Norway’s Olympic 1,500 champion surges late to produce top global time in 5,000, with Canada’s DeBues-Stafford strong in outdoor debut in 1,500 and Wilson achieving big PR in 800 despite fall across finish line; Nur eclipses 1978 5,000 record, as Northern Arizona has four of top seven all-time athletes

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, Calif. – A pair of world leaders and a trio of all-time high school performances were supported Friday at the Sound Running Track Meet at JSerra High by a collegiate record, another Mexican national standard and a total of 34 competitors earning qualifying marks for the World Outdoor Championships.

Reigning Olympic 1,500-meter champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen of Norway showcased that elite level of closing speed in the final 150 meters of the men’s 5,000, holding off an impressive performance from Germany’s Mohamed Mohumed by a 13:02.03 to 13:03.18 margin, as eight individuals ran under the 13:13.50 global standard, including third-place finisher Joe Klecker of On Athletics Club (13:04.42).

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Among them were Northern Arizona teammates Abdihamid Nur and Nico Young, who not only ran faster than the program record 13:13.14 achieved last year by Luis Grijalva, but produced two of the three fastest outdoor 5,000 times in collegiate history.

Nur eclipsed the 1978 collegiate all-time mark of 13:08.4 by Henry Rono of Washington State, running 13:06.32, with Young clocking 13:11.30.

Northern Arizona boasts four of the top seven outdoor 5,000 competitors in collegiate history, including the 2013 performance of Diego Estrada (13:15.33).

Ingebrigtsen, who has been training recently in Flagstaff, Ariz., covered the final lap in 54.63 seconds, with Mohumed producing a 56-second split.

In an earlier section of the 5,000, Newbury Park standout Lex Young produced the junior class national record and elevated to the No. 2 all-time prep competitor by clocking 13:43.95, finishing fifth in a section won by Washington State graduate and adidas professional Paul Ryan in 13:34.77.

Only the 2004 performance of 13:37.91 achieved by Galen Rupp, a graduate of Central Catholic High in Oregon, remains in front of Young.

Tyrone Gorze, a junior at Crater High in Oregon, ascended to No. 11 in U.S. prep outdoor history by running 14:00.34. Gorze ranks second among all juniors, with both he and Young smashing the 1979 class record of 14:11.2 established by John Zishka of Lancaster, Ohio.

Colin Sahlman, a senior at Newbury Park and Northern Arizona commit, became the fourth prep athlete in history to run sub-3:40 in the 1,500 meters, clocking 3:39.59 to place third in his section.

Sahlman, who covered the final lap in 55.9, finished behind former Iowa State standout Festus Lagat of Under Armour (3:37.75) and Eastern Kentucky All-American Jamaine Coleman (3:39.37), now competing for Tinman Elite.

Sahlman joined Hobbs Kessler, Alan Webb and Jim Ryun among the prep competitors to eclipse the 3:40 barrier.

Gabriela DeBues-Stafford, a Nike athlete representing Canada, made her outdoor debut an impressive one, running the fastest time in North America and No. 4 in the world by clocking 4:03.20 in the women’s 1,500, with Sinclaire Johnson of Nike’s Union Athletics Club placing second in 4:03.33 for her fastest time since 2019, and British athlete Katie Snowden of Under Armour Dark Sky Distance clocking 4:03.90 to take third.

Laura Galvan, a HOKA athlete, lowered her own Mexican national record in an earlier section of the 1,500 by clocking 4:07.06, improving on her 4:08.10 performance in July in Sacramento. Galvan also produced a national record in March 2021 by running 4:08.14 at JSerra.

Allie Wilson, an adidas competitor representing Atlanta Track Club Elite, ran a lifetime-best 1:58.18 in the 800 to take over the world lead, culminated by her losing balance and falling over the finish line, just ahead of Nia Akins of the Brooks Beasts, who also ran a personal-best by clocking 1:58.82.

Wilson and Akins became the 33rd and 34th female athletes in U.S. history to eclipse the 1:59 barrier, achieving two of the top three performances globally this season, with Canada’s Lindsey Butterworth (1:59.59) and Madeleine Kelly (1:59.83) and American Cory McGee (1:59.78) producing sub-2 performances.

Natosha Rogers of Hansons Brooks ODP moved from fourth with a lap to go in the women’s 5,000, achieving a 63-second split over the final 400 to prevail in 15:05.22, ascending to No. 8 in the world this year and leading eight athletes to secure World Championships qualifying marks.

Taryn Rawlings, representing adidas and Golden Coast Track Club, clocked 15:05.94, with teammate Emily Lipari placing sixth in 15:07.22, adding the 5,000 standard to the 10,000 qualifying mark she achieved in March at JSerra.

Elly Henes, an adidas athlete, overcame running with one shoe for the final six laps to finish in 15:07.93 and Sarah Lancaster of Paras360 clocked 15:09.59, as Natalie Rule of Australia (15:06.50), Hanna Klein of Germany (15:06.81) and Dutch athlete Maureen Koster (15:06.86) also ran under the 15:10 global standard.

Another 10 athletes secured World Championships qualifying marks in the men’s 10,000, led by former Oklahoma City star and Moroccan athlete Zouhair Talbi clocking 27:49.08, holding off Brett Robinson of Australia (27:51.51).

Hiko Tonosa of Ireland (27:53.10), along with American competitors Sam Chelanga (27:54.75) and Frank Lara (27:57.90) all produced sub-28 performances, with Biya Simbassa, Robert Brandt, Zach Panning, Ben Eidenschink and Luke Caldwell also running under the 28:20 global standard.

Weini Kelati pulled away from Under Armour Dark Sky Distance teammate Sharon Lokedi with a 67:26-second final lap to prevail in the women’s 10,000 by a 31:11.11 to 31:14.41 margin.

Rose Davies, a New Balance athlete representing Australia, made her first competition in the U.S. a memorable one, achieving the World standard by clocking 31:18.54. Davies, the reigning Australian 10,000 champion, had run 31:39.97 in January 2021 in Melbourne.

Neil Gourley of Under Armour Dark Sky Distance led eight athletes to sub-3:40 efforts in the men’s 1,500, covering the last 400 in 52.5 to prevail in 3:38.11, just ahead of Nike Oregon Track Club Elite teammates Will Paulson (3:38.36) and Jake Heyward (3:38.55).

Dutch athlete Tony Van Diepen, representing New Balance, won the men’s 800 in 1:47.10, edging Brannon Kidder of the Brooks Beasts (1:47.38) and British athlete Kyle Langford (1:47.49).

Ella Donaghu of Nike’s Union Athletics Club covered the final lap in 65.2 seconds in her section of the 5,000 to prevail against Germany’s Sara Benafres by a 15:24.66 to 15:24.71 margin.