Event 19 Men 5000 Meter Run Section 2.

(L) Hassan Mead of Minnesota won the "B" race in 13:28.65. OTC Elite's Evan Jager was second in 13:29.65. Four runners were in the hunt with a lap to go but Mead's 55 closer-sealed the win.

Two runners eclipsed Galen Rupp's US Junior Record of 13:37.91 from 2004. Stanford freshman Chris Derrick edged out 2009 World Junior Cross Country Championships teammate German Fernandez to set an American junior record of 13:29.98, hacking nearly eight seconds off the previous American junior (under 20) mark, to finish third on his home track. Fernandez is a few steps behind in fourth: 13:31.78, also ahead of the previous record but beaten by Derrick. *Mead ran 13:44.30 as a Jr last year (08).

03, CA State 3200 -3rd last year, Tim Nelson (Liberty Christian in Redding) finishes in front of defending champ Kyle Alcorn's (Clovis, Buchanan) sub-60 last lap -8:53.59 to 8:53.66. Nelson went to Wisconsin where he was a multiple-time All-American there. Tim returned west to the Oregon Track Club.

5/2/2009 -Payton Jordan Cardinal Invitational - Nelson (R) raced 27:36.99 in the 10,000m to win & achieve the World Championships automatic qualifying standard!! Nelson shaved 27.47 seconds of his 28:04.46 previous personal best and is the 14th American to break 27:40 in the 10k.

After already running a semifinal heat in the 5,000 meters in the wee hours of Thursday morning, Oregon senior Galen Rupp won his first outdoor NCAA title by winning the men’s 10,000 meters in 28:21.45, his last 800m ran in 1:58.96.

Arkansas' Shawn Forrest and Liberty's Samuel Chelanga threw down from the opening gun, running 31 seconds for the first 200m and 63 for the first 400. Chelanga and Forrest pounded away, but at about 2,500m, their worst nightmare came true as Rupp had caught the leading duo. 5,000m passed in 13:59. Rupp pulled away to victory with 600 meters remaining and scoring Oregon’s first 10 points of the Championships. Super-frosh, Luke Puskedra (Oregon, 26) was 11th in 29:20.18, earning All-America honors.

Photos: trackandfieldphoto.com

5000m -Final -Friday -June 13

Galen Rupp’s final collegiate victory was also his hardest-earned one as he crossed the line in 14:04.12. Rupp had to stop to fix his shoe on the second lap and ran from the back of the pack for much of the race. With three laps to go, he moved from 11th to fourth place and then surged again with 600m to go, running away with the win, running his last 1,600m in 4:00.10.

Super-frosh Chris Derrick (Stanford) continued his stellar freshman campaign with a 3rd place finish (14:07.34).

Galen Rupp capped his remarkable Oregon career by accomplishing something Friday night that no one has ever done before by winning his sixth NCAA distance race in one academic year (cross country, indoor 3,000 meters, indoor 5,000 meters, distance medley relay, outdoor 10,000 meters and outdoor 5,000 meters). The senior from Portland, Ore. also became the first person to pull off a double in the 5,000m and the 10,000m since Brad Hauser (R) of Stanford in 2000, who was also coached by Vin Lananna.

Photos: trackandfieldphoto.com

Oklahoma State sensational frosh German Fernandez can now add the title of NCAA Champion to his resume after he capped his remarkable freshman season with an individual title in the 1,500 meters at the NCAA Championships in a personal-best time of 3:39.00 Fernandez sprinted out to the lead from the start and led the race wire-to-wire.

(R) The last frosh to win the NCAA 1,500 title was Leo Manzano (Texas) in 2005.

Photos: trackandfieldphoto.com

June 26, 2009 - Friday - USATF - Day 2: Men's 5k - **New American Junior Record

EUGENE, Ore. – Oklahoma State track and field standout German Fernandez turned in the best 5,000-meter time by any American junior athlete in history Friday, finishing in 13.25.46 at the 2009 USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships.

The men's 5000-meter race at the USATF Championships in Eugene on Friday was loaded with talent. A fast early pace strung out the field with 8 athletes breaking away.

German Fernandez, the Oklahoma State freshman from Riverbank, Calif., running at Hayward Field for the first time held back and led the 2nd pack. With great poise, running his own race (in no mans land throughout the middle mile), Fernandez slowly worked himself up into the lead group by himself, and settled into the pack.

At the bell, seven guys -were still within striking distance of each other. All seven were less than 1 second apar! Bolota Asmerson was in the lead at 12:26.86 and he was followed closely by Chris Solinsky, Matt Tegenkamp, Evan Jager and Fernandez.

Tegenkamp's blistering last lap of 53.47 gave him his first US 5k title as he pulled away in the last 50 to win in 13:20.57. Solinsky also ran a 53.90 last lap and was a well-earned 2nd in 13:20.82. 20-year old Evan Jager, ended up 3rd (13:22.18). Bolota Asmeron was 4th in 13:24.00 and German Fernandez ended up 5th in a new American junior record of 13:25.46, surpassing the previous record by more than three seconds (13:29.98 ), set by Stanford’s Chris Derrick earlier this year!!