Koll Has All-American Weekend

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. ? The story of Iowa State distance runner Lisa Koll turned another All-America page Saturday. Koll, a sophomore from Fort Dodge who was the 5,000-meter runner-up at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships in the Randall Tyson Track Center Friday, came back to earn All-America honors for the fourth time by placing ninth in the 3,000 meters Saturday. The performances made her the first Iowa State women to earn All-America honors twice in the same NCAA indoor meet.

“Lisa did a tremendous job this weekend,” Iowa State head track coach Corey Ihmels said. “Last night we went in with the attitude that she should be at the front of the pack and she was. She ran nearly the whole 5,000 meters by herself, which is very difficult. She kept her composure the entire race. In the 3,000 tonight we had a good plan and she battled hard. I told her that tonight's (3000-meter) race would hurt early on because of the quicker pace after running the 5,000 so fast last night. She was in the running for fourth or fifth starting the final lap of the 3,000 even after giving her all last night.”

Koll placed ninth in the 3,000-meters with a time of 9:15.58. The Netherlands' Susan Kuikjen of Florida State won the race in 8:58.14. Koll becomes the first Iowa Stater to place in a pair of events at an NCAA Championships since 1984 Olympic gold medalist Nawal El Moutawakel won the 400-meter hurdles and placed fourth in the 400-meters at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships that same year.

“I wanted to run at a 9:15 or 9:20 pace and see where that would put me tonight,” Koll said. “It was tough through the first 1,000-meters.”

Koll's time of 15:54.90 in Friday's 5,000-meter run, beat the third-place runner, Maddie McKeever of Duke, by almost four seconds. Sally Kipeygo of Texas Tech won the race, repeating as NCAA champion in the event with a world-leading time of 15:31.91.

“I went out at a 15:45 pace, running 75-second 400s,” Koll said. “I was going to do that whether anybody went with me or not. I knew (winner) Sally (Kipeygo) would take it out fast, that is her style. I kept touch with her through 1,500 meters. By 2,000 meters, I knew the pack was coming up on me. But I felt comfortable late and was able to answer with a surge of my own.”

Iowa State finished in a tie for 25th place in the women's team scoring.

Results

Women's Results

5,000-meter run- 1. Sally Kipyego, Texas Tech, 15:31.91, 2. Lisa Koll, Iowa State, 15:54.90

3,000-meter run- 1. Susan Kuikjen, Florida State, 8:58.14, Lisa Koll, Iowa State, 9:15.58.

Players Mentioned

Lisa Koll

Lisa Koll

Sponsors

Iowa State University Athletics