Josh Rohatinsky on his way to winning the 2006 NCAA xc title (© Kirby Lee)
Sally Kipyego of Texas Tech and Josh Rohatinsky overcame soggy conditions to win individual titles in the NCAA Cross Country Championships at the Wabash Valley Family Sports Center on Monday, 20 November.
Kipyego clocked 20:11.6 over the 6,000m bumpy grass course that was soaked by five inches of rain over the last six days, while Rohatinsky out duelled Neftalem Arai of Stanford to win the men’s 10km race, 30:44.9 to 30:52.6.
Kipyego, a Kenyan who placed eighth in the 2001 IAAF World Junior Championships, completed an undefeated collegiate season to win the school’s first individual title. No runner has come closer than 25 seconds of Kipyego in six races this season.
On Monday, Kipyego led from the start to finish 26 seconds ahead of runner-up Jenny Barringer of Colorado. The sophomore didn’t let the muddy and slippery course detract from her race plan, building a 24-second cushion at the halfway point.
“The conditions were not bad,” Kipyego said. “This is nothing compared to the conditions in races in Europe.”
Kipyego, a native of Marakwet, Kenya, attended South Plains Junior College in Levelland, Texas as a freshman last season where she won national championships in the 1500m, 5000m and 10,000m in track.
The men’s race was more competitive than the women with a lead pack of eight passing through the halfway point at 15:19.
Rohatinsky and Arai broke away with 2,000m to go and dueled around the final 90-dgeree turn to an uphill homestretch with Rohatinsky powering away with less than 600m remaining.
"I looked back about halfway down the stretch and noticed that no one was behind me," Rohatinsky said. "It was at that point when I realized that no one was going to catch me."
Rohatinsky, a senior who earned his third All-American honor, is coached by 1988 and 1992 U.S. Olympic marathoner Ed Eyestone, who won the 1984 NCAA cross country title while attending BYU.
In the team competition, the Stanford women, led by the fourth-place finish of Arianna Lambie in 20:44, defended its title with a 195-223 win over Colorado for its third championship in four years.
The Colorado men won its third national title in six years, paced by the 11th place finish of Brent Vaughn in 31:13 to defeat defending champion Wisconsin, 94-142.
Kirby Lee for the IAAF
RESULTS - click on links below
Men Individual
Men Team
Women Individual
Women Team
