Koll Runs ISU Best; Galvan Second

Friday, February 29

Lincoln, Neb

9:30 AM

Iowa State

Big 12 Indoor Championships

03.01.2008 | Track and Field

By: cyclones.com

LINCOLN, Neb.- Lisa Koll broke the Iowa State school record to finish second in the 3,000 meters and James Galvan earned a runner-up 800-meter finish to lead the Cyclone track effort at the 2008 Big 12 Indoor Track and Field Championships at the Bob Devaney Center. The women's team finished 10th overall with 30 points, while the men placed 11th with 32 points. Texas won the men's Big 12 title with 106 points and the Texas A&M women won their crown with 119.25 points.

"I'm disapointed," Iowa State head coach Corey Ihmels said. "Obviously, we want to do better in the future, be in the top half of the conference and this is a first step in the process of getting better."

The women's 3,000 meters featured a bizarre matchup between Koll and defending NCAA champion 3,000-meter champion Sally Kipyego of Texas Tech. The Big 12 had ruled that Kipyego's 3,000-meter clocking in a previous meet could not be counted because it was run in an unsanctioned event. That left the Texas Tech runner without a previous time in the event this season. Kipyego was forced to run in the slow section while Koll ran in the fast section. Kipyego won her 3,000-meter section in 9:17.01. Koll ran alone out front before crossing the line at 9:20.87 for a runner-up finish.

“It was disapointing that the two of the best distance runners in the country couldn't run head-to-head," Ihmels said. "We feel like we let an opportunity slip away but Lisa put up 18 points in two days. That is a great effort anytime.

Koll's time topped the old school record of 9:22.80, set by Carol Cook in 1977, by almost two seconds. The Fort Dodge native also helped herself, improving her chances at earning a trip to the NCAA Championships for the 3,000-meters. Koll is already automatically-qualified for the national meet in the 5k, and also holds the school record in that event as well, winning the Big 12 race Friday.

Grace Kemmey accompanied Koll in the 3,000-meters and earned seventh-place overall with a time of 9:42.85. The time is a career-best for Kemmey.

Newcomer Hillary Bor and Daniel Fadgen started the scoring for the Cyclones on Saturday in the mile run.. Bor surpassed his former career best in the mile run by six seconds, with a time of 4:03.43, placing third. The race was run at a four-minute pace with an even tempo Bor's 400 splits were 60.5, 60.1, 61.3 and 61.1. The Kapsabet, Kenya native provisionally-qualified for the NCAA meet with the clocking and added six points to the team score.

“I knew this was going to be fast,” Bor said. “At about halfway I was feeling good and I thought I could surge ahead so I went with them. I'm going to look to come back next year and win the conference.”

Fadgen sprinted earned eighth place in the mile, and contributed a point to the team score. Leonel Manzano of Texas won the event and Nebraska's Pete van der Westhuizen was the runner up, followed by Bor. The top four finishes in the race all provisionally qualified.

Derron Montgomery, in his first season competing in collegiate track, shined in the 400-meter dash, earning fifth place overall and four points to ISU's team score. The Cyclone football player ran a personal best time of 47.62. Lejerald Betters of Texas captured the gold in the event.

“I figured I could be in the [top five] in the conference, because Betters and I used to go at it in high school all the time,” Montgomery said. “I used to be able to compete with him then, so I thought I could compete him now.”

Montgomery is coming off two ACL injuries in the same knee, and is looking ahead.

“The knee is stronger everyday,” Montgomery said. “The more I run on it, the stronger and better it is getting and the less it is hurting me. For outdoors I think I will be in pretty good shape to finish better than fifth place. I hope to just keep getting better and better. All of these guys have been running for a while, I just started this semester. I feel like with my knee getting back, and getting more and more in track shape, I should be good by outdoors.”

Ihmels had good words for Montgomery, who also ran a leg on the eighth-place 4 x 400-meter relay.

"We could see from day one was he good and he has been rounding into track shape," Ihmels said. "He a tough kid who brings that mentality to his race and knows he can compete against the very best with confidence."

Brittany Machacek made a splash in her first ever Big 12 Championship. The freshman with a Cardinal and Gold ribbon in her hair, legged out a strong 400-meter dash, to earn seventh place for the Cyclones. The Cypress, Texas native ran a 56.09 to beat fellow freshman Kendra Bradley of Kansas. Jessica Beard of Texas A&M, also a freshman, took the event with a time of 52.61.

“One of my goals was to make it to the finals of the 400-meter dash,” Machacek said. “The other was to run a little bit of a better time. In the prelims I did PR so I am pretty happy. The competition [in Texas at the high school level] in the 400-meters was very stiff, but I still haven't had as much experience as some of these other girls.”

The highest finish for the Cyclones on the men's side came in the 800-meter run. School-record holder James Galvan went stride-for stride with Texas' Jacob Hernandez. Galvan held the lead with 200 meters to go in the race and eventually took second. Galvan's time of 1:50.86 fell short of Hernandez's 1:48.96.

“I thought the pace would be a little faster,” Galvan said. “I decided it would be good to get right behind the leader. It did not work today."

Ihmels said Galvin needed a clean race.

"James did a good job to score points for us," Ihmels said. "He is tall and lanky and needs room to stride out front. There was a lot of traffic and that's indoor track. He competed well."

In the 1,000-meter run, David Lantz finished seventh for the Cyclones, clocking a 2:31.69 effort. James Robinson placed eighth in the 600 yard run with a 1:11.19 effort.

The Cyclones ended the day placing eighth in the men's 4x400-meter relay adding one point to the team score. The quartet of Derron Montgomery, Jared Lewis, James Galvan and James Robinson clocked 3:14.72.

Iowa State plays host to the ISU Qualifier March 8 in Ames.

Men's Results

Mile Run- 1, Leonel Manzano, Texas, 4:01.39, 3, Hillary Bor, Iowa State, 4:03.43, 8, Daniel Fadgen, Iowa State, 4:15.55

600-Yard Run- 1, Tevan Everett, Texas, 1:09.64, 8, James Robinson, Iowa State, 1:11.19

400-Meter Dash- 1, Lejerald Betters, Texas, 46.67, 5, Derron Montgomery, Iowa State, 47.62

1,000-Meter Run- 1, Kyle Miller, Texas, 2:26.78, 7, David Lantz, Iowa State, 2:31.69

4x400-Meter Relay- 1, Baylor, 3:06.96, 8, Iowa State, 3:14.72

Women's Results

400-Meter Dash- 1, Jessica Beard, Texas A&M, 52.61, 7, Brittany Machacek, Iowa State, 56.09

3,000-Meter Run- 1, Sally Kipyego, Texas Tech, 9:17.01, 2, Lisa Koll, Iowa State, 9:20.87, 7, Grace Kemmey, Iowa State, 9:42.85