2020 Camel City Elite Race Recaps

2020 Race Recaps

Women’s 3000m

The women’s Camel City Elite 3000m presented by Visit Winston-Salem featured one of the most decorated American distance runners in history:  Jenny Simpson.  With a goal of breaking the flat track “world record” of 8:55.88, the requested pace was 4:45 through 1600m, which pacer Amy Cashin ran to perfection, as Simpson came through at 4:45.44.  At that point in the race, Eccleston and Lokedi were both in contact, with Hannah Steelman of Wofford leading the second group about 5 seconds back.

After 1600m, Simpson would continue to string together a number of 35-36 second 200s while Eccleston and Lokedi would slow t0 37s, allowing Simpson to create a gap.  With 400 to go, Simpson had another gear and closed in 66.5 to take the win and set a new facility and flat track “world record” of 8:51.59, over 4 seconds faster than the previous record.

Behind the pros, Sara Freix of Virginia Tech would finish as the top collegian after being 4 seconds behind Steelman at 1600m.  She chipped away at the lead each lap and then closed hard over the final 200m.  Freix’s final 200m was the second fastest in the field.  Freix and Steelman would both qualify for the NCAA Division I indoor championships with their efforts.  Also, Emily Kearney of SCAD Atlanta would run the fastest time in the NAIA with her 9:15.29 effort.

1. Simpson, Jenny – New Balance – 8:51.49 ($8000)
2. Eccleston, Amanda – Brooks – 9:02.48 ($4000)
3. Lokedi, Sharon – Under Armour – 9:05.91 ($2000)
4. Freix, Sara – Virginia Tech – 9:11.85 (NCAA D1 qualifier)
5. Steelman, Hannah – Wofford – 9:11.88 (NCAA D1 qualifier)
6. Kearney, Emily – SCAD Atlanta – 9:15.29 (NAIA qualifier)
7. Chmiel, Kelsey – NC State – 9:18.23
8. Carnahan, Savannah – Furman – 9:23.24
9. Platek, Sara – Duke – 9:24.16
10. Hays, Alexandra – Columbia – 9:35.07
11. Hurley, Emma Grace – Furman – 9:43.67
12. Cashin, Amy – Australia – DNF
13. George, Sammy – Raleigh Distance – DNF 

 Men’s 3000m

The men’s Camel City 3000m presented by Salem Sports featured 2-time champ Paul Chelimo, who won this event in 2017 and 2018.  This race was unique in that, aside from the pros in the race, there were also NCAA athletes from Division I, Division II and Division III!

 At the gun, Chelimo didn’t waste any time going to the lead.  In knowing that may be the case, there was a conversation with the pacer, Donnie Cowart, prior to the race to let Chelimo go and run the prescribed pace, which was 4:12 through 1600m.

Chelimo went through the first 400m in 59.70 and would keep rolling through 1600m, which he passed in 4:08.  The rest of the group would pass 1600m in 4:14 to 4:16.  Chelimo would keep rolling and never be challenged at any point in the race.  Behind him, though, Virginia Tech’s Peter Seufer would have a phenomenal race, breaking the JDL college facility record with his 7:53.72 that would easily qualify him for the NCAA D1 championships.    Seufer closed his last 400m in 59.92 seconds!

 Additionally, Christian Noble and Joshua Chepkesir would get NCAA Division II qualifying marks, with Noble’s time being the #1 time in all of Division II.

1. Chelimo, Paul – Nike – 7:50.37 ($6000)
2. Seufer, Peter – Virginia Tech – 7:53.72 (NCAA D1 qualifier)
3. Atkin, Sam – American Distance Project – 7:59.87 ($2000)
4. Barraza, Brian – Adidas – 8:03.15 ($1000)
5. Noble, Christian – Lee (Tenn.) – 8:05.86 (NCAA D2 qualifier)
6. Kioko, Athanas – Campbell – 8:06.34
7. Long, Zach – Knoxville Endurance – 8:08.34 ($400)
8. Ryan, Aidan – Williams – 8:15.79
9. Chepkesir, Joshua – UNC Pembroke – 8:15.98 (NCAA D2 qualifier)
10. Leshan, Alex – E. Kentucky – 8:45.24
11. Cowart, Donnie – Crazy Running – DNF

 Women’s 800m

The women’s Camel City Elite 800m presented by BB&T featured the 2019 World Championships silver medalist Raevyn Rogers, as well as one of the best HS 800m runners of all-time, Athing Mu.

The pacing request for this race was 58-59 seconds at 400m, with Rizk delivering them a little quickly, but no one ever got on her shoulder, as Athing Mu was the leader at 400m in 60.13s.

Mu would hold the lead through 600m and get challenged by Butterworth at the bell, with Rogers a little over a full second behind.  Mu would hold off Butterworth until about 100m to go.  At that point, Rogers was still in third place but was closing on the leaders.  Rogers would pass Butterworth in the last 15 meters to take the win by a tenth of a second.  Mu would fade in the homestretch and finish third, missing her HS facility record by a tenth of a second.

Behind them, Kopp would nip Watson at the line for fourth place.  Unfortunately, none of the collegians ran well enough to qualify in this race.

1. Rogers, Raevyn – Nike – 2:03.15 ($6000)
2. Butterworth, Lindsey – New Balance – 2:03.25 ($4000)
3. Mu, Athing – Unattached – 2:04.08
4. Kopp, Maddie – District TC – 2:05.44 ($1000)
5. Watson, Sammy – Adidas – 2:05.45 ($750)
6. Butler, Lindsey – Virginia Tech – 2:07.78
7. Harrelson, Abbie – Florida – 2:08.49
8. Fazio, Brooke – Richmond – 2:08.77
9. Rizk, Julia – District TC – DNF

 Men’s 800m

The men’s Camel City Elite 800m presented by Total Sports US had two “headliners” in the race.  The first was 2016 Olympic bronze medalist and flat track “world record” holder Clayton Murphy.  But lots of people in the facility were there to see hometown favorite Craig Engels.

The pacing request was 51-52 seconds for 400m, with Jones delivering them to a 52.5 split.  As Jones stepped off the track, Florida Gator Justin Pacifico would find himself leading the race after splitting 53.11.  He would hold the lead for the entire third lap and wouldn’t get passed by Murphy until about 630m into the race.

As Murphy took the lead from Pacifico, he would turn on the jets and win by over a second with Amankwah taking second.  Before the races, Amankwah had indicated he wanted to return to redeem himself for running 1:52 here in 2019!

Murphy ran the second fastest time in the facility’s history, and probably could have run faster, but he slowed down a little in the last 20m.

Pacifico finished fourth and was rewarded with an NCAA qualifying time for this efforts.  Matt Wisner of Duke would have qualified with this time, but came back two weeks later to run a tenth of a second faster at the JDL DMR Invitational.  Also qualifying was Seb Anthony of Queens for the NCAA Division II championships.

1. Murphy, Clayton – Nike  – 1:47.59 ($7000)
2. Amankwah, Alex – District TC – 1:48.68 ($4000)
3. Engels, Craig – Nike – 1:49.03 ($2000)
4. Pacifico, Justin – Florida – 1:49.51 (NCAA D1 qualifier)
5. Wisner, Matt – Duke – 1:50.27
6. Mosavel-Lo, Bashir – Virginia Tech – 1:50.43 
7. Anthony, Seb – Queens (N.C.) – 1:51.95 (NCAA D2 qualifier)
8. Piazza, Drew – Nike OTC Elite – 1:54.16 ($300)
9. Jones, CJ – District TC – DNF

 Women’s Mile

The women’s Camel City Mile presented by Champion was going to be a wide open race in 2020 with no clear cut favorite in the field.  It would turn out to be a fantastic race with three NCAA Division I qualifiers in the field.

 The pacing request was 2:15 at 809m.  Although they were a little behind that at nearly 2:18, the good news was that nearly the entire field was still in contact.  Rachel Pocratsky would take the lead as Howell stepped off the track and would continue to lead until just past the 1200m mark when Jessica Harris would take the lead. 

 Once she took the lead, Harris wouldn’t look back and closed the last 400m in 65.81 to win by over 2 seconds!  Emily Richards would overtake Pocratsky for second. 

 The battle for fourth place was won by Sarah Edwards of Virginia Tech.  This was the second year in a row that Edwards would use Camel City to qualify for the NCAA indoor championships.  Behind her, late addition Gabby Jennings of Furman would also qualify, as would Wasserman of Columbia.  This was the first time in the history of the women’s mile at Camel City that three athletes would qualify for NCAAs in the same race.

1. Harris, Jessica – Nike – 4:33.59 ($6000)
2. Richards, Emily – Hoka NJNY TC – 4:36.07 ($4000)
3. Pocratsky, Rachel – District TC – 4:36.32 ($2000)
4. Edwards, Sarah – Virginia Tech – 4:36.99 (NCAA D1 qualifier)
5. Jennings, Gabrielle – Furman – 4:37.46 (NCAA D1 qualifier)
6. Wasserman, Katie – Columbia – 4:40.29 (NCAA D1 qualifier)
7. Simiuc, Petronela – Toledo – 4:42.40
8. Reinhart, Michaela – Duke – 4:43.77
9. Jackson, Hayley – West Virginia – 4:45.06
10. Barrett, Imogen – Florida – 4:46.15
11. Schulz, Johanna – Wake Forest – 4:49.72
12. Shaw, Savannah – NC State – 4:52.44
13. Howell, Michelle – District TC – DNF

 Men’s Mile

       The final race of the day, the Mondo Mile, has never disappointed when it comes to the excitement factor, and this year’s race was no different.

 This race featured 2-time defending champion Edward Cheserek, as well as Clayton Murphy who was doubling back from the men’s 800 he had won approximately 45 minutes prior to this race. 

 The plan was for the pacer to take them through 809m in 1:57 to 1:58.  Although the pacer was slow, it would turn out to be beneficial for the collegians in the race. 

After the pacer stepped off the track right at 2:01 for 809m, Cheserek would assume the lead with Willy Fink tucked in behind and Clayton Murphy in third place.  Cheserek would reel off three more 30s 200s to put them at 3:32 with 200m to go. 

With 7 guys within about a second of the lead at the bell, the last lap was mayhem with guys kicking like mad.  Cheserek came off the final turn looking around to see where he was, but Willy Fink timed his kick perfectly and nipped Cheserek at the line by 0.05 of a second.  Behind them, Murphy closed fast and moved from 6^th at the bell to 3^rd at the line by closing in 27.59 over the final 200m and eking past Ciattei at the line by a hundredth of a second.

Ryan Adams of Furman would finish 5^th in 4:00.65 with Diego Zarate at 4:01.09.  Both of them would get their NCAA qualifying marks.  Zach Facioni finished in 4:01.62 and would end up the season the first NCAA athlete to miss the meet, unfortunately.

1. Fink, Willy – District TC – 3:59.79 ($6000)
2. Cheserek, Edward – Skechers – 3:59.84 – ($4000)
3. Murphy, Clayton – Nike – 4:00.48 ($2000)
4. Ciattei, Vincent – Nike OTC Elite – 4:00.49 ($1000)
5. Adams, Ryan – Furman – 4:00.65 (NCAA D1 qualifier)
6. Zarate, Diego – Virginia Tech – 4:01.09 (NCAA D1 qualifier)
7. Facioni, Zach – Wake Forest – 4:01.62
8. Wier, Aaron – Furman – 4:02.43
9. Joyce, Jack – Virginia Tech – 4:03.65
10. Wareham, Nicholas – Georgetown – 4:10.77
11. Hall, Philip – NC State – 4:11.41
12. Nowak, Craig – Unattached – 4:12.60
13. Lewis, John – District TC – DNF