Saturday 17th October 2009

BRITISH Under-23 international Andy Baker representing Butler University produced a strong individual performance to finish second in the elite field of runners at the held at the LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course in Terre Haute, Indiana.

The Bull Dogs men placed 13th in the competition as
 former Loughborough student Baker covered the 8K course, which will serve as the host site for the 2009 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championship, in a time of 23mins 45.4secs as individual champion Luke Puskedra of Oregon won by a margin of five seconds.



American Madison Roeder was the second Butler runner to cross the finish line coming in 65th in 25:50.3. Compatriot Tom Boardman was 76th in 24:54.2, Rob Mullett placed 118th in 25:23.9 with fellow Brit Kris Gauson in 127th in 25:31.8. Also in Butler’s ‘Top Seven’ were junior Matt Lawder (152nd in 25:50.6) and GB’s Stephen Lisgo (174th in 26:02.2).

Saturday 31st October 2009

THE University of Florida women’s cross country team won the Southeastern Conference Championship meeting, placing all five scoring runners in the top 10 as sophomore Rebecca Lowe (Australia) claimed first place.

This marked the Gator women’s first conference title since 1997, fourth overall, and the first individual champion since Becki Wells won back-to-back titles in 1995-96.

Lowe took the title in a time of 20:57.35, as former Loughborough resident, Junior Charlotte Browning (AFD), was right behind her, finishing second in 21:02.48.

Senior Stacey Johnson (Cannock & Staffs) came in fifth (21:18.79), followed by sophomore Genevieve LaCaze (Australia) in seventh (21:33.25). Senior Julie Northrup (USA) finished the Gators scoring in ninth (21:36.55), giving Florida five top-10 finishers and five All-SEC honorees (Lowe, Browning, Johnson and LaCaze named to the first team and Northrup the second team).

Saturday 31st October 2009

NEW Mexico Lobos swept the men's and women's Mountain West Conference Cross Country titles, defeating nationally-ranked hosts BYU in both races.

Third-year head coach Joe Franklin led the 20th-ranked UNM women to their second straight MWC championship, while the No. 19 men stunned the seventh-ranked Cougars to win their first conference title since 1988.

Franklin was named both men's and women's MWC Coach of the Year as New Mexico swept conference crowns for the first time in school history.

"It's a great day to be a Lobo and both teams winning makes for a fun flight home," said Franklin. "Last year we were happy for the women, but sad for the men after they finished third. This year we're all having a great time."

The men's team put together its best performance of the year as each of the Lobos' five scoring runners defeated his Cougar counterpart en route to a 29-34 victory. New Mexico avenged a five-point loss to BYU two years earlier in Albuquerque, breaking through to win its first MWC title and sixth conference cross country championship overall. The Lobos won Western Athletic Conference titles in 1963, '65, '66, '68 and '88.

Senior Jacob Kirwa outkicked BYU's Miles Batty to win the individual title and MWC Runner of the Year honors with an MWC record time of 23:34.5 over the 8K course. It was also the fastest 6K ever run by a Lobo at a conference championship meet.

Kirwa became the second New Mexico runner in three years to win the MWC men's title and third Lobo champion in Mountain West history. Jeremy Johnson won the 2007 title in Albuquerque and Shadrack Kiptoo-Biwott was the 2004 champion in San Diego.

Kirwa had plenty of help, however, as a record three Lobos earned first team all-MWC honors. Senior Chris Barnicle finished fourth with a time of 23:51.2 in his MWC cross country debut, while fellow senior David Bishop finished sixth with a time of 24:03.3. Bishop improved 13 spots on his 2008 performance.

Senior Rory Fraser from the Leicester OWLS turned in his best race of the year, placing eighth (24:14.6) to lead a trio of UNM runners on the all-MWC second team. True freshman Ross Millington continued his stellar season, passing several BYU runners over the final 2,000 meters to finish 10th (24:18.5). Millington capped the Lobo scoring with the best finish by a freshman in the field. The men's scoring five were separated by a season-low 44 seconds.

Senior Lee Emanuel was 14th (24:44.9) to earn all-MWC accolades for the first time in cross country. The 2009 NCAA mile champion was 22nd at the MWC Championships last year. Redshirt freshman Allen Pittman (20th - 25:07.4), meanwhile, gave New Mexico seven runners in the top-20

"This was the first time all year where we all fired at the same time," said Franklin. "We've been kind of up and down all season, but today everybody that we needed to have a big race had a big race. Jacob did exactly what I thought he could do and Chris and Dave were right there with the lead pack too. Rory had his best performance of the year and Ross Millington was huge for us down the stretch."

The victory ended the Cougars' five-year MWC championship run as UNM joined Air Force (2003) as the only teams to defeat BYU in the league's 11-year history.

It was New Mexico's lowest score at a conference meet since the 1965 team won the Western Athletic Conference title with 27 points.

After the Lobos' narrow victory in 2008, the women's race was much less dramatic this year. UNM relied on its outstanding depth to calmly and patiently hand eight-time champion BYU its worst loss in Mountain West history, 24-45.

New Mexico went 2-3-4 and had a record four women finish among the top seven to earn first team all-MWC honors. The Lobos' five scoring runners were separated by a remarkable 25 seconds.

BUCS steeplechase champion Ruth Senior (second - 21:10.7), senior Nicky Archer (third - 21:14.9) and sophomore Lacey Oeding (fourth - 21:17.8) finished within seven seconds of each other to lead the charge.

BYU's Cecily Lemmon Lew won with a time of 20:47.4, but the UNM trio finished 13 seconds ahead of the No. 2 Cougar and New Mexico put all five scoring runners ahead of BYU's No. 3 to win going away.

Senior Ashley Gibson improved a remarkable 17 spots from 2008 to finish seventh (21:31.7) and earn first team all-MWC honors in her breakthrough final season. Junior Vanessa Ortiz turned in her finest MWC performance as well, placing eighth (21:36.3) to lead a group of three Lobos on the all-MWC second team. Ortiz, who redshirted all of 2008-09, was 18th at both the 2006 and '07 MWC Championship meets.

Senior Carolyn Boosey continued to work her way back from injury with a solid 12th place finish (21:56.2), while junior transfer Delyth James was 13th (22:02.7) in her MWC debut. True freshman Janna Mitsos (19th - 22:30.1) gave the Lobos eight runners in the top-20.

"The women's team ran a patient, strong race, but I never would've guessed the margin of victory would be that big," said Franklin. "Again, our No. 5 runner was outstanding with Vanessa Ortiz having a great day. To beat an NCAA qualifier in (Colorado State's) Kristin Hemphill and last year's champion Angela Wagner (of BYU) was phenomenal."

Saturday 19th September 2009

BRITISH Universities 2,000m steeplechase champion Ruth Senior competing in her debut year on the American NCAA circuit led the New Mexico Lobos women’s squad to a fine team victory at the Kachina Classic in Las Cruces, Albuquerque.

In the 5km race, Senior, the 21-year-old Loughborough University graduate from the City of Norwich club, clocked a time of 18mins 17.1secs to secure third place in the race won by Kenyan Risper Kimaiyo representing the University of Texas - six seconds clear of team mate Kathya Garcia in 18:07.2.

Risper is the daughter of internationals Benjamin and Mary Kimaiyo.

Head coach Joe Franklin fielded his strongest team in the race as fellow Loughborough Alumnus, Elswick Harrier Ashley Gibson (18:28.0), combined with sophomore Lacey Oeding (18:33.7) and compatriot Nicky Archer (18:43.0) to cross the line in 4th,5th and 7th place, whilst, junior Vanessa Ortiz finished 10th (19:01.4) to complete the Lobos scoring.

Saturday 19th September 2009

CHARLOTTE BROWNING claimed a fine victory at the Gator Invitational 5k race in Gainsville, Florida - setting the third fastest time ever in the history of the event on Friday (18th September).

Browning, the 21-year-old former Loughborough resident from the Aldershot, Farnham & District club representing the host Gator’s team crossed the line at the UF Golf course in a time of 17mins 25.08secs ahead of team mate and winner last year, Australian Genevieve LaCaze (17:41.03).

The University of Florida men’s and women’s cross country teams both claimed first place for the fifth consecutive year at the event.

Thursday 17th September 2009

FELICITY MILTON has won the latest round of the British Airways Great Britons Award.

The high-achieving academic athlete and precociously talented musician, Sophie Gledhill were the individual winners of the awards.

Determined to achieve excellence in both her sporting endeavors and academic studies, Milton (22), from Exton, Leicestershire, clearly demonstrated all the qualities needed to be considered a Great Briton. Already competing in cross-country athletics at Olympic standard, Milton is determined to nurture her athletic potential to secure a place in Team GB for the London 2012 Olympic Games.

Not content with success on the sports field, Milton has also earned a postgraduate place at the renowned Stanford University in San Francisco to study biomechanical engineering alongside world leaders in the field. Her six British Airways return flights will ensure that she can take up this place and achieve her goals.

Milton commented: “I am absolutely over the moon to let you all know, that thanks to your votes, I "topped the charts" and won myself the flights to the US for training/studying and back to the UK for competition,

"To everyone who has voted and supported me... I would just like to say how touched I am to receive so much support and words of encouragement, this really does mean the world to me. I would specifically like to thank Oakham School and the OOs, I wish I could go back and do it all again, great place, great people and unforgettable memories! I would also like to thank Athletics Weekly and Athletics Leicestershire for their rapid response and support, both two terrific athletic sites."

When at Stanford, Milton will represent the Cardinal’s athletics team on the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) circuit under the guidance of head coach Edrick Floreal, who has spearheaded a resurgence of the Stanford Track & Field program, having been named Director of Track & Field in 2005.

This year will mark his 11th season overall with the Cardinals. Golfing superstar Tiger Woods is a famous Stanford alumnus.
Editors Comment:

I wish Felicity all the best for her time ahead at Stanford University in San Francisco, which is my favourite city in the world, the beautiful city by the bay in California.

Having visited the university myself a few years ago the campus situated in Palo Alto is a superb facility surrounding the Cobb Track Stadium, add to this the year round warm temperate climate providing excellent training conditions for the athletes on what is one of the biggest College campus in the world at over 8,000 acres.

In the 2009/10 academic year that has just begun in America the county of Leicestershire & Rutland will now be represented by two top British Under-23 internationals in action on the high profile NCAA collegiate circuit, with Rory Fraser from the OWLS beginning his second year at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque.

Competing in the NCAA is a terrific opportunity for any young expiring athlete and is very popular with Europeans providing a high level of competition with strong media interest, sponsorship and national television coverage, not to mention the opportunity to expand their horizons enjoying the lifestyle and the chance to meet different people from around the world.

Mark Woolley.

Saturday 12th September 2009

FORMER Loughborough student Andy Baker, who picked up a convincing win in the first race of the season for Butler University in the USA, has been named Horizon League Cross Country Male Athlete of the Week for the period August 31st-September 6th.

British Under-23 international Baker placed first at the Great American Legends meeting, hosted by Purdue University on September 4th. He covered the 8km course in 25:16.50, finishing 12 seconds ahead of runner-up Caden Shields of Purdue.

Baker is a two-time cross country All-American and a two-time Horizon League Cross Country Athlete of the Year. He’s placed first at the Horizon League Cross Country Championship for two straight years.

Saturday 5th September 2009

LOUGHBOROUGH graduate Andy Baker representing Butler University won the men’s competition at the season-opening Great American Legends cross country meeting hosted by Purdue University on Friday (September 4th).

Baker paced the field in the men’s 8km race, finishing first in a time of 25mins 16.50secs. The British Under-23 international crossed the finish line more than 12 seconds ahead of runner-up Caden Shields (25:28.60) of Purdue and more than 40 seconds ahead of teammate, Scotland’s Kris Gauson (25:57.66) in third place.

Saturday 5th September 2009

LOUGHBOROUGH Alumni Ashley Gibson made a very solid and positive start to her second NCAA Cross Country season by finishing runner-up at the 10th Lobo Invitational in Albuquerque.

The 23-year-old Elswick Harrier representing the University of New Mexico’s Lobos women’s team clocked a time of 17mins 31.45secs to finish 10 seconds adrift of the winner, UTEP’s Risper Kimaiyo

In the men’s race Kenyan Jacob Kirwa opened his season at New Mexico with a dominating 54 seconds victory in the men's 8km race, crossing the line in 24:03.59.

Britain’s NCAA indoor mile champion Lee Emanuel (Sheffield) and compatriot David Bishop (Bristol & West) finished 10th and 11th respectively.

Wednesday 2nd September 2009

LEICESTERSHIRE’s Felicity Milton is a young athlete who has set her sights on representing Team GB at the 2012 Olympics.

The 22-year-old British international, a senior world cross-country representative in Mombassa 2007, has secured an athletics scholarship to Stanford University based in Palo Alto, California, off the back of international representation at both senior and U23 level, bringing back gold medals on several occasions.

Attending Stanford University will give Milton the chance to compete on the high profile NCAA circuit has a selection of the USA's top distance athletes, coaches and facilities, as well as being part of the Ivy League.

However, she needs your vote to help her get sponsorship from British Airways so that she can fly back for UK selection and competition in the years ahead.

She has been selected to the final eight for the second time having missed out by just 6 votes on her previous attempt and all she needs is your votes and if you feel that you would like to vote for her please could you go to the website below and follow the link to Felicity Milton.

Milton reflecting on what winning would mean to her commented:

“I am determined to lay a foundation of excellence for a career at the cutting edge of world class athletics, my story so far will describe how throughout my life I have taken every opportunity that is before me to enhance my professional, people and life skills.

“With the support of British Airways I would be able to return to the UK for the major GB selection trials and competitions to enable me to compete for my country with the benefit of some of the best coaching and resources available to me in the world.”

To vote for Felicity please follow the link below, search for Felicity Milton, click "vote now" on her profile, register your email address by clicking on "Sign up now" and then click vote please!

www.greatbritons.ba.com/users/592

Saturday 13th June 2009

MICHAEL BINGHAM (400m) and Yasmin Regis (Triple Jump) gained silver medals as Lee Emanuel (1500m) collected a bronze for the British contingent on the final day of action at the 2009 NCAA Track & Field Championships at Joe McDonnell Field Stadium in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

Michael Bingham closed out his American university career with a strong second place finish in the final of the men's 400m as the 23-year-old crossed the line in a time of 45.09secs which was the second-best time of his career. It was also his second top-5 finish in the NCAA outdoor 400m as he claimed fifth in the finals as a junior in 2007.

As the race started Bingham was able to get into a good position amongst the group down the back stretch. Kevin Borlee (Florida State) took the lead right off the gun and had the lead heading into the final bend. However, he was on the outside in lane eight and may have gone out too quick as Bingham and Borlee’s twin brother Jonathan went by him to the head of the pack with 100m to go.

Coming down the final straight, Borlee took a slight lead over Bingham and despite the senior's best effort, he was unable to catch Borlee and had to settle for silver.

Borlee, a 2008 Olympian, ran the best race of his career, winning with a lifetime best time of 44.78 as Florida's Calvin Smith claimed third in 45.29.

This was the fourth All-American honors of Bingham's career as he earned the distinction during both the indoor and outdoor seasons in 2007. He competed in the Beijing Olympics as a member of Great Britain's 4x400m relay team, he returned to win the ACC 400m title during both the indoor and outdoor seasons as well as a national title in the 400m at the NCAA Indoor Championships.

Yasmine Regis representing Texas A&M claimed silver in the Triple Jump with a best of 13.82 metres.

Regis, who was in sixth place going into the final three rounds commented afterwards: "I was trying to rack up the most points I could for my teammates. It started off pretty rocky, but I dug deep and I pulled out what I needed to do.

"I placed the highest I've ever placed in my senior year. I'm grateful and thankful. Our team won the national championship. We're very happy. It's an amazing feeling."

Sheffield’s Lee Emanuel's third place finish in the 1500m finals underlined his position as the greatest middle distance runner in University of New Mexico history. Emanuel was in striking distance throughout the race and crossed the line in a time of 3:39.66 - 0.66 seconds behind Oklahoma State’s German Fernandez, the pre-race favorite who was a gun-to-tape winner.

From the start Emanuel charged off the line, but was quickly cut off and slightly clipped from the outside by Fernandez. Forced to adjust his stride to avoid a collision, Emanuel was briefly boxed in by the rest of the field, but regrouped and moved into a solid second through the first lap.

As Fernandez continued to set the pace, Emanuel stayed on his right shoulder through the next two laps, but was never able to surge ahead and take control of the race as he did en route to winning the mile title at the NCAA Indoor Championships in early March.

Emanuel hit the bell lap virtually even with Fernandez, but drifted back to fourth with 50 metres to go before making a late charge to take the bronze medal.

Emanuel matched Kip Koskei (1979) for the highest finish ever by a Lobo in the 1500m and joined Matt Gonzales (third in the 10,000 in 2003) as the only UNM men to medal on the track at the NCAA Outdoor Championships since 1984.

Chris Gowell ran a personal best time of 1:46.88 to finish fourth overall in the men's 800 metres. his time ranks as the second-fastest time in Baylor history. Gowell, who was slow through the first lap in both of his preliminary races, went out quickly through 400m, clocking 51.0 on the first lap.

The leaders started their move on the backstretch of the second lap, and Gowell countered with a move at 200 metres. The junior swung wide off the final bend then moved to the inside lanes to finish fourth overall.

"I think every race has been good," said Gowell. "I've always been close to my personal-best. Coming in here, it's always been my main goal to run three races, two 1:47s and a 1:46, that means a lot to me. Coach has been working on my strength to be able to cope with the three races, so I'm really pleased to come out with a personal-best."

Gowell's All-America honors in the 800 metres is the first for Baylor since Wil Fitts took eighth in 2006. The fourth-place finish is the second-highest in the event in Baylor history and the best since Terril Davis finished third in 1990.

Sheffield’s Gerald Phiri (Texas A&M) matched Gowell’s performance in the 200m final with a fourth place finish clocking in a time of 20.83secs.
Leading British Results:
Men
200 (-1.6): 4 Gerald Phiri (Sheff) 20.83. 

400: 2 Michael Bingham (Wake Forest Uni) 45.09. 

800: 4 Chris Gowell (Swan) 1:46.88. 

1500: 3 Lee Emanuel (Sheff) 3:39.66. 

Women

TJ: 2 Yasmine Regis (WSEH) 13.82/3.3.


Full results are available on the following link: www.flashresults.com/

Saturday 13th June 2009

GREAT Britain’s Steve Lisgo (Butler) set a university record on the third day of competition at the 2009 NCAA Track & Field Championships and the status of All-American as for the second time the athletes had to wait out a lengthy weather delay at Joe McDonnell Field Stadium in Fayetteville, Arkansas, as men’s 3,000m Steeplechase started two hours later than scheduled.

From the start Lisgo kept pace with the best runners in the nation throughout the race and then moved up from sixth place to third in the final lap.

Lisgo crossed the finish line in a time of 8:35.49, just 0:00.37 behind runner-up Hillary Bor of Iowa State. Kyle Perry of Brigham Young captured the title in 8:29.24.
Lisgo’s time smashed the previous Butler Steeplechase record of 8:42.5, set by Mark Tucker in 2002.

Michael Bingham (Wake Forest) won his semi-final heat of the men's 400m as he seeks his second national title. Bingham came into the semifinals with the 10-best time from the prelims and was slotted in lane three. He broke strong and was able to make up the stagger down the back straight away.

As the field came off the final turn, Bingham himself with the lead and he held on to that lead down the final straightaway and cruised to the victory in a time of 45.28secs.

This was Bingham's second-fastest 400m race this season and he will bring the second-best time into the finals. The first heat winner, Jonathan Borlee of Florida State, crossed the line in 45.25.

Sheffield's Gerald Phiri (Texas A&M) gained a bronze medal in the men's 100m final with a time of 10.18secs behind a 10.00 for LSU's Trindon Holliday and a 10.10 for USC's Ahmad Rashad.

Lennie Waite (Rice University), who secured a Scottish Commonwealth qualifier with an outstanding lifetime best of 9:50.48 in Wednesday night’s 3,000m Steeplechase heats, finished fifth in the women’s final in 10:01.40.

Full results are available on the following link: www.flashresults.com/

Friday 12th June 2009

THE appalling weather conditions that blighted the opening day of the 2009 NCAA Track & Field Championships were replaced by clear skies and no rain-delays as a host of British athletes were in action on the track of the Joe McDonnell Field Stadium in Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA.

Lee Emanuel (New Mexico) led the way qualifying through to Saturday's 1500m final by clocking a time of 3mins 39.91secs to finish third in heat one and gain an automatic place.

Emanuel, who won the mile at the 2009 NCAA Indoor Championships in March, has the fastest personal best time among the finalists and is the first Lobo to advance to the NCAA 1500m final since All-American Kip Koskei in 1979 (third).

Scotland’s Kris Gauson (Butler) finished in 8th place in heat 3 of the 1500m in a time of 3:47.58. Emanuel’s team mate at New Mexico, Mat Ashton, finished 16th in the 10,000m in 29:42.60, whilst, John Beattie (Tulsa) was 10th in 29:19.97.

Baylor’s Chris Gowell advanced to Saturday's final in the 800m, with a career-best time of 1:47.32 to finish third in his semi-final heat. Gowell lay in ninth place after 500 metres, but started making up ground down the backstretch, moving into sixth place with 150 metres to go sprinting into third place and an automatic qualifying position over the line.

Gerald Phiri (Texas A&M) placed third in the 200m semi-final with a time of 20.56secs, this having won the heat 4 in 20.85.

Finishing fifth in his heat, Toby Ulm (Georgetown) fell just shy of qualifying for the finals of the men's 400m hurdles with a time of 50.49secs. The men's field featured two heats with the top three from each heat advancing automatically and the final spot going to the best time.

Vale Royal’s Nicky Archer (New Mexico) finished 14th in the women’s 10,000m in a time of 34:57.83, whilst, former Loughborough student Ashley Gibson (New Mexico) finished 22nd in the women's 1500m semi-finals with a time of 4:23.99.
Leading British Results:
Men
200 h4 (-1.1): 1 Gerald Phiri (Sheff) 20.85. s1 (-0.3): 3 Gerald Phiri (Sheff) 20.56. 

800 s2: 3 Chris Gowell (Swan) 1:47.32. 

1500 h1: 3 Lee Emanuel (Sheff) 3:39.91. h3: 8 Kris Gauson (Edin) 3:47.58.
10,000: 10 John Beattie (Win) 29:19.97; 16 Mathew Ashton (AFD) 29:42.60. 

400H s2: 6 Toby Ulm (Swin) 50.49. 

Women

1500 h2: 7 Ashley Gibson (Els) 4:23.99. 

10,000: 14 Nicky Archer (Vale R) 34:57.83.

Full results are available on the following link: www.flashresults.com/

Wednesday 10th June 2009

TEEMING rain, cracks of thunder and streaks of lightning caused havoc for the schedule on the opening day of competition at the 2009 NCAA Track & Field Championships in Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA.

The three-hour rain-break required the heats of the men’s 5,000m to take place as the track clock approached half-past-midnight at the Joe McDonnell Stadium as Leicester’s Rory Fraser (New Mexico) and former Loughborough student Joe MacDonald (Butler) lined-up in their respective races.

Originally scheduled to run at 8:25pm Fraser faded to 13th place in a time of 14:46.51 to miss out on qualification, whilst, MacDonald clocked 14:20.30 to finish 12th in his heat missing out by just one position.

Starting his race at 10:30pm compatriot Michael Bingham (Wake Forest), arguable Britain’s main chance of a title at the NCAA’s in 2009, turned in a solid time of 46.30 to finish second in his 400m heat advancing to Friday night's semifinals.

Bingham carries the 10th-best qualifying time into the semi-finals that will feature two heats of nine runners. The top four in each heat along with the next best time will advance to Saturday afternoon's finals.

Stephen Lisgo (Butler) waited out a long rain delay and then produced a solid performance in the men’s 3,000m Steeplechase advancing to the final on Friday finishing in 7th place with a time of 8:45.40.

Gerald Phiri (Texas A&M) also advanced to the final of the men’s 100m with runners-up places in the heats and semi-final with times of 10.15 and 10.27.

Toby Ulm (Georgetown) advanced to the semifinal round of the men's 400m Hurdles clocking a time of 50.49 to finish in second place in his heat.

Swansea’s Chris Gowell (Baylor) won his heat of the 800m preliminaries with a time of 1:47.87, the Welshman’s mark was the third-fastest of the preliminaries.

In the women’s events Scotland’s Lennie Waite (Rice) went through in the heats of the 3,000m Steeplechase in a university record time of 9:50.48.
Leading British Results:
Men
100 h4 (1.7): 2 Gerald Phiri (Sheff) 10.15. s2 (-0.1): 2 Gerald Phiri (Sheff) 10.27. 

400 h1: 2 Michael Bingham (Wake Forest Uni) 46.30. 

800 h2: 1 Chris Gowell (Swan) 1:47.87. 

5000: 12 Joe MacDonald (Traff) 14:20.30; 13 Rory Fraser (OWLS) 14:46.51. 

400H h3: 2 Toby Ulm (Swin) 50.49. 

3000SC h1: 7 Stephen Lisgo (Mans) 8:45.40. 

Women

3000SCW h2: 3 Lennie Waite (Rice) 9:50.48.

Full results are available on the following link: www.flashresults.com/

Saturday 6th June 2009

GREAT BRITAIN’s Andy Baker representing Butler University has been named to the 2008-09 ESPN The Magazine District V All-Academic Track/Cross Country Team, selected by members of CoSIDA (College Sports Information Directors of America).

Former Loughborough student Baker earned his first team recognition on the honor squad, chosen from Division I athletes at schools in Indiana, Illinois, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Ontario and Manitoba.


Baker, a graduate student in Butler’s MBA program, is a two-time cross-country All-American. He was the individual winner at the Horizon League Cross Country Championship in both 2007 and 2008, and he was named Horizon League Cross Country Male Athlete of the Year in both seasons. He also was named the Outstanding Running Performer at the 2008 Horizon League Indoor Track and Field Championship and was selected as the 2008 Horizon League Outdoor Track and Field Athlete of the Year. Baker is the Butler record-holder over the indoor 5,000 metres.

To be eligible for Academic All-District consideration, student-athletes must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.30 or higher on a 4.00 scale, have reached sophomore athletic and academic standing at his/her current institution and be nominated by his/her sports information director.



Athletes chosen to the Academic All-District team will be placed on the national ballot for the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America Team, which will be announced later this summer.

Saturday 30th May 2009

MICHAEL BINGHAM qualified through to the NCAA Championships at the NC A&T's Irwin Belk Track on the final day of the 2009 NCAA East Regionals on Saturday 30th May 2009.

Former Loughborough-based Bingham came into the final with the fourth-best qualifying time after cruising through his heat on Friday. He arrived at the track and was battling a case of food poisoning but produced a gutsy school-record and personal best time of 45.05secs.

In the race that suffered two false starts Bingham flew out of the blocks. Starting in lane three, he made up most of the stagger down the back stretch and took the lead as the field made the final turn.
Bingham gave it everything he had down the last 100 metres to win the race and not only broke his own school-record but also set a new facility and East Region record.

"The race was a mental challenge," said Bingham. "I knew if I could stay with the guys until the 200-mark I would be able to bring it home. That's what ended up happening. I was right there through 200 metres with people around me. I am a natural competitor and I just fought down the stretch.

"I think being pulled out of the blocks may have affected some people but it didn't get me too much," Bingham continued. "I am not a guy that has to get hyped-up for a race but I know some guys are and they were probably affected."

At the NCAA Midwest Regional Track and Field Championships in Norman, Oklahoma, Rory Fraser (OWLS) finished ninth (14:12.04) over 5,000m to confirm his qualification for the NCAA’s.

Fraser entered the meeting ranked 12th nationally in the event in the USA with a season-best time of 13:39.85. He finished 11th in the 5,000m at the 2009 NCAA Indoor Championships.

Former Loughborough student Ashley Gibson (Elswick) finished third in the women’s 1500m with a time of 4:25.88.

Butler University distance athletes found themselves counted among the fastest of the day in the Mideast Region of the NCAA Track and Field Championship, as Loughborough Alumnus Joe MacDonald and Andy Baker notched impressive showings in the men's 5,000m on Friday (May 29th).

MacDonald ran to a sixth-place finish in the race, while Baker posted a 12th-place effort.

Sunday 17th May 2009

THE University of New Mexico squads were in action at the 2009 Mountain West Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships held at Wyoming's Louis Madrid Sports Complex.

Lee Emanuel (City of Sheffield), the reigning NCAA indoor mile champion finished fifth with altitude-adjusted time of 1:51.78 in the 800m. Rory Fraser (OWLS) finished sixth with an adjusted time of 14:27.90 over 5,000m. David Bishop finished seventh in the 1500m with an altitude adjusted time of 3:51.20 in his first full race in over a month

In the Women’s events Nicky Archer (AFD) finishing second to secure a silver medal clocking an adjusted time of 17:01.18 to finish 15 seconds behind BYU's Cecily Lemmon.

Former Loughborough student Ashley Gibson (Elswick Harriers) collected a bronze in the 1500m with an adjusted time of 4:23.57.

In Gainesville, Florida, former Loughborough student Charlotte Browning (AFD) finished runner-up in the Women’s 1500m, clocking a personal-best time of 4:19.66 as the University of Florida track and field team won their first Southeastern Conference Outdoor Championship title since 2003. Browning also finished sixth in the finals of the 800m.

Fellow Loughborough Alumni Joe MacDonald (Trafford) smashed his lifetime best to win the 1500m at the Georgia Tech Invitational meeting in Atlanta with a time of 3mins 42.63secs.

Photo by Jim Burgess.

Saturday 9th May 2009

UNIVERSITY of New Mexico’s Rory Fraser added an NCAA regional qualifying time in the 1500m on Saturday night at the Stanford Payton Jordan Cardinal Invitational in California.

The 22-year-old from the Leicester OWLS club won the section three race with a time of 3mins 46.09secs.

Team mate and compatriot Lee Emanuel, the NCAA indoor mile champion, sliced nearly a second off his own university record in the 1500m with a time of 3:37.25 in the elite section one race, to take third place over the line.

Oregon's Matt Centrowitz became the first man to defeat Emanuel this spring as he clocked the fastest collegiate time in the US, winning in 3:36.92.

Former Loughborough student Ashley Gibson began the evening on a positive note for New Mexico clocking a lifetime best of 4:23.23 (10th) in the 1500m, improving her previous regional qualifying time.

Wednesday 6th May 2009

LEICESTERSHIRE’S Rory Fraser is currently on a scholarship at the University of New Mexico in America racing on the high profile NCAA circuit and at the recent Mt. SAC Relays in Los Angeles the 22-year-old from the Leicester OWLS club clocked a time of 13 minutes 39.85 seconds over 5,000m which was a big personal-best and also a mark that ranks him seventh in the USA for Division I athletes.

Following the LA meeting Flotracks Tony Casey spoke with Fraser about his time in America, on his hopes, dreams and expectations for the future with London 2012 on the horizon and what it was like to run with the legendary Haile Gebrselassie.
What are you feelings on running that time in LA?

Pretty happy, it went pretty well. With a 10-second PB, you obviously can't complain about that. I still think I can go a bit faster by not committing as much in the start. The first lap was in 62, so I kind of committed enough to a fast start. It was a good start and hopefully I can carry that through to nationals and be All-American.
Can you go into specifics on a typical training week for you?

It's basically where you work out on Tuesdays and Fridays. In the UK last year, I was training three times a week. As soon as I came out here, I tried to do that and got sick. The altitude takes its toll on you when you're training three times a week. And that's training hard three times a week. Basically we do a track session on a Tuesday, which can consist of normally quite a lot of pyramid stuff. Like a 400, 600, 800 and K then back down. Most of that stuff is at race pace. Or we'll do K sessions or miles or 400s. Then on Friday, we do a tempo. We've gotten used to doing an 8-10 mile tempo at nothing ridiculously fast, but again the altitude takes its toll. If you think you're going to go out and run really, really fast...we'll you just can't do it. We do a tempo at about 5:15 for ten miles or so. It's solid and that's what we do.
Why did you choose to go to New Mexico in the first place?

I knew a few people out in America. They always said how good it was when British people went to America. They said I should give it a go. Back home, I didn't really know what I was going to do with my life. It was kind of, “go to America or live on the streets.” I decided to email a few people to see what they would say and see who got back to me. Of the ones that got back to me, New Mexico sounded the best for me personally. The history Joe Franklin's got with Brits and how's he's worked with them in the past, the people he's got there at the moment are doing pretty well off of what he has them doing. That's what sold it to me. And the attitude and the work was always a plus as well.
Would you vouch for the system there when talking to other British athletes?

Absolutely. When I first got here, I couldn't believe what you got offered. It was just absolutely insane. Even the free kit or the free gear you get. The free trainers. You don't get that at all in the UK. University back home is not big. You don't go to university back home to make it pro like you do here. The biggest sport back home is soccer really, and if you don't play soccer then you don't get anything. UK athletics can only support a certain amount of people and I wasn't one of them. I wanted to see how far I could get running-wise and see how far I could get a “free ride” really. I'm living like a professional athlete and that's the way I look at it.
You're looking at it like you're a professional athlete because of the improvement of situation?

Kind of, I'm just not running as fast as a professional athlete right now. Just to be able to focus on my running and get good sleep and not have a job it helps. Every bit helps, as they say. To have access to facilities and ice baths whenever you need it. All these things help. If I would have stayed back home then I would have had to get a job to support myself. And working 9-5 and trying to run 90 miles a week or whatever just isn't that feasible.
That's an interesting point. It makes me think that we might take college for granted over here.

A lot of people back home do work full-time and still compete really well. That's just brilliant. I'm not saying that I couldn't do that, but it's a lot easier when you don't have to do those things. Rest is an important part. You can't get your rest if you're waking up at 6 a.m. every day. It takes a toll on your body after a while.
But it's not like you don't have to go to school as well.

When I finished university back home I got my degree and that was great and stuff. I've already got a degree and I'm on a graduate program out here. For me, at the moment, education is just a means to run. But it is important that I keep up my GPA and all the rest of that. But, I'm only doing that so I can continue running. The running is the only reason I came out here, the education is just another thing that I get with it.
What's the next step then?

Well, I came to America to see where I could get. With the Olympics being in London in 2012, it just gives me more incentive to make it. That's the plan for me. I've got three years to try to sort that out, to keep improving the way I have been. To get to the Olympics would be a fantastic achievement and a fantastic opportunity to run in front of my home crowd. It's not something that many people get to do.
What were you doing this past summer? Did you have an opportunity to try to qualify?

No. I didn't run fast enough. The UK has one of the hardest qualification standards. I don't know what it is in the US, but to qualify for the 5K, you have to run the “A” standard pretty much. And that's 13:20. Last year I was an awful long way off of that. I didn't have any chance to go last year, but I knew what was four years away. A lot can happen in four years with training and stuff like that. That's the goal: to come out here and train for two or three years and see how far I can go.
What other international races have you done?

I went to the Junior European Cross Country Championships, which was a pretty big deal for me at the time. It was a great experience and stuff. I didn't perform that well, but it was just another one of those stepping stones to try to get somewhere else in the sport. That was all good. Then I competed at the World University Cross Country Championships, which was kind of a strange meet. I don't know how many teams were there, but there was an awful lot of teams competing there. Teams from Australia to Morocco to Algeria. That was another good experience. All just stepping stones to try to get somewhere farther. I haven't done a great lot competing for Great Britain, but hopefully that can change.
You sound like someone who looks at the “big picture”. Do you think you belong on the world stage, maybe three years down the road?

If you don't think like that than you might as well give up. There's no point in running if you don't think you can do those things. Although they might seem a bit unrealistic at the moment, if I can continue to take 10-11 seconds off my time each year...then, who knows what can happen? I'm still young and I've still got a lot of things to learn. I've got a lot of miles to run. With all that said, I think in the next few years, then hopefully I can get on that world stage and compete the people there. Maybe beat a few Africans.
What are some things that you're getting used to in transitioning to living in the States?

There aren't many things that are that different. The amount of McDonald's might be the only difference. The amount of fast food joints - which is growing more and more in the UK - but you can't drive a mile down the street without seeing three McDonald's. Most of the rest of it is pretty similar. It's a bit bigger out here.
That's interesting that that stands out to you.

The chocolate milkshake is the future. And that's all good. If you have a bit of a hard week...you can treat yourself to a bit of McDonald's.
Can you give me a crazy running related story?

Well, I suppose the most interesting thing that I've done is when I went to Ethiopia a couple years ago, I got to run with Haile Gebrselassie. It was the most phenomenal experience of my life. I got to know a guy at my university who was Ethiopian and he said, “if you ever get a chance, come out and visit me.” So, I did. I got there and realized that he's famous in that country. During the trip, he kind just mentions, “do you want to run with Haile tomorrow?” I was like, “are you serious? Of course I want to run with Haile tomorrow!” This is about two weeks before he ran the London Marathon and I didn't really want to if he was going to be preparing for all that stuff. I was told to go to his house at about 5 a.m. His house was massive, it was a mansion. We just set off running and he says, “follow me.” I followed him up this trail and we went past these people who own a pair of flip flops and a pair of shorts. They've never seen a TV before and were all saying, “Haile! Haile!” and everyone knows who he is. He just waves to everyone as he runs. For me it's sprinting up. We run by Tirunesh and Bekele and he is asking me if I know who they are. Of course I know who they are. He's just an absolute hero. We get back to his house and he invites me in and shows me around. I was on my own. He showed me to the bathroom and told me to take a shower and to get myself ready and come out for breakfast. I got to eat breakfast with him, his wife and his kids. We sat there eating pancakes and stuff at the table. He gave me a lift to his work in his Mercedes. It was just so surreal and just unbelieveable.
So what kind of run did you do together?

He was kind of tapering. He was going 90 minutes. Basically we ran up this mountain. Ethiopia is at a pretty high altitude as it is. We got to about 3000-meters altitude and by that time, my lungs were hurting. My eyeballs were bleeding and all that fun stuff. He noticed that and told me to wait around for a half an hour and he ran up this mountain, came back down and picked me up and we just ran back together. It was unbelievable to say he was tapering because he was running very, very fast. He's one of the nicest people ever. I don't know many people who would just run with some random person two weeks before you're going to try to break the world record.

Photo by David Benyak.

Saturday 2nd May 2009

RORY FRASER representing the University of New Mexico added an NCAA regional qualifying time in the 1500m on Saturday (2nd May) at Stanford's Payton Jordan Cardinal Invitational meeting in California.

This performance adds to the 22-year-old’s previous bid in the 5,000m. Fraser won the section three race with a time of 3:46.09 – to move to eighth on the UNM all-time performers list.

Former Loughborough student Ashley Gibson was also on top form as the Elswick Harrier clocked a career-best time of 4:23.23 (10th) in the 1500m, improving her previous regional qualifying time.

Compatriot and NCAA indoor mile champion Lee Emanuel sliced nearly a second off his own university record in the 1500m with a time of 3:37.25.

Another former Loughborough College student Barbara Parker finished 5th in the 3,000m Steeplechase as the American-based Beijing Olympian clocked a time of 9:55.55.