Preview
- by Marc Davis
This weekend in Seattle, WA some of the finest distance runners
in the country gather at the Dempsey Indoor Facility on the campus
of the University of Washington. Saturday afternoon, during the
Husky Classic they will all be running the Gerry Lindgren Invitational
5000 meters.
In
2003, retired Georgetown coach Frank Gagliano was quoted as
having called Dempsey Indoor “the best indoor track
in America,” an opinion echoed by 2004 U.S. indoor 800-meter
champion and 2000 Olympian Michael Stember. "I love this
track,” Stember told the Seattle Times in 2003. “It
mimics running outdoors”. The facility includes a permanent
307-meter MONDO track and a full 100-yard FieldTurf infield equipped
to host the shot put, weight throw, long jump, triple jump, high
jump and pole vault events.
Included
in the field is Foot Locker 8th & 9th place finishing
twin-duo of Diego and Danny Mercado, 4A Colorado State Champion
and Foot Locker 10th place finisher Mohamud Ige, Washington State
4A Champion Jeff Helmer, Oregon State Cross Country 4A Champ
runner-up Isaac Stoutenburgh, as well as Oregon State Cross
Country 4A 3rd place finisher Jerhoemee Murray.
Stoutenburgh,
who ran an impressive double just a couple of weeks back at
this very facility (4:12 mile and 8:32 3000m) looks to be one
of the front runners of the field. His fastest time at this
distance is 14:38 set outdoors last spring. However, all eyes
will be on Mohamud Ige. The sophomore and
junior class high school record holder, as well as the 2005
National Indoor Champion,
Ige hopes to add not only the senior record,
but of course surpass the National Record of 14:29 (Brad Hudson
1984). Danny
Mercado,
coming off a solid top 10 placing at the recent Foot Locker Cross
Country Championships (8th overall) last fall looks to be a solid
factor in not only the top 3, but certainly any attempt at a
National record. Danny has a personal record
of 14:43 outdoors, set just last year. His brother Diego finished
just 3 spots back of Danny in
11th place at the Foot Locker Champs, and has a personal record
of 14:25 outdoors.
Other
top competitors include: Zach
Reiter, the Wyoming State
4A XC Champion; Brad Taylor, the Oregon State
2A/1A XC Champion; Adam McDonald, the Utah State
5A Champion and a member of Nationally Ranked Mt. View High School;
Cameron Quackenbush Washington State XC Team Champion, as well
as a member of Nationally Ranked Ferris High school.
Because
of a small field on the girls side, the lone top representative
of the female high school harriers will be Megan O’Reilly.
Finishing 3rd at the Foot Locker West Regionals, and later going
on the finish a surprisingly 4th overall at the National Cross
Country Champs in San Diego, O’Reilly will be running in
the Open/Collegiate Division. Also on the schedule during the
Husky Classic will
be a Collegiate Invitational Mile for both men and women.
Start List
Boys:
FINAL
LIST OF ENTRANTS - LANE
ASSIGNMENTS
Girls:
WA State 4A XC Champion Megan O'Reilly will compete in the
Collegiate/HS Girls 5000m Invitational.
Schedule
of Events
TIME |
DETAILED SUMMARY |
9:00am |
Packet/Uniform Pick-Up |
9:20am |
Gerry Lindgren greets athletes |
12:10pm |
Collegiate Womens Mile |
12:20pm |
Collegiate Mens Mile |
12:35pm |
Gerry Lindgren HS Boys 5000m Invite |
2:00pm |
Collegiate/HS Girls 5000m Invite |
