Bill Dellinger Invitational Race Recaps & Quotes

* Click here for photos, a race in review & quotes, results and more pre-race info including a biography and pictures of Bill Dellinger.

WOMEN'S 6K RACE IN REVIEW

Emily McCabe from Duke was in the lead as they crossed the starting line at approximately three quarters of a mile, followed by Kassi Anderson of BYU and three runners from Arkansas. McCabe held a short lead over a tight pack as she turned in a first mile time at about 5:15. Anderson was still in second, with Michelle Sykes of Wake Forest closely following at third. Zoe Nelson of Oregon was about eight seconds back, but still in the top 15 runners.

McCabe dropped to third at the two mile mark, while the leader Anderson with a two mile split of 10:55. Arkansas had five of the top nine runners. McCabe dropped to third as she was passed by Anderson and Sykes. Nelson had dropped to 40 seconds behind the leader. After two miles, Arkansas led with 27 points, BYU was second with 56, Duke was third with 132, UCLA and Indiana were tied at fourth with 135. Oregon was in ninth at this point.

Anderson took the lead at two and a half miles and was running hard but still appeared fairly comfortable with a three mile time of 16:28 and a now had a sizable eight second lead, with Cassie Anderson following at second. The first Oregon runner to cross the three mile mark was Zoe Nelson. With 300 meters to go, Sykes and Anderson had switched their positions of first and second. Cassie Anderson of BYU won with a time of 19:54, while Michelle Sykes finished second, and Emily McCabe of Duke finished third. Dana Buchanan of Oregon was the Ducks top finisher with a time of 21:35. The University of Arkansas won the team competition with a score of 35, while BYU finished second with 55 and Wake Forest finished third with 117.

WOMEN'S QUOTES

Kassi Anderson, BYU

“I didn't have a good start so I had to get out the best I could and move up later. It was great to be with Michelle Sykes from Wake Forest, because we were trading surges, then she slowed after 2 1/2 miles and I decided to push.”

“It was nice to have all the turns on the course ? it kept your mind in it because you were always thinking about strategy. There wasn't much dust out there up front, but there could have been some back behind.”

Michelle Sykes, Wake Forest

“It is just an honor to run with Kassi - she's such a strong runner. I felt strong in the beginning, but Kassi just took off around 2 ? .”

(Regarding the soft course:) “I really didn't mind it. I'd much rather have a flat and soft course than a hilly one. It was so fun, and there was so many people cheering you on. It was an honor to be a part to run on such a great course.”

MEN'S 8K RACE IN REVIEW

As the runners reached Pre's Trail for the first time, Scott Overall of Butler was leading over a tight pack, including Josh Rohatinski of BYU, Galen Rupp and Shadrack Kiptoo-Biwott of Oregon, and John Moore of Portland. The Ducks and BYU each had two runners in the top 10. It was very crowded at the top at one mile as Rohatinsky turned in a time of 4:39 to hold a slight lead over, among others, Shadrack Kiptoo-Biwott and Galen Rupp of Oregon.
At two miles, the pack was still tight, and the leader was still Rohatinsky at 9:26. John Moore of the University of Portland and Galen Rupp rounded out the top three, with Kiptoo-Biwott closely following them. Oregon was first in the team scores with 82 at the two mile mark. Cal Poly was second with 101, BYU was third with 107, Portland was fourth with 131, while Texas was fifth with 132.
The leaders of Rohatinsky, Rupp, Kiptoo-Biwott, Emmanuel Bor of Alabama, and Moore turned in a three mile time of 14:31. Galen Rupp took the lead at the long bridge, followed by Rohatinksy, Moore, and Kiptoo-Biwott. As they reached mile four, Rohatinsky had retaken a slight lead over Galen Rupp with a time of 19:15. The two had distanced themselves slightly from Abraham Kutingala in third and Kiptoo-Biwott in fourth. With a kilometer to go, Rupp and Rohatinksy had distanced themselves 50 meters from the pack.
Rohatinksy pulled away considerably from Galen Rupp at the finish line with a final time of 22:59. Galen Rupp finished with a time of 23:10, John Moore of Portland finished second at 23:18, and Kiptoo-Biwott of Oregon finished fourth with 23:29. Oregon won the team competition with a score of 47, Portland moved up strong the final mile to finish second with 89, BYU finished third with 102, Alabama was fourth with 135, and Cal Poly was fifth with a team score of 144.

MEN'S QUOTES

Josh Rohatinsky, BYU

(On his race plan:) “I just wanted to stay up front and see how I felt”

(How the race worked out:) “Rupp put some moves in and I just held on and waited to make my move with a mile to go and take the lead for good.”
“I like this course because it was different from any others, and I want to thank all the guys from Oregon for putting on a good race. The crowd was definitely behind the Ducks, but it was great to be next to Galen when they're cheering him on ? it's great for the sport and also spurs you along.”

John Moore, University of Portland

(Regarding his strong finish:) “I felt good throughout the race and at the finish.”
“Rohatinsky put in a tough move in the middle of the race that was hard to cover.”

(About the course:) “I was a little worried about how soft it was yesterday, but it turned out to be pretty nice.”