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The outdoor track and field season is a week away from starting in earnest for most Iowa programs.
So a popular St. Patrick's Day-themed race in Chicago last weekend takes top billing in this edition of the WEEKEND UPDATE of the best performances by Iowa-based collegiate and post collegiate distance runners and triathletes.
Former Dowling Catholic prep star and two-time Olympian Karissa Schweizer produced the third-fastest 8-kilometer time in U.S. history while taking second overall in the women's competition at the 45th Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle on Sunday, March 22. The Swoosh TC team athlete ended with a time of 24 minutes, 56 seconds to lead Swoosh to a mixed team title.
"Had such a fun time jumping into the Shamrock Shuffle this weekend! And getting to feel the rhythm of a road race! Came away with a sub-25 8K and hit the main goal for the weekend!" Schweizer wrote on Instagram.
Emma Grace Hurley of the Working Man's Track Club set a new American record on a cold, windy morning. Hurley took down Deena Kastor's 21-year-old mark of 24:36 by seven seconds.
Fitness Sports Distance Project's Anastasia Kirillov, a new team member after ending her career with Drake University, paced that squad's women's team with a 27:29 time that was 294th overall. Central College and Pella High grad Caroline McMartin, now with the Driftless Distance Project based in Wisconsin, took 328th in 27:52. McMartin, a former NCAA runner-up in the 3,000 steeplechase, is now based in Iowa City. The No. 2 scorer for FSDP was Wartburg College and New London product Lexi Brown in 372nd place in 28:21. Teammate Jordan Winke helped the FSDP team solidify 10th place in the women's competition by running a 12-second personal record of 28:26. Winke ran for Albia and Iowa. Jess McKee, another ex-Iowa runner who competed for Johnston, was the top FSDP Mixed team women's runner in 28:31. That unit finished seventh in the team race. Flannery Cerbin-Bohach is a former Luther College athlete who led the Runablaze Black team. Cerbin-Bohach, of rural Cresco, ran 29:06 for 457th overall. Melanie Hamilt of the Runablaze team was the non-binary division champion in 29:07. Teammate Pasca Cheruiyot of Ankeny was next to finish for Runblaze Black in 29:21. The Runablaze Black women's team claimed 10th.
Former Boone High runner Danna Herrick of Norwalk claimed 518th place overall in 29:32. Herrick is a former Runablaze and Hanson-Brooks ODP squad athlete. Gabby Skopec of the FSDP Mixed squad ended up running 29:41. Skopec attended Iowa City West and Iowa. Lauren Wood, a former Valley High prep who is now with Runablaze, crossed in 29:44 for the team's Black unit. FSDP Mixed team's Deanna Newhouse, a former Mount Mercy University runner, ran 29:55. FSDP's Erin Eichler of Cedar Rapids ran 30:02 for 608th. Running Wild Elite Coed member Jacey Schickel ran 30:10 to pace that squad. Former Davenport Assumption and Northern Iowa competitor Becca Mallon of the RWE Coed squad ran 30:15 for 655th overall. Earlham grad Andrea Haus of the Mill City Running A squad based in Minnesota ran 30:34. Andrea Albert of the FSDP squad was 711th overall in 30:37. Albert competed for Marion and Mount Mercy. FSDP's Addy Carlson, a Saint Ansgar and Wartburg product, ran 30:56. Crown Running's Jess Hruska ran 31:04 for 774th overall. Hruska is a former Dubuque Hempstead and Wartburg runner. That time would be sixth best by a masters female in Iowa history had it occurred in the state. Former Waukee and Central Central college athlete Callie O'Brien of the Runablaze Orange team ran 31:23.
FSDP's Gable Sieperda wore the No. 1 bib as the defending champion of the men's competition. The former Iowa State All-American in the steeplechase who resides in Ames couldn't repeat as champion. The Central Lyon-GLR grad ran 23:56 for 25th place to pace the FSDP A squad. Sieperda's 22:52 a year ago was better than the 22:59 posted by Sunday's winner Mo Ahmed of the Swoosh TC squad by seven seconds. Ahmed won by five seconds. The top performer for an Iowa squad was Runablaze Iowa A athlete Stan Linton in 17th in 23:45. That squad took eighth in the team competition.
Sieperda's FSDP teammate, Cody Baele of Des Moines, picked up 27th place overall in 23:58. Crown Running's Mason Tope, who prepped at Davenport Central before a stellar career at Loras College, grabbed 30th in 24:08. Crown Running grabbed eighth in the team race. RWE's Mike Gille, a former St. Ambrose assistant coach now at Elmhurst, took 35th in 24:11 to pace that squad. Former Indian Hills Community College runner Marcus Graham of the FSDP A squad took 37th in 24:14 to help his unit finish seventh in the team competition. RWE's Joe Langridge, like Gille a former Augustana College runner, was next to finish in 24:15. RWE men's coordinator Devin Allbaugh, who prepped at Pleasant Valley and is from Bettendorf, ran 24:20 for 42nd. RWE finished sixth, its best finish in race history.
Garret Ehlers, a former Morningside University standout who now coaches at the Sioux City school, was 44th in 24:21. Ehlers was competing for the Runablaze Black squad. Jack Kinzer of the Driftless team and a former Liberty High and Wartburg runner took 46th in 24:22. Next across the finish line was Unity Christian (Orange City) and Dordt University product Jacob Vander Plaats of the FSDP Mixed squad in 24:24. Runablaze Black's Blake Whalen, who competed for Dubuque Senior and Iowa Central, took 50th for the 4.97-mile distance in 24:28. His teammate, former Pleasant Valley and Central College athlete Austin O'Brien, secured 56th in 24:41. The next finisher was former Cardinal (Eldon) and Grand View University standout Trevor Albert of the FSDP Mixed squad in 24:41. Matt Lorenz of Cedar Rapids and a Runablaze Orange competitor ended up 60th in 24:45. Former Iowa runner Kallin Carolus Khan of the FSDP A team took 68th in 24:52.
Runablaze White team athletes finished close together. Former Drake runenr Ben Jaskowiak ran 25:46 for 145th. He was one spot ahead of teammate and Dubuque Hempstead and Loras College athlete Joseph Schultz in 25:47. Former South Winneshiek and Luther College runner Adam Bohach of the Runablaze White squad ran 25:54 for 159th. That time would have landed the resident of rural Cresco the third-best time in Iowa masters history had it occurred in the state. Next to finish was Johnston and Iowa Central product Tyson Wieland of the Runablaze White team in 25:55. East Marshall and Northwestern College grad Caleb Benzing of the FSDP A team took 163rd in 26:00. Former Pleasant Valley prep Elliott Klauer of the RWE Coed team took 173rd in 26:06. FSDP B team member Joshua Wiseman of Iowa City ended up 191st in 26:17. Teammate Seth Kilborn, an East Marshall, Indian Hills and Grand View product, was 206th in 26:28. Former Des Moines Christian prep Noah Fopma, competing for the Wheaton Alumni Running, ended up 214th in 26:33. More than 26,000 finished the race.
Moving to outdoor track and field, where Des Moines Christian grad Aaron Fynaardt picked up a victory in the 5,000 meters at the Rhodes Invitational in Memphis, Tennessee. The Union (Tenn.) junior, who started his career at Drake, ran a new best of 14:37.14 to win by over 31 seconds.
Iowa sent several athletes to the UCF Black & Gold Challenge in Orlando, Florida. Hawkeye redshirt sophomore Carson Lane, who prepped at Johnston, grabbed seventh in the 1,500 invite in 3:47.55. Kentucky freshman Tony Anania, a Norwalk product, clocked 3:51.50 for 19th. The winner ran 3:43.78.
Both runners also competed in the 800. Iowa junior Derek Leitcht, who competed for Dubuque Hempstead, took 12th in 1:50.79. Lane ran 1:51.20 for 14th. Anania recorded a 25th-place finish in 1:53.06 in a competition won in 1:46.71 by Michigan senior Camden Law.
Iowa junior Lily Johannes finished 25th in the women's 800 in 2:15.87. Johannes is a former Cedar Rapids Prairie runner. The winner, Kentucky junior Lyric Olson, ran 2:04.02.Northwest Missouri State sent a contingent to the Spire Distance Carnival & Team Challenge in Leavenworth, Kansas, in St. Mary. Senior Riley Witt, fresh off a seventh place NCAA Division II finish in the mile, took fifth in the 1,500. The former St. Ansgar athlete ran 3:47.98 in a race won by senior teammate Aziz Mohammed in 3:40.69.
Witt's wife, Kiki (Connell) Witt, was a winner in her first shot at the 3,000 steeplechase in 2026. The Charles City grad who went on to compete for Northern Iowa and Iowa State before ending up in Maryville ran 10:48.15 to win by more than 50 seconds. That time earned Witt the Division II provisional standard for nationals.
NOTE: This blog will be updated.
MISSING A TOP DISTANCE RUNNER OR TRIATHLETE?: Let me know at [email protected].
Want to hear more about distance running in Iowa. Listen to my podcast here:
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Mile posts: Items on Karissa Schweizer, Anastasia Kirillov, Caroline McMartin, Gable Sieperda, Cody Baele, Mason Tope
Continue reading...
So a popular St. Patrick's Day-themed race in Chicago last weekend takes top billing in this edition of the WEEKEND UPDATE of the best performances by Iowa-based collegiate and post collegiate distance runners and triathletes.
Former Dowling Catholic prep star and two-time Olympian Karissa Schweizer produced the third-fastest 8-kilometer time in U.S. history while taking second overall in the women's competition at the 45th Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle on Sunday, March 22. The Swoosh TC team athlete ended with a time of 24 minutes, 56 seconds to lead Swoosh to a mixed team title.
"Had such a fun time jumping into the Shamrock Shuffle this weekend! And getting to feel the rhythm of a road race! Came away with a sub-25 8K and hit the main goal for the weekend!" Schweizer wrote on Instagram.
Emma Grace Hurley of the Working Man's Track Club set a new American record on a cold, windy morning. Hurley took down Deena Kastor's 21-year-old mark of 24:36 by seven seconds.
Fitness Sports Distance Project's Anastasia Kirillov, a new team member after ending her career with Drake University, paced that squad's women's team with a 27:29 time that was 294th overall. Central College and Pella High grad Caroline McMartin, now with the Driftless Distance Project based in Wisconsin, took 328th in 27:52. McMartin, a former NCAA runner-up in the 3,000 steeplechase, is now based in Iowa City. The No. 2 scorer for FSDP was Wartburg College and New London product Lexi Brown in 372nd place in 28:21. Teammate Jordan Winke helped the FSDP team solidify 10th place in the women's competition by running a 12-second personal record of 28:26. Winke ran for Albia and Iowa. Jess McKee, another ex-Iowa runner who competed for Johnston, was the top FSDP Mixed team women's runner in 28:31. That unit finished seventh in the team race. Flannery Cerbin-Bohach is a former Luther College athlete who led the Runablaze Black team. Cerbin-Bohach, of rural Cresco, ran 29:06 for 457th overall. Melanie Hamilt of the Runablaze team was the non-binary division champion in 29:07. Teammate Pasca Cheruiyot of Ankeny was next to finish for Runblaze Black in 29:21. The Runablaze Black women's team claimed 10th.
Former Boone High runner Danna Herrick of Norwalk claimed 518th place overall in 29:32. Herrick is a former Runablaze and Hanson-Brooks ODP squad athlete. Gabby Skopec of the FSDP Mixed squad ended up running 29:41. Skopec attended Iowa City West and Iowa. Lauren Wood, a former Valley High prep who is now with Runablaze, crossed in 29:44 for the team's Black unit. FSDP Mixed team's Deanna Newhouse, a former Mount Mercy University runner, ran 29:55. FSDP's Erin Eichler of Cedar Rapids ran 30:02 for 608th. Running Wild Elite Coed member Jacey Schickel ran 30:10 to pace that squad. Former Davenport Assumption and Northern Iowa competitor Becca Mallon of the RWE Coed squad ran 30:15 for 655th overall. Earlham grad Andrea Haus of the Mill City Running A squad based in Minnesota ran 30:34. Andrea Albert of the FSDP squad was 711th overall in 30:37. Albert competed for Marion and Mount Mercy. FSDP's Addy Carlson, a Saint Ansgar and Wartburg product, ran 30:56. Crown Running's Jess Hruska ran 31:04 for 774th overall. Hruska is a former Dubuque Hempstead and Wartburg runner. That time would be sixth best by a masters female in Iowa history had it occurred in the state. Former Waukee and Central Central college athlete Callie O'Brien of the Runablaze Orange team ran 31:23.
FSDP's Gable Sieperda wore the No. 1 bib as the defending champion of the men's competition. The former Iowa State All-American in the steeplechase who resides in Ames couldn't repeat as champion. The Central Lyon-GLR grad ran 23:56 for 25th place to pace the FSDP A squad. Sieperda's 22:52 a year ago was better than the 22:59 posted by Sunday's winner Mo Ahmed of the Swoosh TC squad by seven seconds. Ahmed won by five seconds. The top performer for an Iowa squad was Runablaze Iowa A athlete Stan Linton in 17th in 23:45. That squad took eighth in the team competition.
Sieperda's FSDP teammate, Cody Baele of Des Moines, picked up 27th place overall in 23:58. Crown Running's Mason Tope, who prepped at Davenport Central before a stellar career at Loras College, grabbed 30th in 24:08. Crown Running grabbed eighth in the team race. RWE's Mike Gille, a former St. Ambrose assistant coach now at Elmhurst, took 35th in 24:11 to pace that squad. Former Indian Hills Community College runner Marcus Graham of the FSDP A squad took 37th in 24:14 to help his unit finish seventh in the team competition. RWE's Joe Langridge, like Gille a former Augustana College runner, was next to finish in 24:15. RWE men's coordinator Devin Allbaugh, who prepped at Pleasant Valley and is from Bettendorf, ran 24:20 for 42nd. RWE finished sixth, its best finish in race history.
Garret Ehlers, a former Morningside University standout who now coaches at the Sioux City school, was 44th in 24:21. Ehlers was competing for the Runablaze Black squad. Jack Kinzer of the Driftless team and a former Liberty High and Wartburg runner took 46th in 24:22. Next across the finish line was Unity Christian (Orange City) and Dordt University product Jacob Vander Plaats of the FSDP Mixed squad in 24:24. Runablaze Black's Blake Whalen, who competed for Dubuque Senior and Iowa Central, took 50th for the 4.97-mile distance in 24:28. His teammate, former Pleasant Valley and Central College athlete Austin O'Brien, secured 56th in 24:41. The next finisher was former Cardinal (Eldon) and Grand View University standout Trevor Albert of the FSDP Mixed squad in 24:41. Matt Lorenz of Cedar Rapids and a Runablaze Orange competitor ended up 60th in 24:45. Former Iowa runner Kallin Carolus Khan of the FSDP A team took 68th in 24:52.
Runablaze White team athletes finished close together. Former Drake runenr Ben Jaskowiak ran 25:46 for 145th. He was one spot ahead of teammate and Dubuque Hempstead and Loras College athlete Joseph Schultz in 25:47. Former South Winneshiek and Luther College runner Adam Bohach of the Runablaze White squad ran 25:54 for 159th. That time would have landed the resident of rural Cresco the third-best time in Iowa masters history had it occurred in the state. Next to finish was Johnston and Iowa Central product Tyson Wieland of the Runablaze White team in 25:55. East Marshall and Northwestern College grad Caleb Benzing of the FSDP A team took 163rd in 26:00. Former Pleasant Valley prep Elliott Klauer of the RWE Coed team took 173rd in 26:06. FSDP B team member Joshua Wiseman of Iowa City ended up 191st in 26:17. Teammate Seth Kilborn, an East Marshall, Indian Hills and Grand View product, was 206th in 26:28. Former Des Moines Christian prep Noah Fopma, competing for the Wheaton Alumni Running, ended up 214th in 26:33. More than 26,000 finished the race.
Moving to outdoor track and field, where Des Moines Christian grad Aaron Fynaardt picked up a victory in the 5,000 meters at the Rhodes Invitational in Memphis, Tennessee. The Union (Tenn.) junior, who started his career at Drake, ran a new best of 14:37.14 to win by over 31 seconds.
Iowa sent several athletes to the UCF Black & Gold Challenge in Orlando, Florida. Hawkeye redshirt sophomore Carson Lane, who prepped at Johnston, grabbed seventh in the 1,500 invite in 3:47.55. Kentucky freshman Tony Anania, a Norwalk product, clocked 3:51.50 for 19th. The winner ran 3:43.78.
Both runners also competed in the 800. Iowa junior Derek Leitcht, who competed for Dubuque Hempstead, took 12th in 1:50.79. Lane ran 1:51.20 for 14th. Anania recorded a 25th-place finish in 1:53.06 in a competition won in 1:46.71 by Michigan senior Camden Law.
Iowa junior Lily Johannes finished 25th in the women's 800 in 2:15.87. Johannes is a former Cedar Rapids Prairie runner. The winner, Kentucky junior Lyric Olson, ran 2:04.02.Northwest Missouri State sent a contingent to the Spire Distance Carnival & Team Challenge in Leavenworth, Kansas, in St. Mary. Senior Riley Witt, fresh off a seventh place NCAA Division II finish in the mile, took fifth in the 1,500. The former St. Ansgar athlete ran 3:47.98 in a race won by senior teammate Aziz Mohammed in 3:40.69.
Witt's wife, Kiki (Connell) Witt, was a winner in her first shot at the 3,000 steeplechase in 2026. The Charles City grad who went on to compete for Northern Iowa and Iowa State before ending up in Maryville ran 10:48.15 to win by more than 50 seconds. That time earned Witt the Division II provisional standard for nationals.
NOTE: This blog will be updated.
MISSING A TOP DISTANCE RUNNER OR TRIATHLETE?: Let me know at [email protected].
Want to hear more about distance running in Iowa. Listen to my podcast here:
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Mile posts: Items on Karissa Schweizer, Anastasia Kirillov, Caroline McMartin, Gable Sieperda, Cody Baele, Mason Tope
Continue reading...
