American runners are all over Europe this summer, and not just in those big-euro Diamond League meets.
Two NYAC members who are recent Georgetown graduates – Liz Maloy and Maggie Infeld -- are having a breakout season in a series of these smaller, back-road events.
Maloy has run 4:11 and 4:09 for 1,500, then over the weekend won a 3,000 in Belfast in 8:56, her first time under 9 minutes. She is a graduate of Holy Names in Colonie, near Albany.
Infeld, an Ohioan whose younger sister Emily is currently a Hoya as well, has run 2:03 and 4:10.
Two other Georgetown alums, Andrew Bumbalough and Liam Boylan-Pett, have run in some of the same meets. Both have run 3:41.
While most of the summer action for the veterans is in Europe, Rob Novak, the Seton Hall graduate who also runs for the AC, managed to find a road mile in Michigan over the weekend. Novak, whose track best is 4:01, ran 3:56.5 for third place in the memorial Ryan Shay Mile in Charlevoix. Jeff See of Ohio State was first in 3:55.9, LBP second in 3:56.4. In the women’s mile, Delilah DiCrescenzo, the Columbia assistant coach, finished third, in an excellent 4:37.6.
Some of the names popping in Europe this month have also been old friends who are not Americans. That would include James Thie, the Welshman who ran at the Armory many times before returning to Europe to coach. Thie, now 32, has been having a banner return to the miler wars, running 3:43, 3:41 and 3:40 for 1,500, the latter his fastest in five years.
In addition to Maloy, two other native New Yorkers who are running well in Europe are Molly Huddle and Nicole Blood.
Huddle ran 14:51.84 for 5k at the Paris DL meet – OK, that one was televised – the fourth-fastest ever by an American, then a PR 4:09.22 last Saturday in Belfast.
Blood, a June graduate of the University of Oregon, ran 4:21 in that race a week after an outdoor 3k PR of 9:16.72 in Velletri, Italy.
Oordegem, Belgium, July 3 M 1500, James Thie 3:40.97
Flanders, Brasschaat, Belgium, July 11 M 1500, Jeff See 3:40.94, Andrew Jesien 3:41.23 (3), Liam Boylan-Pett 3:41.39 (5), Thie 3:41.41 (6), Andrew Bumbalough 3:41.81 (7); W 800 Shannon Rowbury 2:03.02 (3), Alice Schmidt 2:03.52, Maggie Infeld 2:03.62 PR; 1500 Molly Huddle 4:09.22 PR, Liz Maloy 4:09.24 PR, Gabrielle Anderson (U Minnesota) 4:12.06 PR, Marina Muncan (Serbia) 4:14.58, Natalie Picchetti (U Georgia) 4:19.20, Lisa Koll (Iowa State) 4:19.71, Nicole Blood 4:21.01
Velletri, Italy, July 17 W 3k Blood 9:16.72 (3) PR
Savo Games, Lapinlahti, Finland, July 18 W 1500 Infeld 4:10.57 PR, Maloy 4:11.20 (2), Picchetti 4:15.73
BMC, Belfast, July 24 M 800 Brian Gagnon (U Conn) 1:48.96 (5), 1500 Bumbalough 3:42.64, Thie 3:43.14, Chris Gowell (Baylor/GB) 3:45.77 (12) PR W 800 Infeld 2:03.47 PR, 1500 Renee Baillie 4:16.66 (4), Megan Metcalfe Wright (Can) 4:17.04, Picchetti 4:20.54; 3k Maloy 8:56.89 PR /JP/