Koll, Bor Lead ISU Big 12 Resurgence

02.27.2010 | Track and Field

AMES, Iowa – Iowa State's women's and men's track and field teams got championship performances from Lisa Koll in the 3,000-meters and Hillary Bor in the mile, respectively, Saturday at the Big 12 Indoor Track and Field Championships at the Lied Rec Center. Both squads posted their best team performance indoors since 2000 with the women placing sixth and the men seventh.

"Progress is being made," Iowa State head track coach Corey Ihmels said. "The women went from 11th last season to sixth this season. The meet ebbs and flows so there were ups and downs but the fact that we are getting better is undeniable."

ISU's women's team placed sixth overall with 59 points, one point ahead of Texas. It was Iowa State's best team performance since finishing fourth in 2000. Texas A&M won the women's title with 130.5 points. Koll, who had won the 5,000-meters Friday night, came back Saturday and ran away from the 3,000-meter field for her eighth Big 12 individual title. Koll's time of 8:56.09 in her last collegiate race in the Lied Center made her the third-fastest collegian ever on any indoor track in that event. Beverly Ramos of Kansas State was second in 9:18.38.

"It felt so great," Koll said. "With 600-meters to go I thought that I could probably break (nine minutes), and once I saw that I could it was like another energy boost because I told myself before the race that anything under 9:10 would be good. To finish it and look up and think 'Oh my god I just ran that,' to have it become a reality, that feeling is irreplaceable. There is no better place to run fast than at home. To feel the energy at home in front of all these people excited, it was amazing."

Sophomore Kianna Elahi earned a second-place finish for Iowa State in the 600-yard run (1:20.48). Former Cedar Rapids Xaiver prep Erin Penticoff placed fourth in the 800 meters (2:08.97). The Cyclones also got a key point from former Clinton prep Ines Fischer in the 1,000-meters (2:55.63). Semehar Tesfaye was fifth in the mile (4:43.29) and eighth in the 3,000-meters (9:34.32). Cyclone Jenna Caffrey of Burlington was sixth in the 60-meter hurdles (8.47). Iowa State's 4 x 400-meter relay of Donnise Powell, Callan Jacobson, Elahi and Penticoff placed eighth (3:45.87).

The Iowa State men were seventh overall with 50 points. Oklahoma won the men's meet with 114 points. Bor surged to his mile victory in the last 100 meters to win in 4:12.59. The Cyclones' Brandon Rooney was fourth (4:13.23) and Jory Zunich fifth (4:13.88). Bor, who had also run a four minute mile on Friday night to lead Iowa State's distance medley to second place, came back Saturday after his mile win to place fifth in the 3,000 meters.

"It feels great," Bor said. "I've been looking for a Big 12 title for like three years now and it just feels great."

ISU's Brandon Rooney placed third (2:27.31) and Rico Loy sixth (2:28.72), respectively in the 1,000 meters. Iowa State's 4 x 400-meter relay of Alvin Garnett, Elphas Sang, Clint Martin and Brian Sandvig was eighth (3:14.03).

"Our men's team coming into the meet on paper was the 12th-place team," Ihmels said. "But Hilary had a great anchor on the distance medley and three guys placed in the mile. We got more points in the 1,000-meters. We've moved from 11th (2008), to 9th (2009) to seventh (2010) so we are climbing the conference ladder."

Men:
Saturday Results:
3,000-meter: 1) Colby Lowe, Oklahoma State, 8:03.11; 5) Hillary Bor, IOWA STATE, 8:10.77; 11) Rico Loy, IOWA STATE, 8:19.44; 17) Guor Marial, IOWA STATE, 8:23.51; 20) Yonas Mebrahtu, IOWA STATE, 8:25.00.
Mile: 1) Hillary Bor, IOWA STATE, 4:12.59; 4) Brandon Rooney, IOWA STATE, 4:13.23; 5) Jory Zunich, IOWA STATE, 4:13.88.
1,000-meter: 1) Patrick Todd, Texas, 2:27.56; 3) Brandon Rooney, IOWA STATE, 2:27.91; 6) Rico Loy, IOWA STATE, 2:28.72.
Shot Put: 1) Mason Finley, Kansas, 63-02; 14) Daniel Swarbrick, IOWA STATE, 50-02.
4x400-meter relay: 1) Texas A&M, 3:33.20; 8) IOWA STATE, 3:45.87.

Friday Results:
5,000-meter: 1) David Adams, Nebraska, 14:03.04; 4) Yonas Mebrahtu, IOWA STATE, 14:15.
Weight Throw: 1) K.P. Singh, Oklahoma, 68-11.25; 5) Josh Koglin, IOWA STATE, 61-01.25; 10) Robbie Utterback, IOWA STATE, 55-00.00.
DMR: 1) Baylor, 9:41.88; 2) IOWA STATE, 9:42.99.

Women:
Saturday Results:
3,000-meter: 1) Lisa Koll, IOWA STATE, 8:56.09; 8) Semehar Tesfaye, IOWA STATE, 9:34.32; 12) Betsy Saina, IOWA STATE, 9:35.45; 23) Dani Stack, IOWA STATE, 9:53.92.
800-meter: 1) Purity Biwott, Texas Tech, 2:07.04; 4) Erin Penticoff, IOWA STATE, 2:08.97.
1,000-meter: 1) Layne Moore, Missouri, 2:50.12; 8) Ines Fischer, IOWA STATE, 2:55.33.
Mile: 1) Caroline Karunde, Texas Tech, 4:40.82; 5) Semehar Tesfaye, IOWA STATE, 4:43.29.
600-yard: 1) Taylor Washington, Kansas, 1:20.48; 2) Kianna Elahi, 1:20.61 (pr).
60-meter hurdles: 1) Gabby Mayo, Texas A&M, 8.05; 6) Jenna Caffrey, IOWA STATE, 8.47.
Shot Put: 1) Karen Shump, Oklahoma, 56-07.25; 10) Britta Christofferson, IOWA STATE, 47-03.50; 11) Laishema Hampton, IOWA STATE, 47-01.75; 13) Danielle Frere, IOWA STATE, 46-09.00; 15) Hayli Bozarth, IOWA STATE, 46-00.50.
4x400-meter relay: 1) Texas A&M, 3:04.99; 8) IOWA STATE, 3:14.03.

Friday Results:
5,000-meter: 1) Lisa Koll, IOWA STATE, 15:41.57 (MR); 3) Betsy Saina, IOWA STATE, 16:23.06.
Weight Throw: 1) Alena Krechyk, Kansas, 64-01.25; 4) Laishema Hampton, IOWA STATE, 59-03.50; 6) Danielle Frere, IOWA STATE, 58-10.75 (pr).
DMR: 1) Texas Tech, 11:16.53; 7) IOWA STATE, 11:38.96.

Final Team Standings:
Men:
1) Oklahoma, 114; 2) Nebraska 110; 3) Texas A&M, 99.5; 4) Baylor, 80; 5) Texas Tech, 74.5; 6) Texas, 71; 7) IOWA STATE 50; 8) Kansas State, 44.5; 9) Missouri, 39; 10) Kansas, 31.5; 11) Oklahoma State 24; 12) Colorado 1.

Women:
1) Texas A&M, 130.50; 2) Texas Tech, 115; 3) Nebraska, 96; 4) Oklahoma, 65; 5) Kansas, 63.50; 6) IOWA STATE, 59; 7) Texas, 58; 8) Kansas State, 54; 9) Baylor, 40; 10) Missouri, 35; 11) Oklahoma State, 13; 12) Colorado, 11.