Mile posts: Items on Nehemia Too, Betsy Saina, Chad Johnson, Adam Fogg, Cailie Logue, Gable Sieperda, Eleonora Curtabbi, Nolan Rudd, Isaiah Wittrock
There is a new leader atop the Iowa State history books in the men's indoor mile.
Senior Nehemia Too erased 2019 NCAA cross country champion Edwin Kurgat's record of 3 minutes, 58.62 seconds by running 3:58.15 at the Razorback Invitational in Fayetteville, Ark., on Saturday and leads off this edition of the WEEKEND UPDATE of the best performances by Iowa-based collegiate and postcollegiate distance runners and triathletes.
Too, an All-American for the Cyclones in last year's indoor distance medley relay, placed fourth in the race, won by Oklahoma State's Fouad Messaoudi in 3:54.98. Too, a Colby Community College transfer, had run 3:59.60 at the Cyclone Open just a week ago and was a second-team All-American in the 1,500 outdoors after finishing 13th last season.
Senior teammate Chad Johnson finished ninth in a strong 3:59.12 time, which makes him the third-best miler in Cyclone history behind Too and Kurgat. Iowa State junior Kelvin Bungei, an Iowa Central Community College transfer, was 20th in 4:05.42. True freshman Seth Clevenger ended up 31st in 4:10.02.
Will return to the Razorback Invitational in a moment, but turning to the roads, where a former Iowa State NCAA cross country champion return to competition in a big way. Betsy Saina captured the women's victory in a new course record at the Seville Half Marathon in Spain on Sunday. The Asics athlete ran 1:08:25 to top Alina Reh by 17 seconds. Saina was returning to racing 13 months after giving birth to a baby boy.
"Grateful for the journey and I am excited to be back to my favorite job," Saina wrote on Instagram.
Back to indoor track, where the John Thomas Terrier Classic at the Boston University Track & Tennis Center was the site of two American records. American Yared Nuguse set a new 3,000 indoor or outdoor record of 7:28.24. In that race, former Drake University All-American Adam Fogg finished eighth in 7:44.14. Fogg is now an Under Armour Mission Run Baltimore athlete. Former Iowa standout Nathan Mylenek of the Very Nice Track Club ended up 15th in 7:54.54.
In the 5,000, Nike's Woody Kincaid set a new American indoor 5,000 record of 12:51.61, topping Grant Fisher's 12:53.73 effort on the BU track last year. In that race, former Iowa State NCAA 5,000 indoor champion Wesley Kiptoo placed 11th in 13:22.52. Kiptoo is a HOKA NAZ Elite athlete based in Flagstaff, Ariz.
In the women's mile, Syracuse University senior Amanda Vestri finished 20th in a new personal-best 4:47.54. Vestri is a former Iowa State runner.
Back to the Razorback Invitational, where Iowa State fifth-year senior Cailie Logue ran 4:37.44 for 10th place in the women's mile. That time is less than a second off her 4:36.46 time from the Big 12 Championships in 2022 that ranks No. 2 in Cyclone history. Logue is chasing Karen Glerum's 4:36.43 school record from 1992.
Cyclone junior and former Glenwood prep Janette Schraft crossed the line 32nd in 4:47.15. Freshman Ashlyn Keeney and North Liberty native took 48th in 4:54.83. Arkansas star Lauren Gregory was the winner in 4:31.88.
Iowa State redshirt junior Gable Sieperda is now ninth in school history in the 3,000 meters after breaking eight minutes for the first time indoors. The former Central Lyon-GLR prep knocked more than seven seconds off his previous best of 8:04.79 set in Ames a week ago, running 7:57.50. He finished 17th overall in a strong field. Senior teammate and former Southern Indiana runner Titus Winders was 24th in 8:04.12. Younger brother Titus Winders set a new personal best of 8:06.71 while taking 26th. Former Ankeny High prep standout Timothy Sindt also ran a new best for the distance of 8:07.74. Sindt, a Cyclone junior, was 28th. Sophomore Quinton Orr was the third Cyclone with a new best in the race, running 8:10.86 for 32nd place.
Arkansas senior Ryan Murphy, a former Linn-Mar prep, finished 36th overall in 8:16.72. The winner was BYU's Casey Clinger in 7:43.96.
An Iowa State freshman jumped into the top 10 in Cyclone history in the women's 800. Makayla Clark finished 12th overall in 2:07.52, a time that is now 10th in school history. Clark is from Lee's Summit, Mo. Another 10 spots back was Arkansas freshman and former Carlisle great Ainsley Erzen, who ran 2:09.08. Cyclone freshman Kinsey Christianson was 28th in 2:10.17. The winner was LSU's Michaela Rose in 2:01.66.
Iowa State senior Jason Gómez lost a close battle to Sebastian Fernandez of future Big 12 rival BYU in the men's 800 by just .34 of a second. Gómez clocked 1:47.97 on the 200-meter banked track. Junior teammate and former Paradise Valley Community College athlete Tyler Carreon placed 19th in 1:52.79 while true freshman Emanuel Galdino was 25th in 1:53.54.
The Cyclones also grabbed two top-10 finishes in the women's 3,000. Junior Dana Feyen ran 9:22.79 for sixth place. Junior Madelynn Hill was 10th in 9:34.30. Sophomore and former Charles City prep star Kiki Connell established a new personal-best time after finishing 15th in 9:40.31. Sophomore Brenna Cohoon was next across the finish line in 16th in 9:40.58. Fellow sophomore Taylor Briggs was 20th in 9:45.62. Freshman Halle Mestery rounded out the Cyclones running under 10 minutes after placing 31st in 9:54.62. The winner was Arkansas' Sydney Thorvaldson in 9:11.47.
Several Iowa athletes fared well at the Jack Johnson Classic inside the Minnesota Field House on Saturday. Former Sioux City Heelan prep and South Dakota fourth-year junior Madison Jochum ran a new personal-best time of 2:13.60 to grab the victory. Jochum edged teammate Ella Byers by .27 of a second.
Former Sioux City North prep Merga Gemeda, a fifth-year Coyotes senior, ran a season-best 4:11.35 to place runner-up in the men's mile. Wartburg College sophomore Jack Kinzer, a former North Liberty prep, was sixth in 4:17.64 to start a run of three Knights runners. Teammate and former Monticello prep Carter Cruise was next across the line in 4:20.38. Wartburg senior Nick Henry was eighth in 4:20.63. Dan Iselin, a former Luther College athlete now with the Runablaze Iowa team and living in Des Moines, ended up 11th in 4:23.45. Iowa Central sophomore Yared Kidane was 15th in 4:25.55. The winner was Matthew Wilkinson in 4:07.28.
Another South Dakota athlete from Iowa, redshirt sophomore Dylan Blake, also finished second, in the 600 meters. The former Maple Valley-Anthon-Oto prep ran 1:24.36. The winner was Lakehead University's Aiden Webster in 1:23.06.
Omaha freshman and former Valley High standout Kamryn Ensley finished third in the women's 3,000. Ensley ran 10:09.88 in a race won by South Dakota's Abrielle Jirele in 9:43.93.
Her former Valley teammate Helen Gould, a South Dakota junior, ran the mile in 5:02.42 to place fourth. Wartburg junior Aubrie Fisher, a former AGWSR of Ackley prep, grabbed fifth in 5:02.96.
Former Dowling Catholic prep star Kelsey Schweizer picked up a victory at the Indiana Relays in Bloomington over the weekend. The Missouri redshirt sophomore won the women's mile in the Friday session in 4:59.30, topping Ohio's Madelyn Barolone by .31 of a second. Schweizer added a sixth-place finish in the 800 meters, leading all Tigers runners, in 2:08.79. The winner was Bradley's Julia Nielsen in 2:06.81.
In the 5,000, her cousin, former Dowling runner Tyler Schweizer, ended up eighth in the 5,000 in 15:37.73. Schweizer runs for Saint Louis University.
Former Iowa Central standout Eleonora Curtabbi ran the second-fastest time in West Texas A&M history, 9:36.12, while taking a victory in the 3,000 at the Texas Tech Invitational. The Buffs junior won by 13.06 seconds over Nevada's Emily Clarke. Curtabbi is the reigning NCAA Division II steeplechase champion. Her teammate, junior Florance Uwajeneza, was third in 9:53.90. Uwajeneza's time is fourth in program history. She is also a former Iowa Central athlete.
Two sisters from Iowa jumped into the top 10 all-time for Liberty University at the Bob Pollock Invitational at the Clemson Indoor Track & Field Complex on Saturday. Sophomore and former Mid-Prairie prep Marie Hostetler ran a new best of 2:12.76 to win section 6. Her older sister and fellow former Mid-Prairie prep, senior Anna Hostetler, was fourth in section 5 after running 2:14.34. Anna's time is No. 10 in school history.
The previous day, Marie ran to a 14th-place finish in a new best time of 4:53.53. That time is now No. 8 in Liberty history.
Liberty sophomore and former Iowa Western standout Nicholas Kiprotich won the men's 5,000 in 14:47.89 on Friday.
Former Southeast Polk prep Mattison Plummer ran on a women's distance medley relay that set the sixth-best time in Illinois State program history at the PNC Lenny Lyles Invitational in Louisville, Ky., on Saturday. The sophomore and her teammates ran 11:43.64, which trailed only Vanderbilt's facility record of 11:42.03.
St. Ambrose senior standout Nolan Rudd ran to a convincing win in the 5,000 at the Fighting Bee Invitational in Davenport. Rudd clocked 14:52.62, which converts to 14:43, and gives him the 'A' standard for NAIA nationals. Rudd owns the 10th-best time in the nation. He won by 32 seconds over Hawkeye Community College sophomore D'Artagnon Beaver.
Grand View's Isaiah Wittrock reached two 'A' standards for NAIA nationals in Davenport. The former Pekin prep from Richland won the mile in 4:17.57, edging St. Francis' Pedro Ocampo by 1.34 seconds. Senior teammate and former Oskaloosa prep Carter Huyser finished third in 4:21.63. Senior teammate and Hawkeye Community College transfer Sam Mickelson took fourth in 4:21.99. Vikings senior Ahren Davis, from Ankeny, was sixth in 4:24.45.
Wittrock also met the NAIA nationals standard in the 800 after clocking a winning time of 1:54.55. Wittrock's time is sixth best in the nation.
Vikings senior Morgan Lawson finished third overall in 5:10.39, an NAIA 'B' nationals qualifying mark, in the mile. Lawson is former Ottumwa High prep. The winner was St. Francis' Ana Pineda in 5:09.73.
The Loras College men captured the team victory at the Aurora University Grand Prix in Aurora, Ill., on Saturday and senior Ryan Harvey helped lead the charge. Harvey ran a new program record of 8:27.84 for 3,000 meters to win by nearly four seconds. Senior teammate Wyatt Kelly was third in 8:32.09, which is now fourth in program history. Kelly is a former Hudson prep,
Loras senior Brianna Renner ran a new personal-best time of 10:17.27 during a victory in the 3,000.
Central College junior Caroline McMartin jumped into the top-20 nationally in Division III after running a winning time of 5:04.06 at the Spartan Invitational in Dubuque on Saturday. McMartin topped teammate and former Aplington-Parkersburg prep by nearly 10 seconds. McMartin, a former Pella High athlete, helped lead the Dutch to the team crown over eight others with 132 points.
At the University of Central Missouri's meet, Iowa Western freshman Mohammed Kowa qualified for NJCAA nationals with a 1:12.66 effort for 600 yards. That time converts to a 1:20.18 time for 600 meters. Kowa trailed only Chris Donald's 1:12.53 effort.
At the Grinnell Invitational on Saturday, Kallin Carolus Khan of the Iowa Track and Field Club and Runablaze Iowa captured the win in the 5,000 meters. Khan ran 14:45.06 to win by nearly a minute.
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 Nehemia Too, Betsy Saina, Chad Johnson, Adam Fogg, Cailie Logue, Eleonora Curtabbi, Nolan Rudd, Isaiah Wittrock
