Price wins first NCAA title; most of the usual suspects advance

By Bob Ramsak

Baton Rouge, LA -- With a well-timed kick with 600 meters to go, North Carolina State sophomore Kristin Price won the NCAA 10,000 meter championship Wednesday night.

"I just wanted to tuck in behind someone and go with the flow," said Price, after taking advantage of the race's predominantly slow pace to win in 34:26.63. "This was only my second 10k, so I didn't want to go out and do anything that I couldn't handle. I've had really good workouts, so I thought I'd just try to outkick everyone."

That strategy worked.

Much of the race consisted of 82- to 87-second laps, with Price, this year's Atlantic Coast Conference 5,000 and 10,000 meter champion, sticking with the lead pack from the gun. The entire field ran together through 11 laps, when Boston College freshman Maria Cicero surged ahead for a brief 10 meter lead. She was quickly reeled in by Price and Colorado senior Jodie Hughes, with the trio hitting the halfway point in 17:27.66. By the 7k point (24:25.60), the lead trio opened a gap on the second pack, led by South Florida's Tara Quinn and Laura O'Neill of Yale.

The pace still hovered in the 82-85 second range until Price shifted gears heading in the last 600. On this hot and humid Bayou evening, no one responded, and Price, a Pittsburgh native, ended with a 66.3 second final circuit. "With about five or six laps to go I was getting kind of antsy, and I wanted to go. But I didn't really know how I would feel, so I sat back a little longer."

Quinn reacted best, passing a fading O'Neill and Hughes to finish second in 34:33.85. O'Neill was third in 34:39.67, nearly nine seconds ahead of Hughes. Cicero faded to fifth in 34:52.76.

Price is also entered in the 5000.

Defending champion Otukile Lekote turned in the quickest time in the 800 meter heats, leading from the gun en route to a 1:46.49. He was never seriously challenged.

"I guess it was pretty easy," the South Carolina sophomore said. "I wasn't expecting to run 1:46. But I knew it would be fast through 600."

Michigan freshman Nathan Brannen (1:47.00) ran very strong, moving from fifth to second in the final 250 meters.

"Finally, a decent race," said the Canadian standout. "It's been slower coming back (from injury) than I thought, but I'm happy with it." Brannen said that he's been bothered by shin splints lately, but that it didn't affect his race. "I just put it out of my mind."

Making his move on leader Simon Kimata of Oregon at the 600 meter mark, Texas Tech freshman Jonathan Johnson took the second heat in 1:46.55, the second fastest qualifier.

"I don't think the race was too fast," Johnson said. "You've got to treat it as a final." Johnson knows Lekote's the man to beat, and holds no illusions about Friday's final. "My strategy is to get up there with him and try to outkick him at the end."

Sam Burley of the University of Pennsylvania was second in 1:46.88, 29 one-hundredths of a second ahead of Tennessee freshman Marc Sylvester.

The third heat was a tactical affair, with Roman Oravec of Southern Methodist prevailing over Florida sophomore Moise Joseph 1:48.35 to 1:48.48.

In the women's 800, Georgetown senior Tyrona Heath was the quickest qualifier with a PR 2:03.81 win in the third heat.

"I think it takes a long time to learn the 800," the senior said. "That was four years I put into that race."

Lauren Simmons of Princeton was second in 2:03.87 (also a PR), just ahead of Florida senior Melissa DeLeon (2:04.04). Kristin Bratton, also of Florida, won the first heat in 2:05.92 in front of Tennessee Freshman Nicole Cook (2:05.93).

Southern Cal senior Aleksandra Deren won the second heat in 2:06.93.

Defending steeplechase champion Daniel Lincoln was the fastest qualifier in his specialty, coasting to a 8:36.50 win after relatively fast pacesetting from Southern Methodist's Martin Allegyer.

"Allegyar paced me through pretty good, and I didn't even have to ask him to," said the Arkansas junior. "(Allegyar) went out hard and I just stayed on his shoulder. He dropped off and I just kept the gap we had already made so I wouldn't get into a kick at the end."

Lincoln, who won the 5k/10k/steeple triple at the SEC Championships three weeks ago, said he is extremely confident going into Friday's final after lifting himself out of a "lethargic" feeling about the prelims.

"I was trying not to take it for granted. I felt pretty good, just concentrating on getting some hurdle practice for Friday."

Eastern Michigan sophomore Jordan Desilets, who ran in the middle of the pack through most of the race, made his move with a lap to go to finish second in 8:37.96, just two one-hundredths of second ahead of UTEP's Bashar Ibrahim. Notre Dame senior Luke Watson was fourth, just one one-hundredth behind Ibrahim. Allegyar held on for fifth in 8:38.33, and advanced.

Tulane senior Solomon Kandie won the second heat in 8:38.73, after following on the shoulder of Colorado senior Steve Slattery throughout.

"I'm not too used to the humidity," Kandie, a Kenyan native, said. "I felt like I was in control the whole time." Kandie is the last hope for an NCAA title for Tulane, which will drop it's men's track program next season.

"I think I'll be ready on Friday." Slattery was second in 8:39.30, with Isaiah Festa of Wisconsin third in 8:39.66.

Thursday's distance events include the prelims in the men's and women's 1,500, the women's steeplechase, and the final in the men's 10,000 meters.