Edward Cheserek Rolls Out Strong Performance In 10,000 Meters; Rebecca Mehra (1,500) and Maggie Montoya (10,000) Use Late Bursts To Win

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

For the second week in a row, Edward Cheserek lit up a distance event on the Under Armour Sunset Tour at an undisclosed location in Southern California and served notice to the rest of the world that his time is coming. 

Cheserek raced his first 10,000 meters as a Skechers pro and wore out a talented field Saturday that included fellow former NCAA Division 1 national champions Clayton Young and Ben Flanagan, running a lifetime-best 27 minutes, 42.69 seconds. 

"It feels to good to come out in the summertime and race," Cheserek said. "Some can't race at all, so it's great to have the opportunity to compete."

Cheserek, for all of his 17 NCAA titles, has never gotten a chance to measure up on the world stage. If his immigration process can continue, and be resolved, before next year's Olympic Trials, he could get his shot in 2021. 

His first 10,000 meters since 2016 when he wore a University of Oregon singlet saw him run the No. 6 time in the world so far in 2020. 

Girma Mecheso of the American Distance Project, a former Oklahoma State runner, was able to hang on to Chserek's 66-second lap pace up until the last 600 meters. Mecheso also PR'd, running 27:49.53 to elevate to No. 9 in the world this year. 

A chase pack of five settled into its own rhythm and former Michigan NCAA champ Flanagan finished strongest in that group, taking third in 28:06.88. 

"I decided to keep things conservative and focused on winning that second group," Flanagan said. "Once the bell hit, I tried to make a move and felt great coming into that last 200. I was happy to get a PR."

BYU's Conner Mantz, without a chance to contend for an NCAA cross country title this fall due to the global pandemic, showed that he may be the best collegiate distance runner in the country with a fourth place finish in 28:07.70. He moved to No. 3 on the all-time BYU list, trailing his own coach Ed Eyestone (27:41.05) and Jason Witt (27:54.25). 

Ben Blankenship, an Olympic finalist in the 1,500 meters, made his first foray into the 10,000 meters and came away feeling good about fifth place in 28:08.20.

"It felt pretty good," he said. "I think everything for me has been a buildup to this point. I wanted to run an over-distance race. I wanted to run a 10K and crossed my fingers that meets would happen."

Frank Lara of Roots Running Project (28:10.64), former Division 2 national champion Zach Panning (28:16.95), a Grand Valley State graduate now representing Hansons-Brooks, and recent Georgetown graduate transfer Robert Brandt (28:22.99) all ran personal bests to round out the top eight.  

The Sunset Tour, sponsored by Sound Running, concluded with its second event and Saturday's gathering included just three races.

Rebecca Mehra of Oiselle Little Wing, building off of last week's 2:01.09 effort for second place in the 800 meters, used a burst of speed on the final home stretch to pull away from Kaela Edwards and Dani Jones and won the 1,500 meters in 4:08.45. 

Mehra's kick, honed by weeks of racing in the Portland Track Festival's Friendly meets, was unmatched. She covered the final lap in 62.9 seconds.

"It was a great opportunity to practice strategy and I was feeling good the last couple hundred meters," Mehra said. "It's a great outcome."

Mehra expressed gratitude for the opportunity to race a handful of times this summer, but is also looking forward to shifting her energy into the upcoming election. She is an assistant to Bend, Oregon mayor Sally Russell and is also managing campaigns for two Bend city council candidates. 

"If there was another Sunset event I might do it," Mehra said. "But I've got my wisdom teeth coming out in a week and a half and then it's campaign season the next couple of months."

Edwards was second in a personal-best 4:09.62, Jones was third in 4:10.46 and Dominique Scott placed fourth in 4:11.83.

Maggie Montoya of the Roots Running Project, who won an entertaining women's 10,000 meters in 32:11.48, has also been grounded by her work life. 

Montoya is a pharmacy technician and has her sights set on medical school. Running has been her outlet during a time when her work feels significant. 

"I've been staying focused and I gave myself a strict schedule," she said. "I got super busy and focused on my work. I felt like I had a purpose during the pandemic."

Montoya ran with 2018 Division 1 champion Sharon Lokedi, an Under Armour professional and Cheserek's fiancee, and Atsede Baysa of the American Distance Project, the 2016 Boston Marathon champion, in the late stages of the race and sped away from them with a closing 67-second last lap. 

"It felt hard," she said. "I knew it was going to. My whole mindset was staying focused and not losing touch. That was pretty much my whole goal for the race and then doing what I can at the end."

Montoya was also among four (including 2012 NCAA winner Natosha Rogers) who ran under the 32:25 Olympic Trials standard. 

"It still hasn't sunk in yet," Montoya said. "Going for the win was obviously a top tier (goal), but I was really going for that Olympic Trials standard. I was going to be happy with that."

Her time is No. 7 in the world this year, with Lokedi (32:14.75) at No. 9 and Baysa (32:15.69) completing the top 10.