Mile posts: Items on Janette Schraft, Ezekiel Rop, Isaac Basten, Edwin Kurgat, Reece Smith

After months and months of chasing a school record, Iowa State junior Janette Schraft now stands alone.

The former Glenwood High prep took advantage of nearly ideal conditions outside of some rain at the Bryan Clay Invitational in Azusa, Calif., on Thursday to run 9 minutes, 57.55 seconds in the 3,000-meter steeplechase to eclipse the Cyclone mark of 10:03.78 set by Kelly Naumann in 2019. Schraft finished 10th overall in the top section, won by Elise Thorner of New Mexico in 9:39.39, while improving on her No. 3 time in school history and becoming the first Cyclone female to break 10 minutes in the event. Schraft leads off this tremendous and busy WEEKEND UPDATE of the best performances by Iowa-based collegiate and postcollegiate distance runners and triathletes.

Schraft had run 10:07.70 just two weeks ago at the Stanford Invitational, a time that improved on her No. 3 mark in program history. Finishing just .21 of a second behind Schraft was West Texas A&M senior Eleonora Curtabbi. The former Iowa Central Community College great ran the sixth-best time in Division II history, a personal-best 9:57.76, to place 11th. Curtabbi also picked up a school record, besting her previous best. The native of Turin, Italy, now has the No. 1 and No. 2 best times for the steeplechase in the division this season. Also running well was Iowa State sophomore and former Charles City prep Kiki Connell in 10:22.26. Iowa senior Brooke McKee ran the No. 6 time in Iowa history for the 3,000 steeplechase in a new best 10:39.88. McKee is a former Johnston High prep. Connell was 33rd. Former Valley High prep Helen Gould of South Dakota ran a season-best 10:50.21.

Another Cyclone school record was set two days later by junior Ezekiel Rop in Azusa. Rop closed fast to run 3:36.92 in the invitational 1,500 and erase Nehemia Too's 2022 record of 3:39.15. Rop's time is third best in the NCAA this season and 11th best in the world. Rop finished eighth overall and the fourth-best collegian while knocking more than four seconds off his previous best of 3:40.96, which was No. 8 in school history.

Placing ninth in the invitational, one spot behind Rop, was Drake junior Isaac Basten in a new Bulldog school record of 3:36.99. The reigning NCAA Division I mile runner-up took down the mark of 3:38.15 set by former teammate Adam Fogg at the Clay Invitational a year ago. Iowa sophomore and former Pleasant Valley prep Max Murphy ran a season-best 3:41.63 for 43rd overall. Murphy is from Bettendorf.

Basten's teammate also had a weekend to remember. Junior Brooke Mullins moved into second in school history in the women's 1,500 after running 4:23.20. The native Australian trails only former Des Moines Roosevelt prep Emma Huston's 4:20.82 effort from Iowa City in April of 2016. Iowa State freshman Ashley Keeney made quite the splash, running the No. 10 time in Iowa State history with a new best of 4:21.81. The former North Liberty prep was 84th. Iowa's Amber Aesoph, a former Sioux City Heelan prep, ran 4:23.64. Drake's Emilie Meyer ran 4:29.35, a time that ranks ninth in Drake's record book, in an event won by the Nike Bowerman Track Club's Elise Cranny in 4:07.07.

Mullins also ran 16:22.53 to move into fourth in school history in the 5,000. Her teammate, Carmen Krawczynski Gonzalez, was fourth in the open fourth heat of the 5,000 in 16:36.15. That time is fifth best in Drake history. Finishing nine spots back was Northwest Missouri State senior Caroline Cunningham in 16:53.58. The former Cedar Falls prep broke her own school record. Coming in next, in 14th, was Iowa State's Taylor Briggs in 16:55.53. Iowa senior Madeline Block was 20th in a new best of 16:57.08. Block is a former Linn-Mar prep.

Moving to the roads, where former Iowa State NCAA cross country champion Edwin Kurgat finished third overall at the B.A.A. (Boston Athletic Association) 5K in Boston on Saturday, two days before the featured Boston Marathon. The Kenyan ran 13:27 to finish just two seconds behind American winner Morgan Beadlescomb. Kurgat lists his his college as UT-Martin and residence as Martin, Tenn.

Another former Cyclone legend, ex-NCAA indoor 5,000 champion Wesley Kiptoo of the HOKA NAZ Elite team in Flagstaff, Ariz., ran 13:30 for 10th place.

In the women's 5K, former Iowa Central Community College legend and three-time first-team NCAA All-American Adva Cohen finished 20th in 16:17. Cohen is a former New Mexico athlete and current Under Armour Mission Run Dark Sky Distance team athlete based in Flagstaff. The winner was Ethiopia's Mekides Abebe in 15:01.

At a rainy 127th Boston Marathon on Monday, former Iowa State All-American Annie Frisbie finished as the sixth-best American and 20th overall. The Minnesota Distance Elite athlete ran 2:28:45.

The top Iowa native overall was former Pleasant Valley prep Nicholas Yanek. The former Georgia athlete now living in Tennessee ran 2:26:55 for 80th among all men.

Shifting back to the Bryan Clay, where former Iowa Western Community College star Hilda (Chebet) Olemomoi finished runner-up to teammate Mercy Chelangat in the 10,000. Chelangat lowered the Alabama school record to 31:55.80. Olemomoi also was under the previous Crimson Tide record of 32:13.13, set by Chelangat, while running 32:05.83. Both were making their season debuts outdoors.

Iowa State senior Cailie Logue finished fourth in a 32:33.63 time. Two spots behind Logue was West Texas A&M senior Florance Uwajeneza, the top NCAA Division II athlete in the field. The former Iowa Central great from St. Paul, Minn., ran the fourth-best time in NCAA Division II history with a 32:49.06. That tims is the West Texas school record and No. 2 in the country for the division. All seven of the top finishers broke the Cougar Athletic Stadium record. Iowa State's Dana Feyen improved by more than 20 seconds to place 11th in 33:14.55. Feyen remains 10th on Iowa State's all-time list.

Former Garner-Hayfield-Ventura prep Reece Smith of Division II Northwest Missouri State topped all Division I athletes except one in the wet 3,000 steeplechase Thursday. The sophomore ran 8:40.24 to trail only BYU's Kenneth Rooks (8:31.83). Both were under the stadium record of 8:42.22 set by Montana's Joel Mendez in 2022.

Iowa State junior Gable Sieperda placed eighth in a strong 8:46.02. Sieperda is a former Central Lyon/GLR prep. Former Iowa Central standout Kelvin Bungei of Iowa State was 16th in 8:52.07. Former Iowa Central standout Noah Bundrock of West Texas set the Buffs school record after running 8:55.44.

Smith came back the next night to smash his school record by nearly seven seconds. Smith won the fourth heat (slowest) of the 5,000 invitational in 13:50.79. Iowa State's Titus Winders, running in the second-fastest heat two, ran a new best 13:43.00 for ninth. Winders was just over three seconds from landing in the school's all-time top 10. He is a senior and Southern Indiana transfer.

South Dakota fifth-year senior Merga Gemeda broke a 23-year-old school record Friday night. The former Sioux City North prep ran 14:11.50 and top the mark of 14:14.09 set by Matt Hoyt, who was the USTFCCCA National Athlete of the Year after placing in the top five at the 2000 NCAA Division II championship in the 3,000 steeplechase, 5,000 and 10,000. Gemeda improved on his 5,000 time by 13 seconds. He owns the school 10,000 mark of 28:58.12 posted at the Raleigh Relays earlier this season.

Drake's Enzo Marie moved into 10th in program history in the 5,000 after running a new best of 14:15.64. Iowa State true freshman Seth Clevenger also ran 14:24.57. Former Iowa Central standout and junior Hunter Klimek set a new best of 14:29.59 to move into eighth in North Dakota history. The overall winner was Washington's Brian Fay in 13:21.99.

In the men's 800 invitational Friday, Iowa State senior Jason Gomez finished sixth with a season-best 1:47.26 effort. That was about a second off his time that ranks fifth in Cyclone history. Iowa true freshman Ryan Schreiner won his heat and finished 21st overall in 1:48.68. Cyclone sphomore Darius Kipyego ran 1:48.75 in his season opener to place 23rd. Iowa's Armando Bryson ran a season-best 1:49.86 for 44th. Iowa State student James Olivier, running unattached, was 39th in 1:49.63. Northern Iowa's Drake Hanson, a former Southeast Polk prep, ran 1:50.20.

In the women's invitational 800, former Iowa All-American Mallory (King) Lindaman placed 15th overall in 2:05.40. Lindaman, a former Davenport Assumption prep star, resides in the Iowa City area. She was followed closely by former Iowa teammate Alli Bookin-Nosbisch, who was 20th in 2:06.13. Bookin-Nosbisch is a former Ottumwa High prep and a sophomore. Iowa State's Makayla Clark narrowly missed a top-10 time in Cyclone history after running 2:06.63 for 28th place. Grace Bookin-Nosbisch, twin sister of Alli, ran almost two seconds faster than her previous best to take 32nd overall. Her time was 2:07.20. Iowa junior Clare Pitcher ran 2:08.47 for 45th. Former Indianola prep Bailey Blake ran a new best of 2:09.15 for 56th place. Iowa State's Kinsey Christianson also ran 2:09.27 for 61st place. South Dakota junior Madison Jochum, a former Sioux City Heelan prep, ran 2:10.30. Drake's Meyer became No. 7 in the Bulldogs' record books by running a new best of 2:11.37. The winner was professional and lululemon-sponsored Nikki Hiltz in 1:59.03.

Hawkeye freshman Hayden Kuhn, a former Linn-Mar prep, was 21st in the 10,000 in 30:38.89.

"Overall, this was one of the best weekends in Iowa track and field history across the country at multiple meets," Iowa director of track and field Joey Woody said.

At the Mount Sac Relays on Friday in Walnut, Calif., Iowa junior Nick Trattner ran the fourth-fastest 5,000 meters in program history. Trattner ran 13:55.57. Freshman teammate and former Dowling Catholic prep Will Ryan ran 14:22.53 for 20th.

Former Dowling Catholic prep star Kelsey Schweizer ran a new personal-best time of 2:06.81 in the 800 meters to place fourth overall. Schweizer is a junior at Missouri. The winner was Virginia Tech's Star Price in 2:05.17.

Iowa State's Brenna Cohoon also ran a personal-best 34:26.64, an improvement of more than half a minute, in the 10,000 to place 14th Thursday at Mount SAC.

Arkansas was at the Tom Jones Memorial hosted by Florida and freshman Ainsley Erzen ran a new outdoor best of 2:08.41 for the 800 meters. Erzen is a former Carlisle prep star. Erzen was second best of the Arkansas runners in the event, behind Lainey Quandt's 2:06.26. Former Solon prep Emma Bock, a freshman at Texas Tech, finished 46th in 2:11.57. That time is a big personal-best time by almost six seconds from her effort as a senior at the Drake Relays.

Moving to the small colleges, where Wartburg College junior Christopher Collet erased an American Rivers Conference and school record while running 13:57.29 in the 5,000 invitational at the UW-Platteville Invitational on Friday. Collet, the reigning national 3,000 steeplechase champion, finished second to Wisconsin-Whitewater's Christian Patzka (13:55.36). Collet now owns the third-best time in NCAA Division III this season. Collet competes for a school with a history of producing distance running greats, making this a great accomplishment.

Simpson College junior Spencer Moon also erased his own school record in the 5,000 by more than 10 seconds after running 14:04.83 to place fifth. The former South Central Calhoun prep's time is the 19th best in the history of Division III. Wartburg sophomore Jacob Green, a former Cedar Rapids Kennedy prep, also was 18th in 14:35.40.

Loras College sophomore Ryan Harvey was a winner in the 1,500 after running 3:49.52. He was followed across the line by senior Wyatt Kelly, a former Hudson runner, in second in 3:54.64.

Loras senior Carter Oberfoell ran the ninth-best time Division III while finishing runner-up in the 800. The former Dubuque Wahlert prep athlete ran 1:51.96, just .27 behind winner Steven Potter of Wisconsin-Oshkosh.

Wartburg's Lexi Brown continued her surge her junior season by finishing runner-up in the women's 5,000 invitational. The former New London athlete ran 16:39.03 to trail only winner Anna Kenig-Ziesler of the University of Chicago in 16:37.48. Placing sixth for the Knights was multi-time Wartburg All-American and junior Aubrie Fisher. The former AGWSR of Ackley prep ran 16:56.40 for sixth.

Former Central Lyon-GLR prep Payton Mauldin of Dordt College was a winner Friday during the abbreviated Sioux City Relays at Elwood-Olsen Stadium. The senior ran the 800 in 1:50.4 to once again get the 'A' standard for nationals. Mauldin won by more than three seconds. Saturday's session was canceled by cold, wet weather.

Moving back to Division I, where Iowa State's Kipyego returned Saturday to run a season-best 1:48.58 at the Long Beach Invite in Long Beach, Calif. Kipyego ended up second behind Long Beach's Kash Powell's 1:48.14.

At the Jim Duncan Invitational, former Waverly-Shell Rock prep Emma Hoins braved cold and wet conditions to win the 5,000 in 17:47.19. Hoins is a Northern Iowa sophomore and Hawkeye Community College transfer.

Grand View senior Carter Huyser, a former Oskaloosa prep, was runner-up in the 800 meters in 1:54.10.

Iowa sophomore Ian Geisler prevailed in the 5,000 in 14:52.54. Central College junior Caroline McMartin topped everyone in the 3,000 steeplechase, running 10:43.95 to win by near 14 seconds over her junior teammate, Megan Johnson. McMartin is a former Pella High prep while Johnson ran for Aplington-Parkersburg. Grand View senior Morgan Lawson, a former Ottumwa prep, earned a qualifying time for nationals with a third-place finish in 11:13.33. That time is sixth nationally.

Central also had a winner in the men's steeplechase from sophomore Caleb Silver, a former BCLUW of Conrad prep, in 9:16.20.

Finishing with the roads, where former Runablaze Iowa athlete Stan Linton won the Palace Saloon 5K in Tallahassee, Fla., for the third consecutive year. Linton ran 14:49 to win by 1:11.

MISSING A TOP DISTANCE RUNNER OR TRIATHLETE?: Let me know at bergeson@registermedia.com.

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This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Mile posts: Items on Janette Schraft, Ezekiel Rop, Isaac Basten, Edwin Kurgat, Hilda Olemomoi, Cailie Logue, Florance Uwajeneza, Reece Smith