Sacramento Running News

Ashley Carroll powers to the win at the Willow Hills XC Open (SRN photo)

Did you run cross country in high school and now miss the sport? Or did you never run cross country but wonder what it would be like?

Even if the rosy glow of youth is long behind you, you can still get in on the fun at some fast, local races. Prices are low, so don’t expect bands or swag bags, just good times and fierce competition.

Folsom was the place for the 5th Annual Willow Hill Cross Country Open, this past Saturday. This race is ably hosted by the Buffalo Chips Running Club and is part of the PAUSATF Cross Country Grand Prix, so top runners throughout Northern California were out in force and winning times on the hilly 5 Km were fast.

The women’s race was first to run, and the Impalas’ Ashley Carroll, 32, ran away from SRA’s Lea Wallace, 26, in the last mile to win in a time of 18:09. Wallace finished second in 18:19. Ibet Allan, 38, running for West Valley Track Club, was third with an 18:40 finish.

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Huddle wins! (Photo courtesy of Painani.org)

It was another exciting day at the USA Outdoor Nationals!

As with yesterday, about half the fans left at the conclusion of the sprints and deprived themselves of seeing the most exciting race of the day.

It was the women again, this time in the 5,000 meters, who had the crowd on it’s feet with a fast, exciting, and close race. Molly Huddle led the race from the beginning and tried to shake all contenders, especially Shannon Rowbury and Marielle Hall, by accelerating through the miles and closing with a final 4:34 1600 meters.

The only person on Huddle’s heels by the final 200 was Shannon Rowbury, who shouldered past and started driving for the win. Huddle would have none of it and dug deep to pass a weaving Rowbury and take the win by 0.25 seconds.

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Kim Conley at the SacTown 10 (Photo by Sean Dulany/Freeplay Magazine)

By John Schumacher

Olympian Kim Conley, a former UC Davis standout who competes for the Sacramento Running Association’s Elite Team, finished fourth Sunday in the women’s 5,000 meters at the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Des Moines.

Conley’s 15 minute, 37.80-second effort left her just behind winner Jenny Simpson (15:33.77), runner-up Molly Huddle (15:35.45) and third-place finisher Shannon Rowbury (15:37.27). Former Davis High School standout Chelsea Reilly finished fifth in 15:38.50.

A top-three finish would have earned Conley an automatic berth in the World Championships on Aug. 10-18 in Moscow. But Conley, who owns a 15:09.57 best, would still make the World team if Simpson sticks to her plan of skipping the 5,000 and defending her world title in the 1,500.

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Mary Cain wins!

The USA Indoor National Championships wrapped up this weekend in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and the star of the show was a high school junior.

Sunday, Mary Cain became the first high school athlete to win an indoor national title since Allyson Felix won the 200 meters in 2003.

Cain’s winning time of 5:05.68 was not particularly fast, but she led from the start and the final laps were blistering fast. Treniere Moser finished second in 5:06.55. You can watch the race yourself here.

Meanwhile, Lea Wallace, a former Sacramento State standout, now running for the Sacramento Running Association’s Elite Team, finished fourth in Sunday’s women’s 800 meters event.

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Lea Wallace at the 2011 Big Sky Conference Championships

We at the SRN were sad to see that Sac State standout Lea Wallace didn’t quite make the Olympic team this time around.

It turns out there was a lot going on in Wallace’s life in the time leading up to the finals.

Taylor Dutch at Flotrack informs us that: (more…)

Lea Wallace earned All American in the 800

Hornets senior Lea Wallace wrapped up her collegiate running career this weekend with a 9th place finish in the 1500, and placing 6th and earning All American in the NCAA Div I Outdoor Championships 800.

In Friday evening’s 800, Wallace finished in 2:04.56 and, according to Sac State, she recorded the highest finish by a Hornet woman since Marisa Avendano placed second in the 10,000 in 1997.

Multiple, lengthy weather delays frustrated the athletes and event organizers this weekend. According to CSUS: (more…)

Lea Wallace at the Big Sky Conference Championships

On Wednesday, we learned that Lea Wallace had won her heat in the NCAA 800 semi-finals.

Today, Wallace came in 6th place in the 2nd heat of the 1500. Fortunately, the 2nd heat was a lot faster than the 1st heat and she advanced on time.

Wallace’s 4:17.65 was the sixth fastest of the semi-finals.

Of Wallace racing in both the 800 and 1500, Hornet’s coach Scott Abbott says, “This is a very tough double and she is finding out how tough it is, but she is handling everything very well.”

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Lea Wallace is the first Hornet woman to advance to NCAA finals in two events. Photo from the Big Sky Conference Champs

This weekend, three Hornets earned a trip to the NCAA Finals at Drake University by advancing out of the NCAA West Preliminaries in Eugene.

Senior Ronald Brookins will be making his second appearance at the NCAA finals in the 110 meter hurdles after finishing 2nd in his quarterfinal heat, running the event’s 5th fastest time of 13.47.

Teammate and fellow senior Lea Wallace advanced to the finals in the 800 on Friday, and again in the 1500 meters on Saturday. Friday, Wallace won her 800 heat and posted the fourth fastest time of 2:03.69. Then on Saturday, she took 2nd in her heat in the 1500 to automatically advance to the final, and posted the 7th fastest time of 4:20.38.

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Celebrating Hornets

There was wind and there was unseasonably cool temperatures. There were cramps and pulled muscles, and there was the occasional jackrabbit bolting across the track and mid-field. When the all-weather track dust had settled, both the Sac State Men and the Sac State Women had clinched Big Sky Conference outdoor titles.

The Hornet women earned their fourth consecutive team title, with a commanding 236 points. Montana finished second with 133 while Eastern Washington was third at 79.

While the women have been there before, this was the first time the men got to enjoy wearing the outdoor title. The men scored 204.5 points, ahead of  Northern Arizona who finished with 167.

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Last weekend, at the 2011 Payton Jordan Invitational, the Hornets’ Lea Wallace ran the second fastest collegiate 1500 meters of the season in 4:11.31.

You can go watch Wallace as she runs the 800 and 1500 meters at this weekend’s Big Sky Conference Championships. (You really should.)

In the meantime, you can check out this Flowtrack Workout Wednesday video of one of Wallace’s last training sessions before Payton Jordan, and see a little of Hornets’ coach Scott Abbott, too!

Watch more videos on Flotrack