Caffrey, Elahi and Koll Repeat as ISU Open Champions

01.23.2010 | Track and Field

AMES, Iowa – This weekends ISU Open produced 18 personal records and seven champions for the Cyclones, a solid start to the new decade. Head coach Corey Ihmels was very pleased with the results, and the progress his team showed at the meet.

"We're off to a great start and I think we got a lot accomplished this weekend," Ihmels said. "We had a lot of (personal records) and champions and I think this will be a great building block for the next couple meets. I'm excited about where were at, I thought we competed really hard and we're looking forward to the Bill Bergan Invitational next weekend."

Seven-time All-American Lisa Koll defended her ISU Open crown in the 3,000-meter race; good enough for a provisional qualifying time (9:16.23). All-American freshman Betsy Saina finished runner-up in the 3,000-meter run (9:51.42).

"I feel like my fitness has come a long way in the past three weeks" Koll said. "Last year I was really geared up for this meet and was almost too prepared. This year I'm using this meet as a stepping-stone. I just used this meet as a work out, getting back into racing again and getting competitive again. I think I accomplished what I needed to accomplish today."

Senior Jenna Caffrey finished first in the 60-meter hurdles (8.40) at the ISU Open for the second year in a row, setting a personal record. Caffrey's time was good enough for an NCAA provisional qualifying mark.

"In previous years I was just inconsistent," Caffrey said. "This year with coach (Wiens) I'm looking for consistency. This being my last year I want to leave everything on the track."

Omaha, Nebraska native Kianna Elahi also defended her ISU Open title in the 600-yard run. The sophomore missed her personal record by four-hundredths of a second (1:22.34). Freshman Donnise Powell finished seventh (1:27.46).

"I have a really great training partner this year with Donnise and that has helped out a lot," Elahi said. "In practices, she helps just to push me that much more and obviously the way you practice should be the way you compete, and (Donnise) has helped out a lot."

Junior Elphas Sang finished first in the men's 600-yard run. This was Sang's first title as a Cyclone, and was the first time running the 600-yard run in nearly three years.

"For the first 200 meters I felt pretty solid and felt really good," Sang said. "But when I hit 400 meters I felt a little tight, probably due to this being my first race of the season. But overall I felt good."

Two-time All-America Hillary Bor finished first in the 800-meter run (1:53.41), while sophomore Grant Jacobson finished 15th (1:56.43), a personal record.

Sophomore Semehar Tesfaye finished first in the mile-run (4:51.59). This was Tesfaye's first collegiate track and field title for the Cyclones. Redshirt freshman Dani Stack finished fourth (4:57.91), a personal record, while freshman Alphine Tuliamuk finished sixth (5:05.42). Senior Paige Ties set a personal best in the mile (5:09.89), finishing ninth overall.

Markham, Ontario native Ian Warner was the first collegiate runner across the finish line in the 60-meter dash (6.76), clocking a personal record. Warner missed his provisional qualifying time by only five hundredths of a second. The sophomore finished second to Nike's Ivory Williams, who broke the ISU Open meet record as well as equaled the ISU Harry Hoak Track record.

"I definitely feel like I am going to continue to improve this season," Warner said. "I ran a (personal record) and I didn't even run that well. I had a really bad start and still had a (personal record) so I definitely think I'm going to continue to get faster this season."

Senior Brandon Rooney finished first in the 3,000-meter run (8:20.98), while redshirt freshman Rico Loy finished runner-up (8:26.94). Senior's Jory Zunich and Dan Fadgen finished third and fourth, respectively. Fadgen posted a personal best time.

Senior Erin Penticoff finished runner-up in the women's 1,000-meter run (2:52.42), a personal best. Junior Ines Fischer finished third, while sophomore Kelli Oettle finished fourth (2:57.72), both posting personal records. Junior Brek Minarik finished runner-up in the men's 1,000-meter run (2:31.66), while senior Michael Alexander finished third (2:32.02).

Junior Britta Christofferson finished runner-up in the women's shot put (46-08.75). Competing unattached, Hayli Bozarth finished fourth (44-05.25), a personal best.

Sophomore Yonas Mebrahtu finished third in the mile run (4:10.42), beating his personal best by almost five seconds. Senior Kiel Uhl finished sixth (4:11.22), a personal record, while senior All-American Guor Marial finished seventh (4:11.32).

The Cyclones will next play host to the inaugural Bill Bergan Invitational. The meet will begin Thursday at 1:00 p.m. Live results will be posted on cyclones.com.

Men's Results:
60-meter dash: 1) Ivory Williams, Nike, 6.59 (MR) (=TR); 2) Ian Warner, IOWA STATE, 6.76; 10) Amara Sama, IOWA STATE, 6.96.
600-yard run: 1) Elphas Sang, IOWA STATE, 1:12.42; 3) Matt Brinkley, IOWA STATE, 1:13.20; 4) Brian Sandvig, IOWA STATE, 1:13.61; 10) Tim Jardine, IOWA STATE, 1:15.01; 14) Casey Negrete, IOWA STATE, 1:15.67.
800-meter run: 1) Hillary Bor, IOWA STATE, 1:53.41; 15) Grant Jacobson, IOWA STATE, 1:56.43; 29) Bart Howard, IOWA STTAE, 2:00.35; 32) Jared Schubert, IOWA STATE, 2:00.79.
1,000-meter run: 1) Jonathan Stoltman, MSU Mankato, 2:31.41; 2) Brek Minarik, IOWA STATE, 2:31.66; 3) Michael Alexander, IOWA STATE, 2:32.02.
Mile Run: 1) Tim Cornell, unattached, 4:05.35; 3) Yonas Mebrahtu, IOWA STATE, 4:10.42; 6) Kiel Uhl, IOWA STATE, 4:11.22; 7) Guor Marial, IOWA STATE, 4:11.32; 8) Joel Limo, IOWA STATE, 4:13.07; 13) Stephen Saylor, unattached, 4:18.33; 18) Clayton Carper, IOWA STATE, 4:24.22; 21) Tyler Rich, unattached, 4:28.09.
3,000-meter run: 1) Brandon Rooney, IOWA STATE, 8:20.98; 2) Rico Loy, IOWA STATE, 8:26.94; 3) Jory Zunich, IOWA STATE, 8:28.24; 4) Dan Fadgen, IOWA STATE, 8:31.94; 6) Charlie Paul, IOWA STATE, 8:39.23; 9) Alex Whitesell, IOWA STATE, 8:42.60; 12) Daniel Murray, IOWA STATE, 8:47.63; 20) Josh Mellman, IOWA STATE, 8:58.59; 22) Garrett Eklof, IOWA STATE, 9:08.03.
4x400-meter relay: 1) University of Missouri, Kansas 'A', 3:16.57; 2) IOWA STATE 'A', 3:17.00;
High Jump: 1) Bayo Adio, unattached, 7-00.50; 4) Derek Alderks, IOWA STATE, 6-06.75.
Pole Vault: 1) Jared Anders, Missouri S&T, 15-11.00; 10) Eric Forbes, IOWA STATE, 13-11.25.
Shot Put: 1) Jason Crisman, Western Illinois, 53-02.75; 4) Daniel Swarbrick, unattached, 50-09.25; 19) Anthony Bell, unattached, 40-09.

Women's Results:
60-meter hurdles: 1) Jenna Caffrey, IOWA STATE, 8.40; 7) Myranda Casterline, IOWA STATE, 9.18.
600-yard run: 1) Kianna Elahi, IOWA STATE, 1:22.34; 7) Donnise Powell, IOWA STATE, 1:27.84.
800-meter run: 1) Natalie Lyster, MSU Mankato, 2:18.65; 9) Christine Fries, IOWA STATE, 2:21.97; 15) Molly Lohry, IOWA STATE, 2:23.05; 17) Shaylyn Wiarda, IOWA STATE, 2:23.39.
1,000-meter run: 1) Asher Kyger, unattached, 2:51.51; 2) Erin Penticoff, IOWA STATE, 2:52.42; 3) Ines Fischer, IOWA STATE, 2:57.14; 4) Kelli Oettle, IOWA STATE, 2:57.72.
Mile Run: 1) Semehar Tesfaye, IOWA STATE, 4:51.59; 4) Dani Stack, IOWA STATE, 4:57.91; 6) Alphine Tuliamuk, IOWA STATE, 5:05.42; 9) Paige Ties, IOWA STATE, 5:08.89; 10) Taylor Peterson, unattached, 5:11.29; 15) Nicole Engelhardt, unattached, 5:15.75; 16) Marley Crusch, unattached, 5:15.96; 19) Kaylee Small, IOWA STATE, 5:16.96; 28) Kim Brown, IOWA STATE, 5:35.56.
3,000-meter run: 1) Lisa Koll, IOWA STATE, 9:16.42; 2) Betsy Saina, IOWA STATE, 9:51.42; 10) Brittany Rover, IOWA STATE, 10:44.20.
3,000-meter run (non-seeded): 1) Karen Grauel, Truman State, 10:39.05; 5) Katie Thompson, IOWA STATE, 11:15.21; 9) Kayla Marsh, IOWA STATE, 11:29.46.
4x400-meter relay: 1) University of Nebraska Omaha, 3:49.60; 4) Iowa State 'A' (Elahi, Jacobson, Penticoff and Fischer), 3:54.69.
Shot Put: 1) Heather Minssen, Nebraska-Omaha, 46-08.75; 2) Britta Chritofferson, IOWA STATE, 46-08.75; 4) Hayli Bozarth, unattached, 44-05.25; 5) Danielle Frere, IOWA STATE, 42-11.75.