Galen Rupp
Central Catholic Portland OR junior

Rachel Bryan
Laguna Creek CA jr

Galen Rupp first came to national attention last June at the Golden West Invitational 3200, where he finished fourth as a sophomore in 8:58.11. He was coached by the GWI banquet speaker, Alberto Salazar, legendary runner who won the New York Marathon three times and once held the US records at 5000 meters, 10000 meters and the marathon.

Salazar approached this season with a "train more, race less" regimen for Rupp, with their eyes firmly fixed on the big goal in December: the Foot Locker national finals. There was an intermediate goal of the Oregon state meet November 2, and that turned out to be a classic. Rupp scored a brilliant wire-to-wire front running victory over what some were calling the finest field ever in Oregon. The time of 14:56 smashed the state record. (In case you're wondering, Steve Prefontaine raced at different distances and was better on the track anyway.)

Lauren Jespersen closed fast to lose by less than a second, which whets the appetite for the post-season races. There could be three re-matches: BorderClash November 17, Foot Locker West at Mt. SAC December 7, and Foot Locker national finals in San Diego December 14.

Rupp's DyeStat Elite performances
14:56 5k - 1 @ State Meet OR 11/2/2002
15:16 5k - 1 @ Mt Hood District OR 10/23/2002
15:24 5k - 1 @ Mt Hood Conf OR 10/9/2002
15:31 5k - 1 @ Northwest Classic OR 9/28/2002

Rachel Bryan was sick (a cold and asthma) at Mt. SAC, but you couldn't tell. On the flats or on the hills, she purred along with metronomic precision. When Ruth Graham took up the chase in the third mile, some thought the battle would be joined. But Bryan never let Graham get close enough to make a fight of it. Bryan cruised home in 17:08 with a 12-second margin and the 9th fastest time on Mt. SAC's all time list, without ever appearing to go all out.

Afterward, Bryan recalled that her track PR for 3200 meters (10:36.32 for 2nd in the California State Meet last June) also came on a day when she felt sick. So maybe she has an unusual formula for success to try in the Foot Locker West regional at Mt. SAC December 7. Her goal is to qualify for the national finals and finish in the top 5 at San Diego December 14. We will check her temperature before the race.

Bryan's DyeStat Elite performances
17:43 5k - 1 @ Clovis Inv CA 10/12/2002
17:08 2.95m - 1 @ Mt. SAC race 50 CA 10/26/2002
18:11 3.0m - 1 @ Nevada Union CA 9/21/2002
18:23 3.0m - 2 @ Granite Bay CA 8/31/2002

Honorable Mention
Alphabetical order - Includes meets through November 6