Mile posts: Items on Trevor Albert, Hilda Chebet, Aspel Kiprob, Reece Smith, Eleonora Curtabbi, Noah Bundrock, Festus Lagat, Reed Fischer

Last weekend was a time to shine for track and field powers in Iowa. The Grand View University men captured their fourth consecutive Heart of America Conference championship in Oskaloosa, with the Vikings unbeaten in outdoors since 2018 (no event was held during the 2020 COVID-19 year). The Grand View women also repeated as champion for the second time, earning their fourth championship (2016, 2017, 2021) since joining the conference in 2015.

The Iowa Western women captured their fourth Region XI championship in five seasons in decisive fashion, scoring a massive 310.5 points to win by 132 points. The men's team made it a school sweep in Region XI outdoors for the first time by scoring 280 points and winning by 68.

The St. Ambrose men even got into the act, knocking off defending champion Olivet Nazarene to take the CCAC outdoor track meet in Joliet, Ill., last weekend. The Bees scored 253 points to finish 32 ahead of Olivet.

And three former Iowa Central runners led their university in Texas to a conference championship as well. So there were titles galore. And meet and school records to boot.

So let's get into the WEEKEND UPDATE of the best performances by Iowa-based collegiate and postcollegiate distance runners and triathletes by starting with the champions wearing red and black from Des Moines.

Heart of America Conference

The Grand View men dominated the distance events to easily pull away from Central Methodist by 116 points. Trevor Albert, a former Cardinal (Eldon) prep star, was a two-time champion, first taking the 3,000-meter steeplechase in 9:33.69 and finishing the meet with a victory in the 5,000 meters in 15:28.43. Albert is a senior with the Vikings. Sam Mickelson, a Hawkeye Community College transfer and a junior, was runner-up in that steeplechase in 9:37.50. Tony Rodriguez, a junior and former Des Moines East prep, was second in the 5,000 in l5:29.35, with Mickelson fourth in 15:45.54. Graceland sophomore Dillon Grover broke up the sweep by placing third in 15:40.35.

Rodriguez opened his meet by taking the 10,000-meter title in 32:15.41, less than three seconds ahead of fellow junior and Atlantic native Jalen Petersen.

Grand View also swept the top three spots in the 800 meters, the top two places in the 1,500 and the 4x800 relay. Isaiah Wittrock, a former Pekin (Packwood) prep from Richland, set a new school record after running 3:56.28 in the 1,500. Ben Huftalin, a former Osage prep, was second in 3:57.45, which also was under the former record.

Huftalin swapped spots with Wittrock in the 800 final, capturing the title in 1:54.57. Talon Munger, a senior from Oskaloosa, was runner-up in 1:54.78. Wittrock settled for third in 1:55.56.

Munger, Huftalin, Carter Huyser, a junior from Oskaloosa, and Wittrock easily claimed the 4x800 relay title in 7:50.14.

Caleb Chmelka, a senior from Council Bluffs, also set a new school record while winning the 5,000 race walk in 22:05.15. Seth Diser, a former Marshalltown prep and junior, was second in 23:33.27. Clarke sophomore Noah Church, a former North Polk prep, was third in 23:53.84 in a photo finish with Grand View's Jon Franke. Franke, a sophomore from Neola, was .01 behind Church.

The Grand View women won a pair of Heart of America distance titles en route to scoring 171.5 points, edging Central Methodist by 10.5 points. Senior Morgan Lawson, a former Ottumwa High standout, captured the 3,000 steeplechase title in 11:08.84, a time that hit the NAIA 'A' standard for nationals. Graceland senior Keagan Perkins picked up third place in 11:32.08.

Lawson followed with a runner-up finish in the 5,000 meters in 18:56.19. Teammate Emma Swanson, a junior from Ankeny, was fourth in 19:01.22. The winner

Swanson also grabbed runner-up honors in the 10,000 meters Friday in 38:57.95. Ceyda Nazli, a senior from Douds, grabbed the third in 39:07.86.

Grand View also claimed a victory from Paige Thompson, a former Sigourney High athlete, in the 5,000 race walk in 27:43.35. Thompson is listed as a junior.

Mount Mercy finished with a two-time champion with Deanna Newhouse. The former Linn-Mar prep captured the 10,000 meters in 38:44.99 and the 5,000 in 18:53.41. Newhouse is headed to nationals in both events later this month.

CCAC Outdoor Championships

St. Ambrose ended Olivet Nazarene's reign and topped six others with a balanced group. The Fighting Bees picked up big points by sweeping the podium in the 3,000 steeplechase, when senior Nolan Rudd claimed the victory in 10:06.89. George Barton, a junior and former Dubuque Wahlert prep, was next in 10:17.64, followed by Kale Cartee in 10:22.90. Cartee is a sophomore and former Western Dubuque runner.

Rudd also picked up eight points with a second place in the 5,000 in 15:02.94, with fellow senior Matt Jung in fifth in 15:37.54. Jung also picked up a bronze for third in the 10,000 in 32:14.47.

On the women's side, St. Ambrose's Emma Duncan captured a CCAC title in the 5,000 after running 18:34.37. Duncan is a senior from Anamosa. The St. Ambrose women finished fourth with 110 points.

NJCAA Region XI

The defending NJCAA champion Iowa Western women showed they will be a force in two weeks' time, cruising to victory on their home track in Council Bluffs. Freshman star Hilda Chebet, a three-time national champion indoors, picked up Region XI title No. 1 with a victory in the 10,000 meters in 37:16.60. Chebet also won the 1,500 meters in 4:40.98.

Teammate Mercy Biwott made sure a Reiver also won the 5,000, owning that race with an 18:36.78 time that easily beat the 'A' standard for nationals of 18:59.52. Biwott won by nearly three minutes. Biwott also took runner-up honors in the 10,000 in 37:38.38.

Hawkeye Community College's Emma Hoins, a recent signee with Northern Iowa for next season, cruised to victory in the 3,000 steeplechase in 10:55.67, which is well under the standard needed for NJCAA nationals. Hoins, a freshman, is a former Waverly-Shell Rock prep.

Indian Hills sophomore Aliyah Simmons set a new Region XI record while winning the 800 meters. Simmons ran 2:18.80 to top the mark by just .03 of a second. Simmons won the 800 indoors at NJCAA nationals. Iowa Western's Shariden Richardson was second in a strong 2:14.42 that is easily good enough for a berth at nationals.

Iowa Central's Chloe Garcia Grafing was second in 4:50.59, with Biwott third in 4:52.95. Both were under the 'A' standard for nationals.

The champion Iowa Western men dominated much of the sprints and field events, with no victories in the distance events. But the Reivers picked up efforts from Nicholas Kiprotich and Yonas Mogos. Kiprotich was runner-up to Iowa Central's Aspel Kiprob in hotley contested 10,000 and 5,000 races. Kiprob ran 32:42.83 in the 10,000 to hold off Kiprotich by just .46 of a second. The margin in the 5,000 was just .82 of a second in the 5,000, with Kiprob running 14:32.29. North Iowa Area's Melvin Kipkemboi was third in 14:35.29, with Mogos fourth in 14:38.87. All times are well under the 'A' standard for NJCAA nationals.

Iowa Central also claimed victories in the 1,500 and 3,000 steeplechase, with Yared Kidane taking the win in the shorter race in a Region XI record 3:49.92. Mogos, in second, also was under the record of 3:52.14 by .01 of a second.

The Tritons' Hunter Klimek was the winner in the steeplechase in 9:21.86, with teammate Robin Aguilar Gonzalez in second in 9:24.41 and former Council Bluffs Thomas Jefferson prep Wimachmorr Gilo of Iowa Western in third in 9:25.16. All were easily under the 'A' standard for nationals.

The final distance winner was Indian Hills standout freshman Rivaldo Marshall in the 800 meters in a strong 1:50.72 effort. Kidane was second in 1:53.67.

MIAA Conference

Former Garner-Hayfield-Ventura prep star Reece Smith set an MIAA record in the 3,000 steeplechase in Emporia, Kan., on Saturday. The Northwest Missouri State sophomore broke the 38-year mark of 8:44.34 by Southeast Missouri State's Mike Vanata by running 8:42.50. Smith also set a Fran Welch Stadium record, which had been 8:53.44 set by Vladimir Golias at the 1996 Twilight Qualifier. Smith, a winner by 12.07 seconds, also owns the Northwest school record of 8:39.09 set last month and was the high point scorer for the Bearcats with 12 points after also placing seventh in the 1,500 in 3:53.65.

Northwest Missouri junior Caroline Cunningham recovered from a fall midway through the 7 1/2-lap race of the 3,000 steeplechase to finish second in the event in 10:51.44. The former Cedar Falls prep was beaten only by Fort Hays State's Gretchen Kuffel's 10:47.30. Cunningham still owns the seventh-best time in the nation, 10:29.75. Cunningham was the top individual scorer for the Bearcats with eight points.

Teammate Bailey Blake, a former Indianola prep, finished eighth in the women's 800 final in 2:16.54. Blake owns the third-best time in school history, a 2:10.53 from April 13 of last year. Blake also ran on Northwest's runner-up 4x400 relay.

In the 1,500 final, former Marion prep Maddie Bach of Nebraska-Kearney placed 10th after running 4:45.16. Bach is a senior with the Lopers. Cunningham returned to place 13th in 4:48.31.

Lone Star Conference

Former Iowa Central star Eleonora Curtabbi won two conference championships within the span of an hour to help the second-ranked West Texas A&M Lady Buffs capture their second consecutive title in Kingsville, Texas. Curtabbi won the 800 meters in 2:11.19 and came back an hour later to cruise to the victory in the 5,000 meters in 17:39.39. Curtabbi had qualified for the final with a 2:18.71 time. Curtabbi became the third Lady Buff to win the event. Curtabbi, a junior, won by 34 seconds to help West Texas score 230 points.

Former Tritons Noah Bundrock and Innocent Murwanashyaka finished first and second in a pair of events for the champion and No. 1-ranked West Texas men. Bundrock won the 3,000 steeplechase in 9:05.28, with Innocent Murwanashyaka well back in 9:20.00. Murwanashyaka got the better of Bundrock later in the 5,000 the next day, taking the victory in 15:28.04 while Bundrock ran 15:28.93. The Buffs won 10 individual events to claim the team title.

USD Twilight

At Friday's meet in Vermillion, S.D., fourth-year University of South Dakota junior Merga Gemeda dominated the 1,500 meters from the start to win in a new personal-best time of 3:53.83. Gemeda is a former Sioux City North prep star.

In the women's 800, third-year South Dakota sophomore Madison Jochum finished third in 2:13.30. Jochum is a former Sioux City Heelan prep star.

Northern Iowa junior Ben Daumueller, a former Urbandale prep, finished third in the men's 800 in 1:54.30. Coyotes sophomore Dylan Blake, a former Maple Valley/A-O prep, was fourth in 1:54.61. Freshman Chase Noche, a former Calamus-Wheatland runner, was sixth in 1:54.78. The winning time was 1:52.44.

Former Dallas Center-Grimes prep Jacob Waymire, a fourth-year South Dakota junior, finished third in the 5,000 meters in 15:22.29 in a race won in 15:16.75.

Former Monticello prep and current Northern Iowa runner Paige Holub finished third in the 1,500. She ran 4:41.27. Former Valley High runner and third-year sophomore Helen Gould of South Dakota was fourth in 4:42.73.

Sound Running Track Meet

Now to the pros, where former Iowa State star Festus Lagat of Under Armour won Section 2 of the 1,500 during the Sound Running Track Meet at JSerra Catholic High School in Southern California on Friday and Saturday. Lagat ran 3:37.75. Lagat's time was faster than Neil Gourley's 3:38.11 effort in the primary heat.

Former Iowa State runner Daniel Nixon finished sixth in the men's 800 in 1:49.44. Nixon runs for the Atlanta Track Club. The winning time was 1:47.10. Also, during the Sound Running OC Classic last weekend, Nixon finished fifth in 1:52.48. The winning time was 1:46.44.

Also, in the 10,000 meters, reigning USA Running Circuit champion Biya Simbassa of the Under Armour Dark Sky Distance team finished sixth in 28:01.42. That time is good enough to earn a world championships qualifying time for the former Sioux City North prep. Former Valley High and Iowa standout Daniel Soto of the Hansons-Brooks Distance Project finished 25th in 29:26.54.

USATF Half Marathon Championships

At Indianapolis on Saturday, former Drake University star Reed Fischer finished fifth in 1:03:30. Fischer, a Tinman Elite runner from Boulder, Colo., stayed with the lead pack for much of the way before falling back. Leonard Korir won in 1:02:35.

Ironman World Championships

Former Storm Lake resident and Buena Vista University student and professor Matt Hanson finished 13th in the delayed event at St. George, Utah. Hanson, coming back from a meniscus tear and surgery last summer, covered the 2.4-mile swim in 51:49, the 112-mile bike in 4:35:33 and the marathon in 2:43:39. His marathon time was fourth best. His swim was 20th and he was 21st overall after the bike leg. Kristian Blummenfelt was the winner in 7:49:16.

Great Plains Athletic Conference

Stepping back into college action with the event in Crete, Neb., where the Dordt University men finished runner-up to Doane in the team race thanks for distance running excellence. The Defenders captured titles in the 4x800 relay, the 10,000, 3,000 steeplechase, 1,500 and 800.

Dordt claimed the 4x800 Friday when an all-Iowa lineup of Dayton Brunsting, Cole Zevenbergen, Trey Engen and Payton Mauldin ran 7:39.39, which was less than two seconds off the championship record and easily an 'A' standard for nationals. Brunsting is a freshman from Hull, Zevenbergen a sophomore and former Rock Valley prep, Engen a junior from Algona and Mauldin a sophomore and former Central Lyon/GLR prep.

Sophomore Ethan Summerhays ended the first day by capturing the 10,000 meters in 32:06.93. Senior teammate Bailey Vande Griend was 17 seconds back in second after running 32:24.11 and complete a 1-2-4 finish.

The following day, senior Eric Steiger claimed a closely contested battle with Doane's Kalen Dockweiler in the 3,000 steeplechase, with Steiger winning by 1.41 seconds after running 9:19.63. Junior teammate Thaniel Schroeder was fourth in 9:34.86 and junior Peter Shippy, from Sioux Center, in fifth in a personal-best 9:39.7 effort.

Junior Joe Anderson, a former Central Lyon/GLR prep, set a school record by winning the 1,500 meters in 3:53.9. Morningside College senior Ro Paschal finished fourth in 3:58.35 and Dordt senior enior Jebadiah Merkle was fifth in 3:58.64. Engen also was all-conference after clocking 3:59.6.

Zevenbergen finished Dordt's winning ways by taking the 800 unconventionally. Running in the second of three heats, Zevenbergen's time of 1:56.93 held up against all the others. Mauldin, running in the third heat, was runner-up in 1:56.46, with Engen another .09 back in third place in the final heat.

Anderson came back in the 5,000 to place second in 15:18.59. Dordt senior Davis Tebben placed third in 15:23.58, with Steiger fourth in 15:26.23. Concordia's Camden Sesna was the champion in 15:10.31.

Dordt finished with 155 points, well back of Doane's 182, to claim runner-up honors for the second consecutive year.

The Dordt women finished third in the team race with 117 points, trailing champion Concordia (216) and Hastings (172), by winning four titles.

The Defenders' 4x800 relay cruised to victory, with freshman Emilee Heynen, senior Mika Kooistra, junior Bethany Ten Haken and senior Anmarie Stuit running 9:12.20 and earning the eighth-fastest time in program history. Heynen is from Sioux Center while Stuit is a former Sheldon High prep.

Another five seconds back in second place was Morningside seniors Tenna Beel, Emalee Fundermann, Jo McKibben and sophomore Emily Chicoine. Their 9:17.81 time is good for an automatic makr for nationals. Fundermann and McKibben are former Maple Valley/A-O preps while Chicoine comes from Primghar.

Also Friday, Dordt junior Eden Winslow was runner-up in the 10,000 in 38:51.48. The winner was Doane's Allie Binder in 37:59.41.

The next day, Heynen finished runner-up in the 800 final with a personal-best effort of 2:15.48. Kooistra was another .6 of a second back in third. The winner was Keri Bauer of Concordia in 2:14.01.

Morningside senior Kristine Honomichl made her final GPAC race a winning one for outgoing head coach Dave Nash. The Colorado native ran 18:40.88 in the 5,000 meters to win by nearly 16 seconds and become the first Mustangs conference champion in the event since Erin Keitges in 2009.

McKibben returned to place third in the 1,500 meters in 4:50.20. Northwestern College sophomore Tirzah Wittenberg, a former Pella High prep, was fourth in 4:52.46.

Dr. Tucker Open

Loras College's top runners took advantage of standout conditions to set multiple school records and high national marks Saturday at home. Mike Jasa retook the national lead in the 800 meters after running a facility record 1:48.70. It is the first time Jasa, a former Cedar Rapids Prairie prep, went under 1:50 for his career outdoors. Teammate and former Dubuque Wahlert prep Carter Oberfoell also went under 1:50 for the first time to take the No. 2 time in school history, a 1:49.57 that ranks fifth nationally.

Iowa's Martin Strong ran a personal-best 1:51.50 for fourth place while Central College's Noah Jorgenson, a sophomore and former Southwest of Sydney prep, was fifth in 1:51.67.

Loras' Ryan Harvey defeated a strong field in the 1,500 by making a three-second improvement. The sophomore's 3:47.53 time, which was nearly four seconds under the facility record, is No. 10 nationally. Simpson College's Spencer Moon also broke his school record with a runner-up effort in 3:47.87. Moon is a former South Central Calhoun athlete. Moon holds school records in the outdoor 5,000, as well as the indoor 3,000 and 5,000. Loras' Wyatt Kelly was fifth in 3:50.47, a time that puts the Hudson native No. 4 in school history.

Loras junior Kassie Parker completed her sweep of every distance running record in school history. The former Clayton Ridge of Guttenberg standout and reigning NCAA Division III indoor champion in the 5,000 and 3,000 meters, added the 1,500 to her resume. Parker took the victory in a facility record 4:27.65 by holding off a challenge from a quartet of University of Chicago runners. Parker owns the sixth-best time in the nation. The previous facility record was 4:29.98.

Central College's Caroline McMartin, who hails from Pella, was sixth in 4:41.35. Loras' Ellie Osterberger, a senior and former Dubuque Wahlert prep, was seventh in 4:47.95. Fellow Duhawks senior Brianna Renner was eighth in 4:48.29.

Other track meets

At the Arkansas Twilight meet on Friday, Oklahoma State freshman Mackenzie Michael finished ninth in 2:14.94. Michael is a former Cedar Falls prep.

Libert University hosted a Twilight Qualifier at the Matthes-Hopkins Track Complex Wednesday, May 4. In the women's 1,500, former Mid-Prairie prep Anna Hostetler finished ninth in 4:31.58. Hostetler is a junior. Her sophomore sister, Marie, finished 12th in 4:36.93.

Illinois State was the Billy Hayes Invitational in Madison, Wis., and former Valley High standout Lauren Schulze, an Illinois State student, finished 11th in the 1,500 meters in 4:42.79. Schulze was running unattached in a race won in 4:28.15.

The Wartburg College teams battled rival Luther in a dual in Decorah. The Knights' Christopher Collet set a new Carlson Stadium record by running 3:47.87 in the 1,500 meters. Wartburg senior Frosty Lorimer, a former Springville runner, was runner-up in 3:55.63. Luther junior Ian Kelly finished third in 3:56.16.

Dalton Martin and Wyatt Schmidt finished 1-2 in the 800 meters, with Martin running 1:52.53 and Schmidt timed in 1:52.95.

Wartburg sophomore Natalie Paulson, a former Dallas Center-Grimes prep, was the winner of the 1,500 in 4:50.26. She topped junior teammate Moriah Morter, a junior from Muscatine, by 2.54 seconds.

Former AGWSR of Ackley prep Aubrie Fisher of Wartburg was the winner of the 800 meters in 2:16.80, 1.06 seconds behind freshman Ellie Meyer, a former Iowa Falls-Alden prep.

Iowa road racing and triathlon

Devin Allbaugh of the Running Wild Elite team took the victory in the 5,000 meters at the Quad Cities Distance Classic in Moline, Ill. The former Pleasant Valley prep star ran 15:01 to to teammate Elliott Klauer by 1:01. Running Wild's Keith Sands was the winner of the half marathon in 1:13:18.

At the May 4 Pella Klompen Classic 5K, Runablaze Iowa's Danna Herrick won a wooden shoe as the women's overall winner in 17:52. The Norwalk resident and former Boone High standout finished 11th overall.

Runablaze's Tyson Wieland, 28, was the winner of the Tri by Knight triathlon in Waverly. The former Johnston High and Iowa Central standout covered the sprint distance in 58:53, nearly three minutes ahead of Luke Anderson, 40 of Waverly. Multi-time Ironman World Championships qualifier Barry Breffle, 52, of Cedar Rapids was third in 1:02:49.

At the Cinco de May 5K on Friday in Davenport, Phil Young of Davenport was the winner in 15:55. Former University of Iowa runner Brooke Slayman was the women's winner in 17:21.

Going back

Former Iowa City resident Lesley Smith finished sixth among the professional women at the St. Anthony's Triathlon in the St. Petersburg, Fla., on April 30. Smith, 39, now in Boulder, Colo., was clocked in 1:01:28 for the sprint event. Paula Findlay won in 58:08.

Ian Hoover-Grinde, 24, of Cedar Rapids finished 19th in the men's Olympic pro race in 1:54:14. Matthew Sharpe was the winner in 1:44:14.

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

Want to hear more about distance running in Iowa. Listen to my podcast here: https://anchor.fm/lance-bergeson8

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Mile posts: Items on Trevor Albert, Hilda Chebet, Aspel Kiprob, Reece Smith, Eleonora Curtabbi, Noah Bundrock, Festus Lagat, Reed Fischer