Both Kenyan competitors climb collegiate all-time rankings, with Olemomoi elevating to No. 2 outdoor competitor with 15:06.42 effort and Musau edging New Mexico standout Samuel by a 13:13.29 to 13:13.34 margin for Nos. 6 and 7 marks in NCAA history; Adams State’s Legendre adds Division 2 outdoor 5,000 record to indoor all-time mark from December

By Pete Marshall for DyeStat

Photos by Chuck Utash

AZUSA, Calif. – A deep field and ideal conditions aided in some historic NCAA marks getting posted in the invitational 5,000-meter races Friday night in the Bryan Clay Invitational at Azusa Pacific University.

Alabama’s Hilda Olemomoi pulled away from New Balance professional competitor Abbey Cooper in the final 200 meters to win in the fastest women’s section in 15 minutes, 6.42 seconds, setting not only a new Bryan Clay Invitational record, but running the second-fastest collegiate outdoor 5,000 race in history.

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“The last lap, I needed to wait until 200 (meters left) then I could go in front. I didn’t expect to run fast today,” Olemomoi said. “I expected to run like 15:15. Because my personal best was (15:28.12) last year.”

Olemomoi indicated that having professional athletes in the lead group of the race proved beneficial and allowed her to remain patient throughout the event.

Cooper, who was second in 15:11.15, was pleased with most of the race.

“The pacing was spot-on,” Cooper said. “I think I wasted a little bit of energy early in the race trying to find a good spot. We haven’t layered on the speed on top of the strength at this point. So a lot of the next two months will be adding that in, really strengthening that kick for obviously the (U.S. Olympic Trials).”

While the top section was loaded with professionals, Turkish athlete Silan Ayyildiz of Oregon finished sixth overall in 15:15.84, the 11th-best collegiate outdoor 5,000 time, and Colorado’s Bailey Hertenstein (eighth, 15:18.80), posted the 19th-best overall performance in NCAA outdoor history.

The top section of the men’s invitational 5,000 had an extremely tight finish, as Kenyan athlete Brian Musau of Oklahoma State edged New Mexico’s Habtom Samuel, representing Eritrea, by a 13:13.29 to 13:13.34 margin, the Nos. 6 and 7 all-time outdoor collegiate 5,000 efforts.

“I didn’t have a lot of expectations,” Musau said. “So for me, I was not thinking I was going to run this fast. I was just trying to go sub-14. I was just focusing on the laps. I was not looking at the time.”

Third-place finisher Romain Legendre, a French competitor at Adams State, ran 13:16.53 to set a new NCAA Division 2 record. Legendre also owns the Division 2 indoor record in the event with his 13:24.09 performance Dec. 2 at the Sharon Colyear-Danville Season Opener in Boston.

“That was a pleasure to run this meet,” Legendre said. “I heard so much from France that you have to go to Bryan Clay, this meet is crazy. Here I am, Adams State, I’m very proud to be part of this team. I wanted to run sub 13:20. So 13:16, that was like the best-case scenario. That’s a great night.”

The old Division 2 outdoor record was set by Michael Aish of Western Colorado, who ran 13:22.64 in 2002.

The second heat of the invitational men’s 5,000 meters featured another tight race as former Northern Arizona teammates and current professional training partners took the top two spots.

Abdihamid Nur, representing Nike, was first in 13:20.96, with HOKA competitor Luis Grijalva of Guatemala was second in 13:21.09.

The second heat of the invitational women’s 5,000 was won by Oklahoma State’s Taylor Roe (15:36.36), who also won the second heat of the invitational women’s 10,000 on Thursday night in 33:17.10, just ahead of teammate Molly Born in 33:17.15.

Michigan State’s Katie Osika was runner-up in the second section of the 5,000 in a personal-best 15:39.01.