May 3 – May 9

Warmer weather, bigger meets and end of season fine-tuning created quite a weekend of performances.  As many states roll into their state series competitions, the best of the best are starting to really turn it on.  In this week’s Distance Gala Weekly, we look at the Top Five performances of the week, talk with standout Laura Roesler and look forward to next weekend.

The Top Five

Here’s this week’s Top Five prep distance running performances:

5. Francis Hernandez (Sr., Bishop Guertin, NH) – In a rare opportunity to run a mile outdoors, Francis Hernandez won a very competitive Hartford Public Invitational mile, running a US#3 time of 4:09.21.  Hernandez took another step towards proving his case that he’s one of the best milers in the country, outkicking a field, which saw John Bleday (Sr., Xaverian Brothers, MA) run 4:10.82 and Nick Ross (Sr., East Greenwich, RI) go 4:11.49.

4. Alli Billmeyer (Jr., Torrey Pines, CA) – Most of the Top Five performances each week take place in large invitationals, where the top runners have steady competition to push the pace and push their limits.  Well, Alli Billmeyer chose to run her best 3,200m performance of the season, and one of the best in the U.S. at a dual meet this past week, winning the event wearing trainers, while running negative splits (5:16/5:03), crossing the finish line in 10:18.7.  Billmeyer is easily one of top runners in the country this spring, ranking U.S. top ten in the 800m dash (2:09.94), 1,600m (4:50.1) and now the 3,200m.  The only other runner that ranks in the U.S. top ten of each is New York senior Emily Lipari.

3. Joanna Stevens (Sr., Blacksburg, VA) & Anthony Kostelac (Sr., Albemarle, VA) – At the Southern Track Classic over the weekend, the boys and girls mile events were some of the most entertaining at the annual clash of Virginia talent.  As has become an almost weekly ritual, Joanna Stevens and Anthony Kostelac put up impressive performances.  Stevens won the girls mile in a US#1 time of 4:48.12, while Kostelac ran a US#4 performance of 4:10.08.

2. Aisling Cuffe (Jr., Cornwall, NY) – Whenever New York rivals Aisling Cuffe and Emily Lipari get together, it always seems as though something magical happens.  The two runners are always pushing their limits, running new personal bests, so at the Loucks Games on Friday, the two put on quite the show.  In the end, it was Cuffe coming up big, running a US#2 time of 10:08.19, winning the 3,200m event over Lipari, who placed second in 10:24.85.

1. Tom Mallon (Sr., Central Bucks South, PA) – It was only a matter of time, but the first prep athlete to break the 1:50 barrier for 800m has arrived, and his name is Tom Mallon.  Mallon, who’s proven he’s one of the countries best middle-distance runners, came up big over the weekend at the Puma Invitational, beating a very strong field, while setting a new PR and US#1 time of 1:49.61.  Now the question is, how much faster can the Stanford University-bound senior go?

An Interview with Laura Roesler

For the past four years, Laura Roesler (Sr., Fargo South, ND) has gone about her track season flying under the national radar, winning event after event, showing time and again that she is a rare combination of speed and strength.  Then, all of a sudden, Roesler forces herself onto the national stage, running a fantastic 800m time.

In 2008, Roesler ran 2:03.08, while becoming a fan-favorite at the Olympic Trials, where she advanced out of the first round and captured national acclaim.  Since then, Roesler has quietly gone about her way, running fast, winning a lot and proving she’s one of the best middle-distance talents at the prep level in a long time.  Then, just over a week ago, Roesler ran another US#1 performance for 800m, this time running 2:05.76.

Back on top, Distance Gala Weekly caught up with Roesler, as she discusses her most recent performance, her training, why she’s headed to the University of Oregon next fall and much more.

Distance Gala Weekly (DGW): You had a fairly quiet season until last week, when you unleashed an incredibly impressive US#1 800m performance of 2:05.  How did the 2:05 race play out for you?

Laura Roesler (LR): The race went almost perfectly for me. It felt very relaxed and quite good for being a 2:05. I negative split, so that was a good thing for my progression. I wasn’t looking for any type of time, just to get in an 800m outdoors.

DGW: The end of the season, and post-season events, are obviously a big part of your focus this year.  What are your expectations the rest of the season for yourself and what meets will you run in from now until the end of your season?

LR: I would just like to keep improving and using the little meets this year as building blocks and training for my state meet and summer meets. I will be running in my state meet, the Midwest Distance Gala, and Jr. Nationals for sure, but am undecided on meets in between those.

DGW: What does a typical week of training look like for you during the track season?

LR: A typical week for me is usually 3 hard workouts, 3 days of easy running or in the pool and one rest day. My easy runs are not very long, so the mileage is pretty low and for workouts I do a little of both speed and distance work.

DGW: You've been a national-level runner since your freshman year and you've continued to improve year after year.  What do you attribute to your growth as a runner to?

LR: I would say staying healthy and being smart about my training. After each season I take a month off of absolutely nothing just to get a mental and emotional break and recharge my batteries. I also enjoy everything I do, workouts, races, traveling because if it weren’t fun for me I wouldn’t be where I am today. The past couple of years I have done a little more lifting in the winter/off season and that’s when I do my sprinting work also. The intensity and difficulty of my workouts have definitely increased over time as well.

DGW: Since the Olympic Trials, the expectations of your athletic performances have been very high.  How have you been able to manage those expectations?

LR: There really is no perfect way to manage expectations, but really I have to not let the expectations of others influence me and how I want to perform. It is really up to me and how I meet my personal goals, but I am always satisfied and happy with how I do.

DGW: You seemed to start off as a sprinter, and continue to run 100m-400m during the season.  Why so much focus on the sprints when you've had so much success at the 800m+ distances?

LR: I really do the sprints as workouts, to just keep building on and helping my 800, but I have also had a good amount of success in them, especially the 400. This year I have done distances above and below the 800, which will really help later in the summer meets. I also don’t run the 800 a whole lot during the regular season, so I do not over-race it and am tired by the time the summer season starts.

DGW: You are headed to the University of Oregon next year.  Why UO?

LR: It’s a great school, and the town size and school size are really similar to Fargo, which will make it very comfortable for adjusting. Also, track was obviously a big part of my decision as well, and there’s no other place in the country like Oregon or Hayward Field, so it will be exciting to have such a competitive environment next year.

DGW: People know a lot about your accomplishments over the past couple years. Could you explain how you got into the sport and how you've progressed in your performances over the years?

LR: I got into the sport as a seventh grader after the fall cross-country season. I started out thinking I was going to do middle school track and a little varsity track but ended up doing mostly high school track, which was a lot of fun for me with good competition.

When I first started, I did a lot more distance races, and eighth grade was when I really started sprinting. Since then my sprinting has gotten gradually better and I’ve set many pr’s this season alone. My 800 time has probably dropped the most since I started and I look forward to keep getting better next year.

Quick Six

DGW: Favorite movie?

LR: The Bucket List

DGW: Car you drive?

LR: Buick

DGW: Favorite pre-race meal?

LR: Turkey wrap

DGW: Shoes you train in?

LR: Saucony

DGW: Favorite band?

LR: Rascal Flatts

DGW: Favorite professional runner?

LR: Sanya Richards

Midwest Distance Gala Update - Coming Up Next

This is perhaps the most exciting time of the year.  Conference rivalries are put to the test, with teams vying for the top prize, while state meets round into form, with the best of the best squaring off to see just who the best is across each state.

With so much excitement across the country, the Midwest Distance Gala is ramping up its excitement as well.  From now until June 12, the staff of the MDG will be posting interviews and news from the nation’s best distance runners on the event’s blog, while keeping you up to date on who’s running in this year’s MDG event. 

Midwest Distance Gala Blog / Midwest Distance Gala Website

Articles of Interest

A Brief Chat with New U.S. 10k Record Holder Chris Solinsky (Runner’s World)

Kara Goucher Blogs About Solinsky’s Record-Setting Performance (Competitor)

Great Profile Piece on NCAA Champion Angela Bizzarri (Register Guard)

NFHS Might Start a Prep Cross Country Championship in 2011 (USAToday)