Colorado University Athletics
Colorado
Day 1
Ritzenhein Takes Second At USAs
June 25, 2009 | Track and Field
EUGENE, Ore. ? Former University of Colorado standout Dathan Ritzenhein took second in the finals of the men's 10,000-meter run at the USA Track & Field Outdoor Championships at the Historic Hayward Field on Thursday night.
Ritzenhein raced to a time of 27 minutes, 58.59 seconds. He was in the front of the pack for the majority of the race and took the lead before the midway point. Ritzenhein and James Carney (New Balance) went back and forth with the lead until Oregon's Galen Rupp overtook second place (while Ritzenhein was leading). With five laps remaining, Ritzenhein was looking good with Rupp right on his shoulder. But Rupp used his signature kick in the final 500 to outrun Ritzenhein to the finish.
Jorge Torres finished ninth overall in the 10k with a time of 28:42.13.
Stephen Pifer finished the 1,500-meter run with the second best time in the field at 3:40.83 in the fourth heat. He finished second to his former Big 12 foe from Texas, Leo Manzano.
The race looked very similar to all of the previous races the pair ran in college. Pifer started out in the lead and ran three of the four fastest splits all night. He ran the first 300 in 44.08 seconds and followed that up with a split of 58.62 for his next 400. The following 400 was also the fastest at 59.11, but Manzano took the lead as they entered the bell lap to outduel Pifer. Pifer managed to hang on to second place and the automatic qualifying position that came with it as Stanford's Garrett Heath came within .05 seconds of Pifer (3:41.83). The finals are on Sunday at 3:31 p.m. on NBC.
Billy Nelson, a 2008 Olympian, also qualified for the finals in the 3,000-meter steeplechase with a second-place finish. He finished in 8:42.05 after running a conservative and steady race. Nelson took to the lead from the beginning and never fell below third place. In the final lap, Nelson chased down Kyle Perry, but so did Aaron Aguayo. The pair raced to the finish together with Aguayo getting in .04 before Nelson. Steve Slattery placed 23rd overall as he finished in 9:34.00. The finals are on Saturday at 6:40 p.m.
Sara Vaughn qualified for the semi-finals in the 800-meter run, finishing in 2:04.60. She was fifth overall and crossed the tape second in the third heat, just .21 seconds behind Alysia Johnson's time of 2:04.39. Vaughn came through the first 400 in 1:00.58 after running her best two 200 splits (30.15 and 30.43). After making the finals in the 800, she withdrew from the 1,500 which was a little over an hour later. The semis for the 800 are on Friday at 6:55 p.m.
Renee Metivier-Baille was 17th in the prelims of the women's 1,500. Baille ran a mark of 4:18.39 and was ninth in the first heat of the two heat race. Christin Wurth (Nike) won the prelims with a time of 4:11.84. Baille will compete in the finals of the 5k run on Friday at 8:50 p.m.
The USA Track & Field Championships will continue through Sunday with several former and current Buffs competing.
USA TRACK & FIELD CHAMPIONSHIP
Hayward Field (Eugene, Ore.)
Track Events
Women's 800-meter run (prelims): 5. Sara Vaughn (adidas), 2:04.60
Women's 1,500-meter run (prelims): 17. Renee Metivier-Baille (Nike), 4:18.39
Men's 1,500-meter run (prelims): 2. Stephen Pifer (OTCE), 3:40
Men's 3,000-meter steeplechase (prelims):8. Billy Nelson (OTCE), 8:42.05; 23. Steve Slattery (Nike), 9:34.00
Men's 10,000-meter run (finals): 2. Dathan Ritzenhein (Nike), 27:58.59; 9. Jorge Torres (Reebok), 28:42.13; Edwardo Torres (Reebok), DNF
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