Posted: January 26, 2004

Athletics: New Balance Games Report

By David Monti

(c) 2004 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved < RaceResultsWeekly.com>

New Balance Games - Armory Track & Field Center, New York, USA; Saturday, January 24, 2004
200m banked Mondo track
Summary of Middle & Long Distance Events

After a rousing rendition of the U.S. national anthem sung by Louise Clark, who meet announcer Ian Brooks called "the Armory's own diva," the invitational section of this mostly high school meet got underway with the High School Girls Invitational Mile. Heather Iatauro of Tri-Valley High School came from third place with half a lap to go to pass both Laura Cummings (Bay Shore) and Auril Ogrodnick (Beaconsfield) to win in a meet record 4:53.79.

Hayley Tullet, last summer's world championships bronze medalist at 1500m, dominated the Elite Women's Mile next, winning in a snappy 4:27.28 over Russian master, Lyubov Kremlyova. Tullet laid back behind the pacer through the first quarter (65.5) but took the lead at half-way after the pace had slackened (2:14.0). She was never challenged.

"I used it last year," said Tullet of her race at the Armory which her kit sponsor, New Balance, sponsors. "I don't really concentrate on indoors. I really hate the cold (and) use the indoor races as the quality sessions."

Finishing seventh was high school sophomore Nicole Blood (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.) who clocked 4:48.82, far faster than Iatauro had run in winning the High School Invitational Mile. They will face each other in next month's Millrose Games high school invitational mile.

Alberto Salazar had come to the Armory with his top runner, Galen Rupp, from Oregon Central H.S. where the three-time New York City Marathon champion now coaches. Rupp, who was second at last December's Foot Locker National High School Cross Country Championships, circled the track just over 16 times in the hope of breaking Gerry Lindgren's 1964 high school record for two miles (8:40.0). He was right on schedule through the first quarter (64.75), but slowed near the end of the first mile (4:23.4). He would soon tire, falling well off his target pace.

Running close behind Rupp, and looking more relaxed, was Joshua McDougal of Peru, N.Y., fourth at Foot Locker last December. After 1.75 miles when Rupp began to run out of steam slowing to a 68.7 quarter, McDougal went by him and willed himself home to an 8:50.40 finish, the #7 all-time by a U.S. high schooler indoors. He wobbled off of the track onto the infield, looking dazed.

"It was hard to think about Galen," said McDougal in a post-race press conference some time later when he was fully composed. "I just wanted a great time. I wanted to run just under 8:50."

McDougal added that he did Saturday's race off of base training, only. He hopes to hit a peak in March at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships in the junior race, assuming he qualifies at the U.S. Championships next month.

Ahead of Rupp and McDougal, Kenyan Patrick Nthiwa won the race in a slowish 8:39.50 over Julius Achon of Uganda.

An incredibly close finish had the crowd at full volume for the High School Boys Invitational Mile. A pack of five took the bell with 200m to go, and Hakon DeVries (John Jay) looked the strongest, along with Jeremy Zagorski (Parsippany Hills). But Gavin Cooms (Griswold) swung wide around turn-four and gunned for the win on the outside. In a frenzied rush to the tape, Cooms just nipped DeVries by 3/100ths at the line in a meet record 4:11.35. Zakorsky finished third.

The Elite Men's Mile wrapped up the invitational section of the meet, with Elkanah Angwenyi of Kenya taking the win in the rush for the line with Britons Anthony Whiteman and James Thie. The race had a slow opening quarter (61.0), and the pace did not pick-up through the half. It looked like it was going to be a last lap affair.

"I thought it might end up that way," said Thie who won the very windy road mile in Hamilton, Bermuda the week before.

The outcome was far from certain, however, as Christian Hesch, who finished third to Thie in Bermuda, nearly stole it. The big man from Morro Bay, Calif., hadn't been training regulary since he injured his knee in a cold weather training run in Boulder three weeks ago, but had managed to build up a big lead as the field took a chance and let him go. But, with just 100m left in the race, Hesch stepped off the track, exhausted.

"I couldn't turn the 62 that I needed (to win the race)," said Hesch. I've run ten miles in three weeks. I would have been easy."

With Hesch standing on the infield, Angwenyi, Whiteman and Thie swept past him on the backstraight. Coming out of turn-4, Whiteman looked like he had it, but Angwenyi simply pushed through the tape first, winning 4:02.73 to 4:02.78. Thie finished third in 4:02.89.

"I wasn't sure what to expect," said Whiteman later. "They're [sic] not quite sure who to watch."

Visit the event website at: www.armorytrack.com

Men:
High School Boys Invitational:
1. Gavin Cooms Griswold 4:11.35 [Meet Record]
2. Hakon DeVries John Jay 4:11.38
3. Jeremy Zagorski Parsippany Hills 4:11.87

Mile [Invitational]:
1. Elkanah Angwenyi, New Balance/KEN, 4:02.73
2. Anthony Whiteman, New Balance/GBR, 4:02.78
3. James Thie, NYAC/Sportfilm.com/GBR, 4:02.89

2 Mi.:
1. Patrick Nthiwa, New Balance/KEN, 8:39.50
2. Julius Achon, Nike/UGA, 8:49.08
3. Joshua McDougal, Peru, N.Y. (Jr.), 8:50.40

Women:-
High School Invitational Mile:
1. Heather Iatauro, Tri-Valley, 4:53.79 [Meet Record]
2. Laura Cummings, Bay Shore, 4:53.82
3. Auril Ogrodnick, Beaconsfield, 4:54.73

Elite Mile:
1. Hayley Tullet, New Balance/GBR, 4:27.28
2. Lyubov Kremlyova, RUS, 4:31.65
3. Amy Rudolph, adidas/USA, 4:33.20

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