Brandt prevails by 28:23.55 to 28:23.60 margin over Kiprop, after reigning Division 1 women’s cross country champion Chelangat produces dominant performance to triumph in 32:31.43; Notre Dame receives wins from Nuguse and Wasserman, with Dolan and Segrave setting meet and facility records

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

One night after a runaway victory for Alabama standout Mercy Chelangat in the women’s 10,000 meters at the Raleigh Relays, the showdown in the men’s 25-lap battle came down to the final steps to decide the winner and prevent a Crimson Tide sweep.

Robert Brandt, a graduate student-athlete competing in his first in-season race for Georgetown following his transfer last year from UCLA, held off Alabama’s Vincent Kiprop by a 28:23.55 to 28:23.60 margin at the Paul Derr Track facility in Raleigh, N.C.

Brandt held the lead until around 7,000 meters, until Kiprop moved to the front and maintained the advantage entering the final two laps. Brandt was in front by three-tenths of a second with 400 meters remaining, managing to hold off Kiprop, who covered the last lap with a 58.94 split.

Brandt had already achieved a 10,000 personal-best 27:39.20 performance competing unattached Dec. 5 at the Sound Running Track Meet in San Juan Capistrano, Calif.

Butler athletes Simon Bedard (28:33.81) and Barry Keane (28:34.88) took third and fifth, with Notre Dame’s Danny Kilrea (28:34.36) in between, as five competitors eclipsed the 29-minute barrier, with Missouri senior Thomas George just missing, securing sixth in 29:00.16.

Chelangat, the reigning Division 1 cross country champion, dominated the field in her first collegiate 10,000 race Thursday by pulling away in the final 3,000 to run 32:31.43 and triumph by more than a minute over North Carolina State’s Kelsey Chmiel (33:40.20) and Elon’s Maria Ahm (33:43.82).

In the women’s 5,000-meter event Friday, Notre Dame senior Katie Wasserman – a Columbia transfer – prevailed in 15:33.35, setting both meet and facility records, eclipsing the 2017 mark of 15:35.55 by former Furman All-American and Brooks Beasts professional Allie Buchalski.

Georgia Tech’s Nicole Fegans, an All-American in cross country and indoor track, took second in 15:37.16 and North Carolina State’s Savannah Shaw took third in 15:40.37, with 11 athletes running under 16 minutes, including defending Division 2 indoor 3,000-meter champion Celine Ritter of Lee University in Tennessee, who clocked 15:58.77.

Notre Dame’s Yared Nuguse, the 2019 Division 1 1,500-meter winner, emerged victorious Thursday in the 5,000 by running 13:40.62, leading 19 athletes under the 14-minute barrier.

Butler’s Euan Makepeace clocked 13:44.18 to prevent Notre Dame taking the top two spots, as Matthew Carmody ran 13:44.55 for the Irish. Eastern Michigan’s Baldvin Magnusson was fourth in 13:45.66, with Notre Dame’s Kenny Vasbinder – another Columbia transfer – finishing fifth in 13:45.95.

Villanova teammates Sean Dolan (3:39.45) and Casey Comber (3:39.67) placed first and second Thursday in the men’s 1,500 meters. Dolan set meet and facility records, including the latter mark of 3:39.75 that had stood since 1987 by George Mason’s Abdi Bile.

Paul Chelimo had run 3:40.25 for North Carolina-Greensboro to produce the meet record in 2012.

Jeremy Hernandez, representing HOKA New Jersey New York Track Club, took third in 3:40.77 and Washington senior Mick Stanovsek finished fourth in 3:40.95. Cruz Culpepper, a Washington freshman, secured seventh in 3:41.29.

Hannah Segrave, a four-time NAIA national champion at Milligan College and British professional athlete representing New Balance, won the women’s 1,500 meters Friday in 4:12.24, breaking both meet and facility records, the latter standard of 4:13.05 established in 2003 by former North Carolina star Shalane Flanagan.

Dillon McClintock of Michigan State produced the previous meet record of 4:13.82 in 2018.

Rhode Island’s Lotte Black (4:16.40) and Kaley Richards of UMass-Lowell (4:16.56), both All-Americans in cross country and indoor track, were the top two collegiate performers, finishing second and third.

North Carolina State freshman Katelyn Tuohy finished fourth in 4:16.76, just ahead of Washington senior Katie Rainsberger (4:16.87) and North Carolina State junior Nevada Mareno (4:17.32).

Olivia Bechtel, a senior at Miami (Ohio), won the women’s 400 meters Friday in 53.31.

Virginia teammates Jordan Willis (46.10) and Brandon Outlaw (46.35) took the top two spots in the men’s 400.

Virginia freshman Maria Deaviz won the women’s shot put Thursday with a mark of 56-4.50 (17.18m), with fellow freshman Claudio Romero emerging victorious Friday in the men’s discus with a throw of 201-9 (61.50m).

Sam Young prevailed in the men’s pole vault for the Cavaliers with a 17-2.75 (5.25m) clearance, with sophomore Owayne Owens taking the triple jump with a 53-5.50 (16.29m) performance.

Wake Forest freshman Alexandra Roberts triumphed in the women’s javelin with a throw of 189-3 (57.68m).

Elijah Talk and Chris Mirabelli, both competing unattached, won the men’s shot put and men’s javelin throw, respectively. Talk produced an effort of 60-8 (18.49m) and Mirabelli achieved a throw of 229-1 (69.82m).