April 28, 2004

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They'll be chasing Olympic standards

by Keith Peters

Before they can run, jump, throw or vault for place and qualify for their respective Olympic teams, the world's best track and field athletes need to race for time and compete for marks.

The ninth annual Cardinal Invitational will offer such opportunities Friday night for many of the world's elite at Cobb Track & Angell Field.

The goal of the meet is to achieve the "A" qualifying standards for the 2004 Summer Olympics. A second- or third-place finish at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials in July, for example, only guarantees a trip to Athens if athletes have that coveted "A" standard.

While the Cardinal Invitational has produced American records in the men's and women's 10,000 meters in previous years, such records won't be the focus Friday.

"The big thing for everybody is getting the Olympic "A" standard," said Greg Muniz, the meet director. "This year, everything from the 1,500 meters up will be really fast."

Field events get the meet under way at 4 p.m., with running beginning at 6 p.m.

The Kim McDonald Memorial men's 10K will feature American recordholder Meb Keflezighi, who set his mark of 27:13.98 at Stanford in 2001. Only one American, Alan Culpepper (27.41.90 in 2003) has surpassed the "A" standard of 27:49.00.

Keflezighi, however, reportedly is in great shape. He won the USA 15K Championships and two weeks later won the USA 8K Championships, in addition to taking second at the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in February to earn a trip to Greece.

Also in the 10K field will be 200 Olympians Abdi Abdirahman and Stanford grad Brad Hauser, U.S. 5K recordholder Bob Kennedy, 2004 USA 10-mile champ Dan Browne plus Stanford's Ian Dobson and Louis Luchini. Seven of the top 10-ranked American 10K runners are entered.

The women's 10K will be shooting for the "A" standard of 31:45.00, well off the American record of 30:52.32 that Deena Drossin ran at Stanford in 2002. Sally Barsosio of Kenya leads the field with a best of 31:15.38. She finished 10th at the 2004 IAAF World Cross Country Championships in February. Drossin and Elva Dryer have achieved the "A" standard, based on races last season.

Challenging Barsosio will be a trio of British runners - Kathy Butler, Natalie Harvey and Haley Yelling - plus USA's Katie McGregor and Stanford's Alicia Craig, among others.

The women's 5,000 also has a stocked field that includes 2000 Olympic silver medalist Sonia O'Sullivan of Ireland. O'Sullivan, who has a best of 14:41.02, is a multi-time world and European champions in track and cross country.

Also chasing the Olympic standard of 15:08.70 will be Australia's Georgie Clarke, the current world leader at 1,500 meters (4:09.66); plus Americans Shayne Culpepper, Stanford grad Lauren Fleshman and Dryer. Drossin, again, is the only American with the "A" mark.

Fleshman was a five-time NCAA champion, including three straight collegiate titles in the 5,000 from 2001-03.

The men's 5,000 field will be chasing the "A" standard of 13:21.50, a time reached only by Keflezighi last season and Stanford grad Jonathon Riley this season. Riley's personal record of 13:21.11 set two weeks ago at the Mt. SAC Relays, currently ranked No. 1 in the world.

Riley, most likely, won't be running Friday.

"He probably doesn't want to help anybody in the 5,000," Muniz quipped.

The men's field will include Steve Slattery, the 2003 U.S. champion in the 3,000 steeplechase; former Arkansas All-American Daniel Lincoln plus current Razorbacks' start Alistair Cragg.

The men's 1,500 standard has been pushed back to 3:36.20, which means David Krummenacker (3:35.15) and Stanford'd Grant Robison (3:35.75) have the necessary time off last season. Stanford grad Jason Lunn is the current U.S. leader at 3:38.83, but still needs to attain the coveted Olympic standard. He's scheduled to be in the field Friday along with Stanford grad Michael Stember and current Cardinals Don Sage and Robison.

The women's field, chasing the standard of 4:05.80, includes current U.S. leader (and 2003 Stanford grad) Malindi Elmore (4:09.73). She ranks No. 2 in the world this season. She'll be challenged by Nicole Teter of the Stanford-based Nike Farm Team. Teter lost to Elmore at the Mt. SAC Relays, but has a personal best of 4:04.19.

Robison, the 2003 NCAA outdoor champion in the 1,500 meters, added another title to his running resume last Thursday when he captured the 5,000 at the 110th Penn Relays in Philadelphia.

Robison beat 25 other runners in a time of 14:06.63, easily outrunning Dusty Lieb of Penn in second place at 14:17.79.

The Stanford women's 4 x 1,500 meter relay team waltzed to a convincing victory and a school record on Friday. Stanford clocked 17:26.88, easily breaking the old time of 17:36.66 in 2002. Freshman Katy Trotter ran the opening 1,500 meters in 4:22.3, followed by Katie Hotchkiss (4:32.2), Sara Bei (4:20.7) and freshman Arianna Lambie (4:11.7). Lambie's split time was third fastest in Penn Relays history.

"It's such an awesome feeeling to win," said Cardinal women's assistant coach Dena Evans. "I am thrilled. It's a great honor for our program and a huge accomplishment for these girls. We are thrilled to be here and this is a fantastic feeling. In terms of intensity it does not get much bigger than this. The eyes of track and field are on this event and that makes it so intense."

Elsewhere in the meet, the Stanford women's distance medley relay team of Lambie (1,200 meters, 3:22.2), Nashonme Johnson (400 meters, 52.2), Chinny Offor (800 meters, 2:10.9) and Bei (1,600 meters, 4:41.5) just missed the school record of 11:06.23 with a fifth place time of 11:06.83.

In the women's 3,000 steeplechase, freshman Amanda Trotter finished fifth in a time of 10:53.31. the third-best time in school history.

At the UC San Diego Invitational last week, Stanford's Sarah Hopping threw the hammer a career-best 195-2 and nearly broke the school record of 196-2 set in 2002 by Jessica Pluth.

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