2017 Camel City Elite Race Recaps

2017 Race Recaps

WOMEN’S 3000m

The women’s 3k was the first race of the Camel City Elite slate again in 2017.  The defending champ, Kerri Gallagher, scratched out of the event earlier in the week due to illness, so the race was really wide open.  On the collegiate side, two of the best credentialed athletes in the field were also scratched due to injury, leaving the overall field size a little smaller than expected.

Lauren Paquette would handle the pacing duties.  Fresh off an 8:54 indoor 3k PR earlier in the season, Paquette was more than capable of pacing the field.  The pacing request was 4:48 to 4:52 through 1600m, with Paquette hitting 4:51 at 1600m.  Paquette had the option to stay in the race, but was also scheduled to rabbit the women’s mile later in the program.  Paquette would stay in the race until about 2200m.

At that point, Sutherland would take the lead, followed by Kipp, Vaughn, Buchalski and Koon.  Sutherland would start to pick up the pace and began dropping the field at that point.  Sutherland would end up closing the last 800m in 2:17.6.  Meanwhile, behind her, the race for second place was on.  Shalaya Kipp was in second place at 2200m when Sutherland made her move, but then the wheels came off and she closed the last 800m in 2:37.

Over the last 200m, Allie Buchalski of Furman would move up to finish second with an NCAA qualifying mark.  Sara Vaughn would finish third and Rachel Koon of NC State would finish fourth and also achieve an NCAA qualifying time.

Allie Buchalski’s finish was particularly impressive, as last year she was lapped in this race and only ran 9:40.  This year, she ran a great race and punched her ticket to College Station, TX.

1. Sutherland, Sara – Saucony – 9:00.35 ($4000)
2. Buchalski, Allie – Furman – 9:06.66 (NCAA D1 Qualifier)
3. Vaughn, Sara – Brooks ID – 9:07.98 ($2000)
4. Koon, Rachel – NC State – 9:09.99 (NCAA D1 Qualifier)
5. Kipp, Shalaya – Unattached – 9:20.58 ($1000)
6. Kennedy, Katie – Virginia Tech – 9:39.20
7. Platek, Sara – Unattached – 9:53.29
8. Coogan, Katrina – New Balance – DNF
9. Paquette, Lauren – Brooks – DNF

MEN’S 3000m

The men’s Camel City 3k presented by Salem Sports had the potential to be one of the best and deepest races of the day.  With 16 athletes on the line, many of whom were collegians with sub 14 minute 5k credentials, this was a race where we anticipated the possibility of multiple NCAA qualifiers.  Unfortunately, that didn’t materialize this year, but the race was nonetheless one of the most exciting of the day.

The race featured the 2016 Rio Olympics silver medalist at 5000m, Paul Chelimo.  Chelimo finished his college career at nearby UNC-Greensboro and actually raced in the inaugural Camel City Mile back in 2013 while attending UNCG.  But it would be no walk in the park for him, as Lee Emanuel of Hoka One One was in the field.  Emanuel actually beat Chelimo at this distance last year at the World Indoor Championships in Portland.

The beginning of the race had some confusion about the pacing request.  The pace was slated for 4:12 for 1600m by Tomas Cotter of Asics Furman Elite.  However, we later learned that Chelimo requested the pacer to go faster while they were being lined up to start the race.

Around 450m, Chelimo would pass Cotter and take the lead.  Cotter would pass him back 30m later and resume the pacing duties.  They would pass 600m in 1:31.5 and Chelimo would pass Cotter again on the backstretch.  At this point, facility director Craig Longhurst would tell Cotter to let Chelimo go and run the prescribed pace.

Chelimo would pass 800m in 2:01.8 and continue gliding through to a split of 4:07.5 at 1600m.  Meanwhile, behind him a chase pack would form, led by Cotter with Lee Emanuel in tow.  Emanuel would pass 1600m about 4 seconds back in 4:11.  However, after 1600m, Chelimo would start slowing down a bit and Emanuel began chipping away at the lead, cutting the gap to about a half second with 200m to go.  However, Chelimo would absolutely blast the last 200m in 26.95 to set a new facility record of 7:45.49.  Emanuel would finish second in 7:49.29.

Amon Terer would be the only collegian to break 8:00, as he barely dipped under that barrier with a 7:59.92, which would make him the last NCAA qualifier in the indoor national championship meet.  Behind him, a string of four collegians would break 8:05.

1. Chelimo, Paul – US Army – 7:45.49 ($5000)
2. Emanuel, Lee – Hoka One One – 7:49.29 ($2000)
3. Masters, Riley – Unattached – 7:55.05 ($1000)
4. Hoover, Caleb – Asics Furman Elite – 7:57.59 ($500)
5. Terer, Amon – Campbell – 7:59.92 (NCAA D1 Qualifier)
6. Chemadi, Kigen – Mid Tenn State – 8:01.95
7. Kemboi, Amon – Campbell – 8:02.04
8. Parsons, George – NC State – 8:03.98
9. Reeder, Troy – Furman – 8:04.96
10. Seufer, Peter – Virginia Tech – 8:10.26
11. Jaskowak, Daniel – Virginia Tech – 8:12.61
12. Van Halen, Aric – Unattached – 8:14.53
13. Choge, Jacob – Mid Tenn State – 8:15.69
14. Thomson, Jacob – Kentucky – 8:22.19
15. Guillorel, Arse’ne – Samford – 8:23.92
16. Cotter, Tomas – Asics Furman Elite – DNF

WOMEN’S 800m

This year’s race featured the defending champion, Melissa Bishop.  Bishop was the 2015 IAAF World Champs silver medalist in this event, and also finished fourth in the 2016 Rio Olympics.  At last year’s Camel City, she shattered the facility record by over two seconds with her 2:02.10.  Could she break it again?

Kendra Chambers of Texas Elite Track Club was set to handle the pacing duties.  There was some confusion at the start as to when and where she could break into the first lane.  As a result, Bishop would take over just past 200m and lead them through 400m at 59.2 seconds.  Chambers had the option to stay in the race, but was battling what would turn out to be a case of bronchitis and would drop out after about 450m.

Hanna Green would take control of second place and would run the same split for 400 to 600m as Bishop.  Green would actually make a little ground on Bishop over the last 200m, but had spotted her two much in the first 400m to catch her.  Bishop would just miss the facility record, running 2:02.49.  Green’s time of 2:03.31 would be the fastest run by a collegian at JDL Fast Track and would easily qualify her for the NCAA indoor championships.

Behind Green, Ce’Aira Brown of Hoka One One would finish third.  Agnes Abu of Middle Tennessee State would finish fourth in a time that would have qualified her for the NCAA championships, except she would go on to run faster later in the season.

1. Bishop, Melissa – Nike – 2:02.49 ($4000)
2. Green, Hanna – Virginia Tech – 2:03.31 (NCAA D1 Qualifier)
3. Brown, Ce’Aira – Hoka NJNY TC – 2:05.54 ($2000)
4. Abu, Agnes – Mid Tenn State – 2:06.15
5. Mecke, Dana – Texas Elite TC – 2:06.75 ($1000)
6. Barton, Laurie – Virginia Tech – 2:07.95
7. Segrave, Hannah – Milligan – 2:08.05
8. Egbeniyi, Abike – Mid Tenn State – 2:10.04
9. Chambers, Kendra – Texas Elite TC – DNF

MEN’S 800m

Two-time defending champion Brandon Johnson was absent for this year’s race, leaving the door wide open for anyone to take the title.  And that is just what happened, with the first collegian to win a Camel City Elite title since the event started in 2013.

Donnie Cowart set the pace through about 380m, with Ryan Martin of Asics Furman Elite passing 400m in 53.1 seconds.  Eliud Rutto of Middle Tennessee State would take the lead at 500m.  Rutto finished second overall in this event in 2014 and 2016.

With 200m to go, the entire field was together and only separated by a second.  The order at 600m would be the same order at the finish, with Rutto, Kemboi and Drew Piazza going 1-2-3.  Rutto’s time of 1:48.94 would be fast enough to get him into the NCAA indoor championships.  Like his female teammate Agnes Abu, though, Rutto would run faster later in the season to further solidify his position in that meet.

High school athlete Brandon McGorty would finish 7^th in 1:51.53, easily breaking our HS facility record in this event.

1. Rutto, Eliud – Mid Tenn State – 1:48.94
2. Kemboi, Edward – Unattached – 1:49.29 ($4000)
3. Piazza, Drew – Virginia Tech – 1:49.41
4. Laari, Sampson – Mid Tenn State – 1:50.23
5. Joseph, Patrick – Virginia Tech – 1:50.33
6. Martin, Ryan – Asics Furman Elite – 1:51.23 ($2000)
7. McGorty, Brandon – Unattached – 1:51.53
8. Abda, Harun – Nike OTC Elite – 1:51.87
9. Cowart, Donnie – Saucony – DNF

WOMEN’S MILE

The women’s mile had some last minute changes to the starting line, as the original pacer, Lauren Paquette, was not able to double back after pacing the women’s 3k.  As a result, Sara Vaughn, who finished third in the women’s 3k, was able to step up and handle the pacing duties.  Additionally, Katrina Coogan of New Balance was a late addition after stepping on the rail and twisting her ankle in the 3k, resulting in a DNF.

The pacing request for this race was for 2:13 at 800m.  As a result of the quick pace request, the field would string out rather quickly.  At 809m, the trio of Garcia, McGee and Schneider would have a gap of 3-4 seconds on the rest of the field.  Karisa Nelson, the top collegian at the halfway point, would be another 5 seconds behind that.

With 400m to go, it looked like it would be a duel between McGee and Garcia, with Schneider about a second back of McGee.  From 1200 to 1400, McGee would take the lead and at the bell, Schneider would move into second place.  Over the final 200m, though, Schneider would dominate and put an entire two seconds on McGee for the win.

Further back, Karisa Nelson of Samford would run a big negative split of 2:21/2:17 to punch her ticket for the NCAA national championships.

1. Schneider, Rachel – Under Armour – 4:28.03 ($4000)
2. McGee, Cory – New Balance – 4:30.03 ($2000)
3. Garcia, Stephanie – New Balance – 4:32.41 ($1000)
4. Nelson, Karisa – Samford – 4:38.27 (NCAA D1 Qualifier)
5. Teschuk, Erin – Asics Furman Elite – 4:39.59 ($500)
6. Coogan, Katrina – New Balance – 4:41.94 ($300)
7. Cazzola, Christy – West Stride – 4:43.07 ($200)
8. Johansen, Kimberly – Elon – 4:45.34
9. Pocratsky, Rachel – Virginia Tech – 4:45.38
10. Lazarchick, Kathryn – Wake Forest – 4:45.39
11. Frazier, Ryen – NC State – NC State – 4:46.46
12. Mareno, Nevada – Unattached – 4:48.60
13. Vaughn, Sara – Brooks ID – DNF

MEN’S MILE

No one was expecting a super fast race like last year when Matthew Centrowitz blitzed a 3:54.02 facility record time.  This year’s race was pretty balanced.  Donnie Cowart would be handling the pacing duties for the fifth year in a row.  The pacing request was 1:58 for 800m.  Unfortunately, that pace went out the window when the first 209m was only hit in about 31.8 seconds.  However, it was as if no one wanted to run super fast, as there was a slight gap after the first lap and the “leader” was actually Neil Gourley of Virginia Tech.

Gourley would remain in that first position behind the pacer until he steps off the track.  Gourley would continue to lead until Bayer would take the lead at 1200m.  With 200m to go, the order was Bayer, Brannen and Gourley.  Brannen would close his last 200 in 29.50 to overtake Bayer for the victory and win by 0.15 of a second.  Gourley would hold onto third place and get his qualifier for the NCAA indoor championships.

1. Brannen, Nate – Unattached – 4:00.29 ($4000)
2. Bayer, Andy – Nike – 4:00.46 ($2000)
3. Gourley, Neil – Virginia Tech – 4:01.14 (NCAA D1 Qualifier)
4. Ciattei, Vincent – Virginia Tech – 4:06.23
5. Noelle, Chad – Asics Furman Elite – 4:07.27 ($1000)
6. Manzano, Leo – Hoka One One – 4:08.75 ($500)
7. Heppenstall, Robert – Wake Forest – 4:08.87
8. Morken, Nick – North Florida – 4:09.49
9. Holden, Simon – Wake Forest – 4:11.95
10. Cowart, Donnie – Saucony – DNF