Korir edges Hawkins, rallies U.S. to team title

Affolder wins men's junior race, Lundy and Mareno secure third-place finishes for Americans

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

The highly anticipated rematch of distance heavyweights didn’t materialize Saturday in the senior men’s 8-kilometer race at the Great Edinburgh XCountry International Challenge in Scotland.

But it was still a battle to the finish at Holyrood Park involving stars from the United States and Great Britain.

Relying on a well-timed surge in the final 50 meters, American Leonard Korir prevailed in 24 minutes, 3 seconds to edge Great Britain’s Callum Hawkins in 24:04. Turkey’s Aras Kaya was third in 24:21.

It marked the fifth consecutive year the U.S. produced an individual win the men’s 8-kilometer race, with Bobby Mack securing victory in 2013, Chris Derrick with back-to-back titles in 2014-15 and Garrett Heath last year, which followed his 4-kilometer triumphs in 2014-15.

Heath’s bid for a fourth consecutive Great Edinburgh victory resulted in a sixth-place finish in 24:43, but for the second year in a row the American standout held off four-time Olympic track gold medalist Mo Farah of Great Britain, who placed seventh in 24:49.

Korir’s rally also sparked an American comeback in the overall team competition, with the U.S. overcoming a 30-point deficit entering the senior men’s race by placing four athletes in the top six to capture the championship for the second time in three years with a 149-152 victory over Europe.

The Americans swept both junior team titles, but placed third in the senior women’s 6-kilometer race and trailed Europe 82-112 entering the final event.

Supporting Korir and Heath, Sam Chelanga was fourth in 24:23, Stanley Kebenei placed fifth in 24:39, Hillary Bor took 10th in 25:11 and Thomas Curtin finished 11th in 25:12 to help the Americans outscore Europe by a 37-70 margin in the race and secure the title.

The team competition in the senior races scores the top six runners in each lineup, with only the team’s top four athletes scored in the junior races.

Martin Hehir was 13th in 25:17, Morgan Pearson finished 21st in 25:33 and Daniel Winn took 29th in 26:28 as the U.S. non-scoring runners.

WOMEN’S SENIOR 6K

Team Europe dominated with five of the top six finishers, led by Turkey’s Yasemin Can in 20:36 and fellow countrywoman Meryem Akdag in third in 21:02.

Ireland’s Fionnuala McCormack, who won back-to-back championships in 2012-13, secured her fourth consecutive second-place finish in 20:57.

Can is the former Vivian Jemutai, one of several Kenyan runners to move in the past year and switch allegiances to compete for Turkey.

Emily Lipari was the top American, placing fourth in 21:17. Sarah Pagano finished ninth in 21:25, Allie Buchalski took 10th in 21:33, Elaina Balouris secured 13th in 21:44, Marielle Hall was 17th in 21:54 and Amy Van Alstine rounded out the U.S. scorers in 19th in 21:57.

Katrina Spratford was 21st in 22:02, Cally Macumber finished 26th in 22:32 and Rosa Moriello placed 28th in 22:36 as the American non-scoring runners.

CO-ED RELAY

Behind an impressive final leg from Laura Muir, Great Britain was victorious in the 4x1-kilometer race in 11:10, with the U.S. second in 11:17.

James Bowness, Charlene Thomas and James West teamed with Muir, who set a British record Wednesday with her 14:49.12 indoor 5-kilometer performance.

Kyle Merber, Lianne Farber, Will Leer and Heather Kampf competed for the Americans, who held off Scotland in 11:18.

MEN’S JUNIOR 6K

Noah Affolder of Carlisle PA became the first American to win the junior race since Oklahoma State freshman Kirubel Erassa in 2012, clocking 19:29 to lead the U.S. to the team title by a 17-20 margin over defending-champion Europe.

Miguel Gonzalez of Spain was second for Europe in 19:34, followed by Princeton freshman Conor Lundy – a former Fordham Prep NY standout – in third in 19:36 and Seth Hirsch of Millard West NE taking fourth in 19:38.

Columbia freshman Kenny Vasbinder, an East Aurora NY graduate, finished ninth in 19:48 to help the Americans hold off Europe, with only a squad’s top four performers factoring into the team score.

Sam Worley of Comal Canyon TX placed 12th in 19:51 and Finn Gessner of Madison La Follette WI was 15th in 20:12 as U.S. non-scoring runners.

WOMEN’S JUNIOR 4K

Led by Nevada Mareno of Leesville Road NC finishing third in 14:08, the Americans placed their four scoring runners in the top eight to prevail over defending-champion Great Britain with a 23-24 victory.

Harriet Knowles-Jones of Great Britain, second last year behind teammate Bobby Clay, secured the win in 13:56. Jasmijn Lau of the Netherlands was second for Europe in 14:06.

It marked the third year in a row a high school female was the top finisher for the U.S., with Oregon freshman Katie Rainsberger – who captured the Nike Cross Nationals title as a senior at Air Academy CO – placing fifth last year and Makena Morley of Bigfork MT, now a Colorado sophomore, winning in 2015.

Wisconsin freshman Alicia Monson took fifth in 14:16, Fort Collins CO senior Lauren Gregory was seventh in 14:25 and Arkansas freshman Taylor Werner finished eighth in 14:30 for the Americans, who had all four scorers ahead of Great Britain’s third runner.

India Johnson of Hilliard Davidson OH was 18th in 15:01 and Rebecca Story of Christian Academy of Knoxville TN finished 21st in 15:12 as U.S. non-scoring runners.