May 10 – May 16

Isn’t this the greatest time of the year for track and field?  State meets, conference championships, district, sectional and regional qualifiers are taking place on a nearly daily basis.  Athletes and relay teams are peaking for this time of year, rivalries all heat up and the times are really starting to drop.  By the way, there’s only one month until the 2010 Midwest Distance Gala.

The Top Five

State meet performances lead the way in this week’s Top Five countdown.

5. Andrew Gardner (Fr., Mead, WA) – We’ve seen some very talented freshmen over the past few years.  Well, it’s time to add another name to the mix of runners to watch for the next few years.  Andrew Gardner made some noise nationally over the weekend, finishing second at the GSL District meet in the 3,200m run, where he crossed the finish line in 9:06.75.  Gardner finished less than a second off Adam Thorne’s (Sr., Ferris, WA) winning mark of 9:06.11.

4. Anna Dailey (Sr., Garfield, WA) – At the 4A King Co. Championships over the weekend, Anna Dailey ran a huge double that was one of the finest distance running performances in the U.S. this season.  In the 1,600m event, Dailey simply dominated the field, winning by 14 seconds in 4:49.41, which ranks her US#2 in the event.  She then came back and won the 800m dash in 2:11.92, which ranks her US top twenty.  Quite the impressive double for the Stanford-bound senior.

3. Ryan Dohner (Sr., Klein Oak, TX) – Ryan Dohner’s performance in the 3,200m run at the Texas State T&F Championships was a memorable one, hence why he’s #3 on this week’s Top Five.  Going up against defending state champion Parker Stinson and NXN champion Craig Lutz, it’d be easy to pick against Dohner, but a slow early pace meant a kickers finish, and Dohner proved that his speed could steal the show.  Dohner ran a 2:04 final 800m, edging out Lutz at the finish 9:00.15-9:01.20, while Stinson finished third in 9:04.20.

2. Erik Olson (Sr., Novato, CA) – The quietist performance of the weekend came out west, where Erik Olson ran a US#4 mark for 1,600m at his section.  Olson is having one heck of a senior season, but he took his talents one step further over the weekend, running 4:08.54, while stamping himself as one of the top milers in the country.

1. Tyler Anyan (Sr., Brookwood, GA) & Kirubel Erassa (Sr., Grayson, GA) – It was a battle of the titans at the Georgia State T&F Championships this past weekend, as the state’s best distance runners, Tyler Anyan and Kirubel Erassa, squared off in not one, but two races.  The first race, the 1,600m run, Erassa showed superior speed, winning 4:08.24-4:10.01 over Anyan, as their two marks rank them US#3 and US#6, currently.

In the 3,200m event the following day, Anyan returned the favor, this time running away from Erassa on the final lap, running home to a new PR, and US#2 ranking of 8:52.83.  Erassa came in a few seconds later with a US#7 time of 8:56.46.  What a weekend to remember for these two young men.

An Interview with Brandon Lord

What a senior season it’s been for Tennessee native Brandon Lord (Sr., Baylor, TN).  The University of Georgia-bound senior stepped up his performances this past fall, earning a trip to Foot Locker Nationals, and while there, earning All-American status with a 14^th place finish.

Fast forward to the past few weeks, where Lord really got his track season rolling, finishing third at the Arcadia Invitational with an 8:55.42 PR, while coming back three weeks later and lowering his 1,600m PR to 4:09.69.  Both times rank Lord in the U.S. top four of each event.

With only a few weeks left in his high school running career, Distance Gala Weekly caught up with Lord, who discussed his goals the rest of the season, where he’ll be racing, what it’s like to be part of such a strong program, and much more.

Distance Gala Weekly (DGW): You're having one heck of a track season, breaking nine minutes for 3,200m at Arcadia, then breaking 4:10 for 1,600m last week.  What are your thoughts on your season up to this point?

Brandon Lord (BL): Thank you. It's really been a great season for me and I am glad that I've gotten a chance to get in races like Arcadia and achieve some quick performances. Arcadia, though, was absolutely incredible this year with 17 guys under 9:00. It's not every day you get to make history. At this point, I am pleased with my 4:09, but am hoping to improve that mark. I just have to do it alone for the time being.

DGW: Looking forward, what are your goals from now until the end of the season?

BL: Well, after running well in the 3200 in early April, we've set our sights on a fast mile to round out the season. I am hoping to get down around or under 4:05 and try to get our state record at 4:05.75.

DGW: What meets will you be competing in between now and NB Nationals?

BL: At this point, we're trying to nail down the postseason meets. Our region meet is on the 18 & 20th before state on the 28th of May. After that, I'd say the Music City Distance Carnival on June 5th and the Midwest Distance Gala on the 12th look like great opportunities to get some fast times!

DGW: You've taken a big step in your performances this years.  What do you attribute to taking that next big step up to the top tier of national running?

BL: I cannot start anywhere other than my genius coach Van Townsend. He knows exactly what to do, when to do it, how to do it, and where to finally get it done. Without his expertise, knowledge, advice and encouragement I'd likely be struggling to break 5!

Also, more specifically, upping the mileage over the winter (when I wasn't fighting my achilles tendonitis) and working first with the 3200 and once I had the strength down adding speed in for the 1600 (also resulting in a 1:58 800 and 51 second 400).

DGW: Baylor has had some great runners over the past few years.  What's it like to be part of such a strong distance running tradition?

BL: Well, with Gifford, Strang, Oliver Townsend and Bill Matthews before me, it sure wasn't going to be easy to make a statement at Baylor. However, as I said, I am very fortunate to have the same coach who worked with these gifted athletes and learned from their training so that now I have a chance to exceed their marks. I am really excited to bring Baylor back on the map in distance running and hope we can continue to develop more national talent.

DGW: The talent this year in Tennessee is quite impressive.  For a state that doesn't get a whole lot of distance running respect, how's it been this season to have so many other good runners around you?

BL: I am pumped for all of us Tennesseans this year. Ya'll are the best! Seriously though, it’s been a great year for Tennessee distance running and I think we all know how hard we've worked to get here and we all respect each others commitment to the sport. I hope we all finish the season with a bang and really give the big orange state a name for ourselves.

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

BL: After saying that, I must say that I am absolutely in love with UGA, Athens, and my new team! I cannot wait to get down there and start working with such a dedicated group of guys and make Georgia one of the dominant programs in the SEC and country.

To answer the question, I did have to make a tough choice in my college decision process, but it really seemed an easy choice. After visiting, I immediately knew that I fit in with the coaches, the program, and of course my teammates. Georgia has so much to offer both athletically and academically and I'm excited to be part of an up-and-coming program where my contributions will help, but I still have room to move up.

Quick Six

DGW: Favorite professional runner?

BL: THE MAN-Chris Solinsky!

DGW: Shoes you race in?

BL: Nike Zoom Matumbos

DGW: Favorite food?

BL: Chocolate

DGW: Favorite vacation spot?

BL: California

DGW: Favorite non-running hobby?

BL: Hanging out with my friends

DGW: Best band?

BL: This varies; I'd say Smashing Pumpkins really gets me going now though.

Articles of Interest

Tom Mallon the Veteran / Sam Ellison the Newcomer (MileSplit)

Great Interview with NCAA Champion Angela Bizzarri (FloTrack)

Scott Jurek Runs a New U.S. 24-Hour Record (AUA)

A Brief Chat with Bobby Curtis (Runner’s World)

Another Roesler Steps to the Forefront (Inforum)