Sage, Nilsson, Manova and Kimani claim NCAA titles

By Bob Ramsak

The men's 1,500, perhaps the most anticipated distance race, certainly lived up to its expectations, but the result was was shockingly unexpected.

Gabe Jennings' failure to qualify for the final put an end to the much-balleyhooed Jennings-Alan Webb showdown. But in his absence, another Stanford miler, sophomore Donald Sage, stepped up to fulfill his duties for the Cardinals, producing a stunning 3:42.65 win with a perfectly-executed homestretch run.

"This feels great," Sage said. "I'm still a little in shock." So was the near sell-out crowd at LSU's Bernie Moore Stadium. "We didn't really know what to expect coming into the race, so my plan was just to relax and make moves when I had to, and when the pace picked up, to make sure that I was able to cover it."

Webb wasn't sure what to expect either, so he took it upon himself to assume the pacing duties, and took the lead 150 meters into the race. He lead the field through the first lap in 58.4 and through 800 meters in 2:02, with Chris Mulvaney, Charlie Gruber tailing closely throughout.

"I just didn't want to get caught up in the traffic," said a visibly dejected Webb, "so I just took the lead. Nobody else would."

That decision, though gutsy on Webb's part, cost him as the field entered the final turn.

Sage began his move as the pace quickened and the field tightened entering the homestretch. Some pushing on the turn forced Mulvaney to the outside, with Sage creating a small gap on the inside. Webb began to show signs of strain.

"I just got excited at the right time with about 150 meters to go," said Sage, who held off Mulvaney (3:43.03) and a quick finishing Josh Spiker (3:43.16) to hold on to the win. "I felt really good with about 50 to go. I felt people coming on with about 25 meters to go, so I just told myself to hang on as long as I could."

Arkansas sophomore Mulvaney felt the race was his until he forced to run in lane four.

"That lost me the race really," said the young Briton. "I was waiting and waiting to go and people went past me. I got kicked and pushed so I had to go to the outside. In the end that's what cost me. I made that one mistake and I think that's what cost me the race. You can't afford to make those mistakes."

Webb finished fourth in 3:43.23.

"Obviously, I'm very disappointed," said the 19 year-old, whose name has become synonymous with the future of US distance running. "I've had an incredibly terrible year. What can I say."

Rumors, published reports and conjecture have hounded the national high school record holder all week about the possibility that he might leave the University of Michigan and join the professional ranks. Was this, a fourth place finish, his last collegiate competition?

"It might be. I don't know. We'll see. I'll decide whatever I think will be the best place for me to be. I can't really give you a straight answer."

While the lure of a rumored six-figure salary might be strong, Webb might want to consider the example of the winner, another young and extremely talented runner just one year his senior. Sage too was a headline-grabbing high school standout in his own right, who rode the experience of two collegiate seasons before winning his first national title.

Much of the women's 1,500 went exactly as Shalane Flanagan described after her prelim Thursday evening -- with her taking command early.

She took the field through the first two laps in 2:14, but was unable to shake UCLA's Lena Nilsson, who was following just a stride behind.

Indoor mile champion Heather Sagan began her challenge at the bell, and was within 15 meters of the leaders at 1,200 meters (3:23.5). She edged closer entering the final turn, but was thrown slightly of balance after being bumped by Nilsson, who made her bid for the lead entering the final straight. Nilsson hung on for a 4:12.60 win, with Sagan taking second in 4:12.71. Flanagan held off a last ditch charge by Kansas State junior Amy Mortimer to finish third in 4:15.52.

"That's kind of how we thought the race was going to go," said Nilsson, of running on Flanagan's shoulder. "We thought that she or someone else would put up a good pace to get me tired, but I was pretty comfortable behind her actually. I was very comfortable, and I could have gone a lot sooner. But this isn't about times here, it's all about winning."

"At the bell, I was pretty far back," Sagan said, "but decided I just had to try, so that's when I went for it. So I had to make up a lot of distance there."

She looked to be in contention, until she was bumped as Nilsson stepped out to make her move. "It messed up my stride, but she would have had me anyway."

Very fast qualifying times boded well for a fast women's steeplechase final. No one anticipated, however, that the result would be a new collegiate record, especially not the winner, Michaela Manova of Brigham Young.

"I never imagined I would set a record," the Czech native said, who transferred to BYU this year. "I was just happy to be in the finals." Her time, 9:45.94, was not superior to BYU grad Elizabeth Jackson's mark of 9:43.36 set last year, but since this year's final utilized the longer water jumps, it will be recognized as the new collegiate best.

"That was my goal, just to make it to the finals." Nothing in her three steeplechase races prior to Baton Rouge -- second at Mt SAC (10:09.3), third at the Cardinal Invite (10:16.98) and her Mountain West Conference title in a leisurely 10:46.13 -- indicated that she would lead four women to sub-ten minute clockings.

As she did in Thursday's prelim, Toledo's Briana Shook took the immediate lead, ahead by as much as 40 meters during the first few laps. That lead shrunk to five seconds after the first 1,000 meters, and with four laps to go, she was caught by Carol Henry, Ida Nilsson and Manova. A lap later, Mollie Defrancesco and Katie Sabino joined the race, but Manova and Nilsson had forged a five meter gap at the bell. With 250 meters to go, Mannova made her move and never looked back.

"I think I took over the race after the last water jump. I had a lot of left over energy and I just used it to win the race."

Nilsson was second in 9:49.94, North Carolina freshman Carol Henry was third in 9:51.16, with Defrancesco holding on for fourth in 9:56.07.

On paper, the men's 5,000 was a wide-open affair, but in reality, Alabama junior David Kimani had other plans.

The relatively slow pace, coupled with the omnipresent Bayou humidity, played perfectly into the hands of five-time NCAA champion, who added a sixth with his 13:59.30 victory.

Colorado teammates Jorge Torres and Dathan Ritzenhein, Along with Alistair Cragg of Arkansas shared the early race pacing chores, with no one in the relatively tight field willing to make any significant moves. Just past the half way point, steeple champion Daniel Lincoln and Kimani joined the fray. Torres began pushing the pace at the 3K point (8:36.24), followed by Lincoln, Kimani, Ritzenhein and Dalibor Balgac.

The order remained through the bell until Kimani shifted gears with 200 meters remaining, and the conclusion was certain. Kimani looked back several times down the homestretch, and when he saw that his lead was clear, eased to the line.

"My coach wanted me to take it out with five laps to go," Kimani said, "but I didn't see the need. I kicked all the way through, and I thought someone was behind me. I think I saw a shadow of myself and I thought someone was behind me. Then when I saw the reflection of the light, I didn't see anybody, I didn't see the need to keep the same pace."

"I took the lead, but I was hoping Ritz and I would share the lead a little more," said Torres, who held on for second in 13:59.88. "But, you know, he's a young guy, and he has to learn how to race at the NCAA level, so I don't really blame him. With my kick, I gave it a good shot, and when Kimani passed me, I thought I could outkick him. But since I had to lead much of the way, that just took too much of my strength away."

Torres didn't seem bothered at all by being forced to push the pace. "I don't blame the guys for not taking the lead, it's part of racing. I was trying to waste some of them, and I definitely took the sting out of Cragg and Riley, but I couldn't drop Kimani or Lincoln." Lincoln was third in 14:00.01.

Elsewhere... With her 11.29 win in the 100, Angela Williams of USC become only the third athlete in NCAA history to win four titles in the same event, but it didn't come without a fight. Teammate Natasha Mayers, who only gained eligibility in early May, came within one one-hundredth of a second of raining on Williams' parade.