KARA GOUCHER'S TRACK IS A WINNING ONE

By: Kevin Pates, News Tribune

Marathoner Kara Goucher returned to the track Friday night to hone her speed and defend her only national championship — at 5,000 meters, won a year ago at the U.S. Olympic Trials.

She duplicated her effort at the same venue, placing first in a field of 20 in 15 minutes, 20.94 seconds in the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore.

Jennifer Rhines was a distant second in 15:26.92 and Angela Bizzarri third in 15:33.02.

Goucher, 30, a Duluthian living in Portland, Ore., will compete only in the marathon in the World Championships on Aug. 23 in Berlin. She was involved in a slow-paced 5,000 until Rhines sped ahead with about three laps to go. Goucher, seventh at the time, followed the leader and then passed fellow 2008 Olympian Rhines with about 500 meters remaining.

“I almost fell twice,” Goucher told the Eugene Register-Guard. “I think that was just because the pace was slow. It’s kind of like the Boston Marathon or the Olympic final, when it’s so slow and you get so many women running up on each other. You have to not let it bother you.’’

Former Olympian Carrie Tollefson of St. Paul, a Goucher high school rival at Dawson-Boyd, didn’t finish.
Goucher’s performance continued a winning start to the meet by Nike Oregon Project runners coached by Alberto Salazar. On Thursday’s opening day, Amy Yoder Begley and Galen Rupp won 10,000-meter titles.

“I got a lot of inspiration from Amy and Galen,” Goucher told the Portland Oregonian. “Amy for how she gutted through and Galen for the way he looked so effortless.”

Jurek drops out of Western States

Seven-time champion Scott Jurek of Seattle dropped out of the Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run about halfway through the event Saturday afternoon from Squaw Valley to Auburn, Calif. Jurek, 35, a Proctor native, dropped out after reaching the 47.8-mile checkpoint in 10th place, about 36 minutes behind leader Hal Koerner. Temperatures were in the 80s and 90s.

Koerner, 33, from Ashland, Ore., held nearly an hour lead 78 miles into the race with Leigh Schmitt, 36, of Conway, Mass., in second. Jurek was in third place 38-miles into the race.

Kramer, Houck win titles

Matt Kramer of Cloquet and Jen Houck of Duluth won titles in Saturday’s fourth Midnight Run five-kilometer road race on the Lakewalk in Canal Park.

Kramer, 23, a Wisconsin-Superior Division III track All-American, was first in a record field of 570 in 15 minutes, 40 seconds. Scott Behling of Duluth was second in 15:45 and Jason Lindelof of Superior was third in 16:08.

Houck, 25, led the women’s field in 17:42, Rachel Stack of Duluth was second in 19:27 and Melissa Johnson of Switzerland was third in 20:00.