by Stephen (steveu) Underwood
More Distance Winners:
Sullivan 2:12.87, Asafo-Agyei 1:55.04,
Timinsky 5:02.10, Kaltenbach 10:39.65
Girls 800
The girls' 4-lapper seemed to have all the makings of one of the
best-ever at the distance. The 11 girls all had PRs between 2:08
and 2:15, with five under 2:10. Almost everyone important in the
country except Stacey Ann Livingston was there.
So why was a runner able to lead start-to-finish and win in 2:12.87?
Well, maybe because that someone was Mindy Sullivan.
The Coronado Lubbock (Texas) senior took the lead in the first 100
meters and came through 200 in 31.3, fast enough for a good time.
But while the next two 200s went in 34-35 pace, allowing nearly
everyone to stay in the game, no one was willing to attack the lead.
Jenna Timinsky, Christina Shelton and Brienne Simmons all were in
the top three the first few laps, while it was Megan Rademacher
who seemed poised to strike in the second half of the race.
Instead it was Sullivan, seemingly lulling everyone to sleep, then
closing in 32 to hold off a late-charging Katya Kostetskaya by a
solid 0.88.
Turns out Sullivan had hoped to go something like 62-2:07. "I
took it out too slow and then relaxed," she said of those middle
laps. "But I'm pleased how it turned out."
Boys 800
Don Lugo's Raphael Asafo-Agyei almost controlled his 800 the full
distance as well, but it seemed more an instance of design and superiority
than the girls race. After leading through 400, he briefly surrendered
the lead as the pace lagged slightly. But he dominated the final
lap for a big 2.66-second win in 1:55.04.
"I had a whole lot left," Asafo-Agyei admitted afterwards.
"For me to go out in 27, I should have been faster in the middle
of the race. It was my first indoor 800, though."
That first go-round was indeed a 27.1, as Asafo-Agyei led Keith
Jensen and Greg Adams. Adams moved into second and Alex Clayton
third through 400 as Asafo-Agyei let it go to 57.3.
Then Clayton assumed command through 600 in 1:27. But after that
it was hammer time for Asafo-Agyei as he accelerated to 27 on the
last circuit and left Jensen and Clayton to fight it out for a distant
second and third.
Girls Mile
With her focus on what was expected to be a torrid 800 ahead, Jenna
Timinsky (San Dieguito, Calif.) may not have expected to cruise
though the mile as she did, but that's exactly what happened. Her
5:02.10 whipped the field by over three seconds.
The early pace was fairly swift, with California sophomore Liza
Pasciuto (eventually the runner-up in 5:05.41) leading through 400
in 71. But it slowed dramatically the next few laps, with Timinsky
edging into command. By 1200, she was pulling away big-time, finishing
her last 400 in 73 after a pair of 79s.
"My goal was to go out in 73-75, but it was faster," she
said. "So I was lingering back after that, but later in the
race I started feeling like I could go for it and I just took it."
As for running a mile before her keynote event, the 800, she added,
"I came all the way here from California, so I thought I'd
do both races."
Girls 2-mile
With a handful of big defections, the girls 2-mile looked like
it would be the Megan Kaltenbach show. It was, as the Smoky Hill
Aurora(Colo.) star won by 30 seconds in 10:39.65. But at least she
got someone to push her early.
While Kaltenbach was originally to have been joined by fellow stars
Erika Odlaug, Alison Tubbs and Bria Wetsch, it's unlikely anyone
would have broken out of the gate faster than Lauren Brueberg, who
grabbed a 50 meter lead despite Kaltenbach's 10:30-plus pace. But
after about seven laps, the tall junior had assumed command, passing
the mile in 5:21 and building a big lead as Brueberg faded to 5th
and Alayne Thompson came up for 2nd.
Afterwards, Kaltenbach agreed her cross-country season hadn't been
quite what she would have liked after she dropped a 10:11 bomb last
spring ("It was my evil twin in cross-country," she said),
but hopes to get through her "growing year" and get in
better shape to set new PRs in the meets ahead, starting with the
Nike Indoor Classic next month. "You'll see the real Megan
then," Kaltenbach said.
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