Colorado University Athletics
Nelson Top American At Worlds
March 30, 2003 | Cross Country
Lusianne, Switzerland - Colorado freshman Billy Nelson, the 2002 Big 12 Conference Cross Country Newcomer of the Year, was the top American finisher, 26th overall, in the junior men's 8k race of the 2003 International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) World Cross Country Championships here Sunday.
Nelson covered the 8k challenge in 24 minutes, 52 seconds to lead the six-man American contingent. Teammate Bret Schoolmeester rounded out Team USA's efforts finishing 63rd in 26:17. Eliud Kipchoge won the junior men's race in 22:47 and led a Kenyon contingent that placed its top three runners among the top four finishers. Breaking up the Kenyon sweep was Uganda's Boniface Kiprop, who finished second.
Ethiopia's Kenenisa Bekele (35:56) won the men's long race with a 13 second cushion over Kenya's Patrick Ivuti (36:09). Buff senior Edwardo Torres finished 51st in 39:25 over the 12k race, and was the third finisher on Team USA, but top American born finisher as Meb Keflezighi (11th) was born in Eritrea and Abdi Abdirahman (35th) is a native of Somalia.
Team USA had a strong showing of Boulder-based runners in the women's 4k race today of the 31st Championships as Orleans, Mass. native, turned Boulder transplant, Sarah Toland was the top American in the short race finishing 39th in 13:44, a minute off the winning pace of Edith Masai of Kenya (12:43), who edged Werknesh Kidane of Ethiopia (12:44) by just one second. Kidane completed an impressive 1-2 Championship punch as she won the women's 8k race Saturday. Boulder's Ann Marie Brooks (13:54) finished 56th while Colorado fifth-year senior Molly Austin was the fifth member of the American team, and finished 77th in 14:26.
In Saturday's women's 8k race, 2002 Bolder Boulder Women's Elite Race winner Deena Drossin, who led after the first two laps and had the best time in the fourth, finished second in 26:02, trailing race winner Kidane (25:53) by nine seconds. Boulder's Colleen De Reuck finished eighth (26:49).
2003 IAAF WORLD CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS (Lusianne, Switzerland) (University of Colorado Runners Only ) Junior Men's 8k 26. Billy Nelson 24:52 63. Bret Schoolmeester 26:17 Open Men's 12k 51. Ed Torres 39.25 Open Women's 4k 77. Molly Austin 14:26
Players Mentioned
