Lagat Claims Mile, 3K Titles at NCAA Track Championships
Men's track standout dominates in Indianapolis.
March 6, 1999
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - Bernard Lagat, a Washington State University junior
from Kapsabet, Kenya, won the men's mile and about 90 minutes later claimed
the 3,000m race Saturday at the NCAA Div. I Indoor Track and Field
Championships at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis, Ind.
Lagat's two victories, added to sophomore Arend Watkins' eighth-place in
the 60m hurdles Friday night, gave the Cougars 21 points and 10th place in
the men's team standings. Arkansas repeated as men's champions with 65
points and Stanford was second with 42.5 points.
Lagat's mile time of three minutes, 55.65 seconds is a lifetime best for
him and a new WSU indoor mile record, eclipsing Samuel Kibiri's time of
3:58.91, run at the 1991 NCAA Indoor Championships. The runner-up in the
mile was Colorado State junior Bryan Berryhill with a time of 3:56.76.
After a brief rest, Lagat returned to the oval and clocked a 7:54.92
personal-best time to win the 3,000m race with Arkansas senior Mike Power
second at 7:55.36.
"I had plenty (of energy) left coming into this (3000m) race," Lagat said
after completing his double national champion effort. "I just used half of
my effort and I was feeling really great. I ended up leading the race the
whole time and I realized I had to go slower or with my own pace and kick
later. I know I have a good kick so I was ready for any kick (from others)
at the end. I was really confident of myself."
"I've never won an NCAA individual race before so this was important for
me. My coach (Rick Sloan) told me it was an odd combination - the mile and
3000m race - so if I win both it was a good improvement for me and it tells
me that I have a good future."
The only other Cougar competitor Saturday was freshman Whitney Evans from
Calgary, Canada, who finished tied for sixth in the women's high jump with
a personal-best indoor mark of 6-0. Texas' Erin Aldrich won the event with
a height of 6-3 1/2.
Texas won the women's team championship with 61 points and LSU was second
at 57 points. Evan's 2.5 points placed the WSU women 53rd.
In Friday's competition, WSU's Watkins, from San Jose, Calif., finished
eighth in the men's 60m high hurdles in a time of 7.87, and Alishia
Booterbaugh, a junior from LaCenter, Wash., ran a time of 2:09.04 in the
women's 800m preliminary heats but did not qualify for the Saturday final.
Washington State is now idle until opening the outdoor season at the Big
Foot Invitational Meet March 20 in Spokane.
