Distance runner underestimates competition

Friday, April 20, 2007

In preparation for his first collegiate 10,000-meter race next week, junior Paul Hefferon ran in his first collegiate 1,500-meter race at the Kansas Relays and found out that it’s a whole different breed.

Hefferon mistakenly jumped out into an early lead and stayed there for most of the way before running out of gas and dropping back for a third-place time of 3:55.22.

“When it started, I tried to go out at what I thought was a moderate pace and it turned out to be a lot faster than it should have been,” Hefferon said.

After opening the race with a 13-second 100 meters, when the desired range is 15 to 16 seconds, Hefferon realized that he would have to lead for most of the race.

That played into his hands, however, as Hefferon’s goal with the race was to increase his power and overwork his “quick-twitch” muscles, which only get used at the end of a 10,000-meter race.

At one point during the race it took the encouragement of teammate Benson Chesang, senior, to keep Hefferon charging toward the front of the pack. Chesang finished the race in fourth place with a time of 3:55.55.

pullquote

When it started, I tried to go out at what I thought was a moderate pace and it turned out to be a lot faster than it should have been.

-junior Paul Hefferon

In the final stretch, Hefferon underestimated the speed of Illinois freshman Jared Richardson and Lewis, Ill., senior Andy Tremble, who sprinted past him while he attempted to push to the end.

Sophomore Victor Chesang, nephew of Benson Chesang, looked impressive in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, jumping over hurdles and through water to win the race in a time of 9:53.16.

Victor was steady through the first half of the race, then charged through the pack in hopes of reaching the front.

“I calculated when some people took off early,” Chesang said. “I was waiting for them until the last and then I did my thing.”

In the 3,000 meters, junior Alicia McGregor finished at 10:18.97 for second place, followed by sophomore Hayley Harbert in third with a time of 10:40.17.

McGregor’s time is a personal record by nearly 18 seconds.

Both McGregor and Harbert will run in the 5,000 meters at next week’s Drake Relays and used this race as a training session, much like Hefferon.

Kansan sportswriter Taylor Bern can be contacted at tbern

@kansan.com.

— Edited by Kelly Lanigan

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