Tiernan, Boyd, Roman Highlights Big Week of Athletics – Stats Central

NCAA Cross Country Championships

Our very own Patrick Tiernan delivered in one of the biggest college races of the year – the NCAA Division 1 Cross Country Championships. With thanks to http://www.ustfccca.org/ this is what unfolded:

Villanova junior Patrick Tiernan went for the win from the start.

He had thought about it for too long to not try to break Cheserek.

“Over the summer I was thinking, ‘This year I’m just going to go for it,’” said Tiernan, who finished second. “I regretted last year. I just sat in and I wasn’t as prepared as far as training goes. It didn’t turn out so well for me. So this summer I was just trying to get my mileage in to make sure I could give it all I got.”

Tiernan took off at the gun and Cheserek followed – as did the rest of the elite men.
Through 2K, there were 10 men within two seconds of the lead. At 5K, there were none.
Tiernan and Cheserek left the field behind them. Then Cheserek dropped Tiernan.

“He broke me,” Tiernan said. “He broke me pretty hard.”

Cheserek and Tiernan were tied at 8K (22:51.5). The Oregon junior won by 26 seconds.
Tiernan held his head high after the race, knowing he was the first runner-up Wildcat since 1970.

“If you can get across that line, just absolutely spent and knowing you’ve given it all you got, and you raced exactly how you wanted to race and you know that was the best possible race you could do, anybody should be proud whether you finished first or last,” Tiernan said. “I’m very proud of today’s race.”

The final results for the winner and all of the Australian’s in the race were as follows:

• 1st Edward Cheserek 28:45.8
• 2nd Patrick Tiernan 29:11.1
• 23rd Jack Bruce 30:15.3
• 43rd Chartt Miller 30:30.1
• 214th Jordan Williamsz 32:17.1

In the women’s race the win went to Molly Seidel in 19:28.6, while Australian Laura Donegan (already a 9.58.95 3000m steeplechase PB in 2015) finished in a very credible 30th place (20:20.9).

Boyd in Great Early Season Form

Alana Boyd is hoping that 2016 will be her year for success, especially in Rio where she will likely compete at her 3rd Olympic Games.

Based on her early season form everything looks right on track for a big 2016. At the Jai Taurima Shield meeting in Brisbane Boyd cleared 4.40m off a shortened run up, a performance that will surely provide great confidence leading into the big Australian meetings early on in 2016.

At the same meeting:

• Matthew Denny almost broke his own AJR – launching the discus out to 66.48m (1.75kg).
• Taryn Gollshewsky threw 54.98m in the women’s discus, while Kirsty Williams threw her 3rd WJQ – with a best effort of 52.53m (just shy of her PB of 53.56m)
• Jack Conway ran 14.16s (+2.4) in the 110m hurdles
• Caitlin Sargent ran 11.89s in the women’s 100m

Brennan Moving On Up – AV Shield Highlights  

Monica Brennan is starting to think that the move up to the 400m has been a good one, with another big PB at the latest round of AV Shield competition.

Brennan ran the one lap in 53.73s (slicing 0.45s off her previous PB). In the same race Morgan Mitchell continued her impressive early season form with a time of 53.02s (after previously running 52.66s in Canberra last weekend).

In other highlights from round 5 of AV Shield action:

• Tamsyn Lewis-Manou continues her push for a spot on the women’s 4x400m team for Rio with a very encouraging 54.75s 400m.
• Daniela Roman moved to 4th on the Australian ranking list for 2016 in the women’s 100m, recording an excellent 11.55s. This result also has her ranked as the no.1 junior in Australia for 2015.
• Roman also ran 56.70s for the 400m and started the day with an impressive 13.57s 100m hurdles (which has her placed 6th on the Australian ranking list this year).
• Will Johns ran 10.76s in the 100m and 48.72s in the 400m
• Chris Mitrevski ran 10.77s in the 100m and jumped 6.98m in the U/20 long jump
• Matthew Bertacco ran 10.84s (+0.3) in the 100m
• Craig Huffer opened his season up with an easy 3.54.3h 1500m
• Chris Erickson walked a quality 20:10.0h in the men’s 5000m walk
• Both Joel Pocklington and Max Mishchenko cleared 5.00m in the men’s pole vault

World Junior Qualifiers – Victorian 5000m Championships  

On Thursday night there were some quality results from our junior stars of the track. Competing at the Victorian 5000m Championships Matthew Ramsden ran a PB and WJQ of 14:09.39 to place 4th in the Open race, while in the women’s race Amelia Mazza-Downie ran an impressive 16.27.80 to also post a WJQ.

Ramsden had earlier this year ran a 14.36.91 for the 5000m, but with his recent effort looks likely to be wearing the green and gold at next years World Juniors.

Overall results from Thursday night:

Men
5.000m 1 Mitchel Brown 14.05.63; 2 Zak Patterson 14.08.87; 3 Nicholas Wightman 14.09.09; 4 Matthew Ramsden 14.09.39
Women
5.000m 1 Linden Hall 16.02.51; 2 Amelia Mazza-Downie 16.27.80; 3 Virginia Moloney 16.31.61; 4 Gemma Maini 16.36.85; 5 Alexandra Paterson 16.44.88