant Fisher, the American record holder who went from first to fourth on the final lap.
Other men with Colorado ties also ran well. Paul Chilemo of the American Distance Project finished fifth (28:29). Valor Christian grad Cole Sprout finished eigth (28:39). Sam Chelango of the US Army finished ninth (28:52). Legend and USAFA grad Ryan Johnson finished 14th (29:07)