North Carolina’s Wesley Frazier was racing in her home state today and she took advantage of that home-cooking to triumph in the Girls’ 5K at the New Balance Meet. Wesley held back early and by mid-race she moved into contention among a cast of four runners, who included Erin Finn of Michigan, Krista DeCeault of Virginia & Haley Pierce of Delaware. With four laps to go the race became a duel between two sophomore runners, who had been 2010 finalists in the Foot Locker national Championships in San Diego, because Finn hotly pursued by Frazier opened a ten meter gap over the others.
Finn bravely held the lead for a bit but Frazier soon put in a surge, which would continue to increase as she headed to victory. In the end Frazier ran 16:24 to obliterate the former sophomore record of 16:31. Erin Finn finished alone & lapped a number of runners in the process, as she came home second in a time of 16:41. Krista DeCeault finished third with 16:53 and Joanna Thompson earned fourth with 17:01. New Jersey’s Holly Bischof took fifth in 17:06 and Marisa Shoji of Ma. placed sixth with 17”15. Haley Pierce followed in seventh with a time of 17:18.
For the guys it was Ed Cheserek of New Jersey challenging himself and the field early and then rolling to victory. His time of 14:25.74 won by twenty seconds over Thomas Graham of North Carolina. The time was also a sophomore record and it broke the meet record set by Solomon Haile of 14:31. Jeremey Elkaim of New Jersey placed fourth in 14:54 & Paul Szulewski, also from the Garden State, finished fourth (15:01). Earning fifth was Dustin Wilson of Pennsylvania, who was clocked in 15:01.41.
Patrick Anderson of Pennsylvania vaulted 15-9 to win that event. Palcing second and third respectively with vaults of 15-3 were Austin EEckenroth of Georgia & Mike BrunoForto of New York.