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Rupp and Jesperson
at the finish - photo by Josh Rowe
Galen Rupp goes wire to wire and holds off fast closing
Lauren Jespersen 14:56 to 14:57 5k, both beating the
old record. Rupp led all the way through a mile in 4:45 and 2 miles in
9:40, but Jespersen nearly made up a 40-meter gap in the finish on the
track. Next were Alec Wall 15:26, Patrick Werhane
15:36, and Joaquin Chapa 15:47. Jesuit
beat Grant for the team title on the 6th man tie breaker
after the first five for each team totalled 115. Jesuit shook off Grant's
2-3-7 lead with a 29-second gap from 1 to 7; their 6th man was 38th to
Grant's 95. In the girls race, soph Erin Gray was clearly
the best in 18:14.
Preview
Mike Kennedy says (from Foot
Locker West preview):
"One of the most anticipated state meet races of the season—The
Oregon 4-A Division championships at Lane CC. Last year Lauren
Jespersen and Jacob Gomez, both of Klamath (Klamath Falls) set
the course record at 15:29, listed by Oregon’s Who’s Who of
track and Cross country, as the fastest in state history. There is some
question as to what the record should be since current co-head coach at
South Eugene, Jeff Hess ran 14:33 in 1978 to win the state meet for South.
However, Hess demanded that then Coach and now co-coach John Gillespie,
measure the course the next day. Gillespie did and found it to be 3 miles,
about 188 yards short of 5,000 meters. Two years earlier another South
Eugene legend, Bill McChesney, had run 14:51. No other runners have ever
broken 15 minutes in the state meet but that barrier will be challenged
this Saturday. Pushing the undefeated Jespersen, who won the Stanford
invitational in a course record 14:54 earlier this year, will be junior
sensation, the undefeated Galen Rupp of Central Catholic
(Portland), who won his district meet in 15:15 and last year at the U.S.
Junior National ran 14:34 on the track for 5,000 meters. Joining these
two are the Grant (Portland) duo of Alec Wall and Joaquin
Chapa, who ran 15:02 and 15:11 behind Jasperson at Stanford.
Rounding out what just might be the best five-some ever to face off in
Oregon harrier history is Lincoln (Portland) senior Mike McGrath,
who possess 1:50 speed and finished just behind the Grant pair in last
weeks district meet. These peope are going to COOK."
Elite ties to U. of Oregon stars of the 1970s: Joaquin Chapa is the
son of Rudy Chapa and Rupp is coached by Alberto Salazar.
The
Oregonian says it is "a race for the record books." Portland
Central Catholic coach Dave Clark told The Oregonian:"I think that
the distance runners in Oregon this year will ultimately be considered
one of the finest collections from a single state in a single year in
U.S. history."
DyeStat Oregon
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