5 Questions with Sheila Reid

Sheila Reid leads future Olympians Kim Conley and
Molly Huddle at the Mt. Sac Relays 5000
(photo: TrackAndFieldPhoto)

Finishing off the week, we have another international Olympian at the keyboard for 5 Questions with. But like yesterday, this tremendous athlete has large ties to the US distance running scene, as she just capped off a fruitful collegiate career and will now test her mettle in the professional ranks.

Sheila Reid has been fighting lately, but not the way you'd expect. Until yesterday, she was fighting to attain a spot on the 2012 Canadian Olympic Team. Luckily, the call came and the multi-time NCAA National Champion at Villanova will be competing in the 2012 London Olympics. She has signed on with famed agent, Ray Flynn, and will compete in a few tune up races in Europe before the 5000 prelims start on August 7th. Follow her on Twitter @shewolfruns

5 Questions with Sheila Reid

1. Writing About Running: First off, congrats on being selected to the Canadian Olympic Team for the 5000 meters. How excited were you to get the call at the final hour?

Sheila Reid: I probably didn't sound very excited, as the first thing I said when I got the call was "Really?" I thought the appeal process was over and that I wouldn't be going to London, so I was confused. But when it was confirmed officially, I was ecstatic! I'm still smiling about it.

2. Writing About Running: You had an outstanding career at Villanova with Coach Gina Procaccio. What were a few moments that you took the most pride in and how did you choose Nova in the first place?

Sheila Reid: The first cross country team championship will always have a special place in my heart. We didn't qualify for NCAA's when I was a freshman, but Gina saw the potential our team had and said we would be national champions by the time we were seniors. As it turned out, we won two before my class graduated. I chose Nova because of the great tradition. The program has a great track record when it comes to NCAA champions, and Olympians.

3. Writing About Running: You recently signed on with Ray Flynn to be your agent after graduating. What led you to select Flynn Sports and have you signed a shoe deal at this point?

Sheila Reid: Flynn Sports is a really professional company with many successful athletes. After meeting Ray, it seemed like a good fit for me. I've yet to finalize a shoe contract.

Celebrating the 2010 Cross Country National
Championship with her Villanova teammates
(photo: TrackAndFieldPhoto)

4. Writing About Running: Between you and Cam Levins, Canada has had a lot of recent success at the collegiate level. How much does it mean to you to be one of the "future stars" and carry out that promise at the professional level for your country?

Sheila Reid: I think that was one of the keys to my selection to the Olympic team. I have a lot of ground to cover in this transition from collegiate to professional running, and more world experience is the only way to do it. I am not the best in the world now, but I want to be at that level in 4 years, so I am excited to start that process in London!

5. Writing About Running: The European racing season has begun and it sounds like you're already there and getting started. What are your plans before and after the Olympics?

Sheila Reid: Before the Olympics, I will race a couple 1500m races in Belgium and Italy to tune up for the 5000m. I have not planned much beyond London, but I can confirm that I will be seeing Bruce Springsteen in concert at the end of August.

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5 Questions with Paul Chelimo

Paul Chelimo indoors
(photo: TrackAndFieldPhoto)

Today we have 5 Questions with a budding star on the NCAA scene. In his first year in Division I, he was an All American in Cross Country, finishing 13th in Terre Haute, an All American indoors, finishing 4th in the 3000 meters and finally, an All American Outdoors in the 5000 meters.

Paul Chelimo has got the right attitude. He recently finished second to Cam Levins in a big kick in the NCAA Men's 5000 meters final and will take on some of the best in the World at the Kenyan Olympic Trials in about 10 days. He'll then regroup and begin taking aim at a first national title this fall in Cross Country, as the only returners that stood in from of him this year were Lawi Lalang, Mo Ahmed and Henry Lelei. Follow him on Twitter @PaulChelimo

5 Questions with Paul Chelimo

1. Writing About Running: Congratulations on finishing at the runner up in the Men's 5000 meters at NCAA's. How did that race play out in your opinion?

Paul Chelimo: The race was great, but tough. It was so hot and the air was dry. I had to persevere until the end. The pace went out slow at 4:28 for the first mile then got faster the next mile. It ended up being a kicker's race.

2. Writing About Running: Coach (Linh) Nguyen has put together a great team at UNC Greensboro. How did you end up there?

Paul Chelimo: I knew most of the guys on the UNCG team. Also, UNCG had shown great improvement in Cross Country and Track.

3. Writing About Running: Between yourself, Paul Katam and Joey Thompson, UNCG has had a lot of success in distance running this year. Where are some good areas to run in Greensboro and what kind of training have you been doing?

Paul Chelimo: We do most of our runs at Hamilton Lakes Park, Salem Lake, Bur Mill Park and at NC A&T's Track. The kind of training that we do is tempo runs and speed work on the track twice a week, once a week long runs, then easy runs each day after a workout.

Chelimo edging out in state rival
 Ryan Hill at Indoor Nationals
(photo: TrackAndFieldPhoto)

4. Writing About Running: You'll be the fourth top returner for Cross Country in the fall. After such a strong track season, do you feel like you've made the jump to compete for the title in the fall?

Paul Chelimo: I am now more confident than before, going into the season. I am among the favorites to win the Cross Country title. I will have to bump up my mileage this summer to get ready for the Cross Country season. I am so thirsty for the National title; all it takes to win, is discipline and hard work.

5. Writing About Running: What's next for Paul Chelimo?

Paul Chelimo: I will be going for the Kenyan Olympic Trials, it’s going to be a long journey but I am confident that I will do great. Thereafter, I'll focus on the Cross Country season this fall.

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5 Questions with Cam Levins

Cam Levins kicks home at Mt. Sac
(photo: TrackAndFieldPhoto)

Today we have 5 Questions with the most improved distance runner in the NCAA's over the past year. He embodies the "miles make champions" mentality and will be debuting (and going after the Olympic A Standard of 27:45) in the 10,000 meters at the Payton Jordan Invitational this Sunday at Stanford.

Cam Levins began to turn heads in running under four minutes in the mile during the 2010 indoor season at Southern Utah University. Since then, he's been on a tear, most recently upsetting Lawi Lalang in the 5000 at Mt. Sac last weekend and running the under the Olympic A Standard (and Canadian A+ Standard) in the process with a scintillating 13:18.47.

5 Questions with Cam Levins

1. Writing About Running: First off, congrats on winning the 5000 at Mt. Sac this past weekend and hitting the Olympic A Standard and the Canadian A+ Standard in the process. Was that the goal all along and did the race unfold the way you had hoped?

Cam Levins: Thanks so much, it was definitely breakthrough race for me! I'm glad the pace was set on goal for 13:20, so we at least stood a chance at the Olympic A Standard, but the race slowed part way through, so I honestly didn't expect my finishing time. I was capable of running at least the Olympic B Standard, however I couldn't positively know I was going to run like that.

2. Writing About Running: You burst onto the national scene during cross country season with your excellent performances and high mileage training. What kind of training are you doing right now?

Cam Levins: I probably shouldn't go into too much detail about my training (Coach Houle doesn't like it), but I'll talk a little about it. I still try and keep my high mileage (around 150 for the past couple weeks), and we are really beginning to incorporate a lot more quality combined with that mileage.

3. Writing About Running: With all your accomplishments over the past year, what are you most proud of? (Your quadrupling to help the Southern Utah take the Summit League Men's title indoors was my personal favorite)

Cam Levins: I do my best to help the team as much as possible, and I felt the quadrupling was necessary to stand a chance at winning our conference. Other than the Mt. SAC 5000m (I am really happy with that race and honestly still in a little disbelief about it), I am actually very proud of my 7:45 3000m at the New Balance Grand Prix, because I felt like that gave me the confidence I could run a real fast 5000.

Levins at NCAA Indoors
(photo: TrackAndFieldPhoto) 

4. Writing About Running: Payton Jordan is always a very fast meet for distance running. You’ve running a lot of big meets this year. What are you hoping to get out of the loaded 10,000 at the heralded Stanford track this Sunday?

Cam Levins: Having Canada's A+ Standard really takes a lot of pressure off me this weekend for chasing the Olympic A Standard in the 10,000m. I just want to go experience my first 10k ever on the track and have fun. I am happy I have to opportunity to be in a race with so many good athletes, so hopefully I can hang in there and get a great time out of it.

5. Writing About Running: The Canadian Trials are at the end of June. Is the goal this year the 5000? What are your plans for the rest of the season and NCAA’s?

Cam Levins: At this moment, I am focusing on the 5000 for the Olympics, but I guess that could change if I run a real strong 10,000. I really enjoy running the 5000m, and so I feel that I would rather run it; I think you need to focus on the race you prefer compete in, because it's tough to train for something you don't even want to do. Depending on how the 10,000m goes this weekend, I am considering racing both 10k and 5k at NCAA nationals. I haven't really planned out where I want to race during the summer, but that can be figured out post NCAA's.

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The Run Down: Jenny Simpson's double at USA's leads a big weekend

Simpson had lots to smile about in Albuquerque
 (photo: TrackAndFieldPhoto)

It was another incredible weekend to be a Track and Field fan. Whether you were competing or spectating, it was hard to keep up with it all. The USA Indoor Championships were happening in Albuquerque, NM, tons of conference meets were going on all over the country (USTFCCA has an excellent page with links to all results) and the Brooks PR Invite ended the weekend for the top preps the in country.

Jenny Simpson's performances led the way, as she repeated her 1500/3000 double at USA's. On Friday, she bided her time in the 3000 and took the win in a tactical 9:19.15 over Jackie Areson and Sara Hall and Saturday, she held off a hard charging Brenda Martinez and the newly signed to Nike, Sara Vaughn. It looks like she'll be skipping World's in Instanbul, so the above four ladies will be booking their tickets. Also, it should be noted that Erica Moore looked superb in the 800, winning in a very nice 2:01.08, and pulling her teammate, Phoebe Wright, along with her for a trip to Turkey.

Introducing Erica Moore...
(photo: TrackAndFieldPhoto)

On the Men's side, Bernard Lagat said it best with the line (to the AP): "I just wanted to show those guys that Daddy can still kick." That may have been the understatement of the night, as he left Lopez Lomong, a 1:45 and 3:32 guy in the blocks with a 25 second last lap in the Men's 3000. Duane Soloman made it look easy in the 800 and pulled Michael Rutt along with him to Worlds, while Leo Manzano outkicked an unknowing Matt Centrowitz in the 1500. Centro may indeed have heard him coming after he went past Galen Rupp, but it sure didn't look like it.

In the collegiate world, Southern Utah's Cam Levins quadrupled to help the Thunderbirds take the Summit League Men's title. There was also an 800 round he had to run in there to complete this impressive feat. Here's how his weekend went:

Friday - qualified in 800 semifinal (1:54) then won the 3000 final in 8:19 (meet record).

Saturday - at 1:20 pm, he won the Mile in 4:10. At 2:45 pm, he won the 800 in 1:50 (meet record). Finally, at 3:25 pm, he won the 5000 in 14:35. What a weekend. Hope he's got something left for NCAA's and Outdoor!

Martinez runs out of real estate in the
 1500 (photo: TrackAndFieldPhoto)

Finally, the Brooks PR Invite was back and produced some excellent results. Molly Seidel continued her excellent season by winning a competitive two mile in 10:13.45, while Texas' Daniel Vertiz ran a very strong race from the front and broke the meet record (in the same event) with a nice 8:59.15. He also led North Dakota's Jake Leingang under 9 in the process. Check out Flotrack's Crack Recap here.

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Millrose, Husky and the USA Classic lead a big weekend of Indoor Track

Rupp will chase Lagat's record in Arkansas

It's a great weekend to be a track and field fan with tons going on! Along with the USA Cross Country Championships (previewed earlier in the week), there are three big meets that highlight indoor track action across the country.

Here's a little information on each of them:

USA Track and Field Classic
Fayetteville, AR
Saturday, February 11, 5pm Central
Broadcast: Sunday, February 12, 12:30 - 2:30 on ESPN2
Entry List / Schedule
Results

The highlight of the meet will be Galen Rupp's attack on Bernard Lagat's American 2-Mile Record of 8:10.07. New Balance's Craig Miller will be pacing the affair and he'll be joined by OTC/Schumacher Group's Andrew Bumbalough, former California standout Michael Coe, Aron Rono and Stephen Pifer. Lagat set the record last year and it'll take quite the effort to break! The Women's 1500 will feature a showdown between the veteran Treniere Moser, Anna Pierce, who bounced back last week with a nice 1000, Brenda Martinez, who dominated the US Open Mile, Sara Vaughn, Ashley Higginson, Btissame Lahkuoad, who looked great last week, and YouTube sensation, Heather Dorniden. Finally, the Geoff Hollister Mile will feature an absolutely stacked field. Leo Manzano leads the American contingent that includes Jeff See and Russell Brown. Boston winner, Ciaran O'Lionard, is back with an impressive international field that includes Amine Laalou, Daniel Kipchichir Komen, Silas Kiplagat and Boston 3000 winner, Caleb Ndiku. Former Chapel Hill High standout, Jack Bolas will pace the affair. ESPN2 will show the event on tape delay Sunday.

Fast Times at "The Dempsey"

Flotrack Husky Classic
Seattle, WA
Friday, February 10, 4pm Pacific (and Saturday, Feb 11)
Broadcast: Live on Flotrack
Entry List / Schedule
Results

The Husky Classic has turned into one of the premier indoor meets in the country as athletes love the fast 309 meter track at "The Dempsey." Spiked Up, Psyched Up has a nice preview of the distance events. Flotrack will be streaming the entire event and will have a special program for the collegiate section of the meet from 6 to 9pm Eastern on Saturday.

Southern Utah's Cam Levins won't have to look
 far for competition in the Wanamaker Mile

Millrose Games
New York, NY
Saturday, February 11, 4pm Eastern
Broadcast: Youtube Live
Entry List / Schedule
Results

The Millrose Games is sold out! 5000+ will enter the Amory on Saturday to see tons of great competition. You wonder if they would have put together a similar field last year as they did this year, whether or not they could have kept it in Madison Square Garden, as it is truly stacked. Lots of great college athletes are in the fields and Let's Run has an excellent preview worth checking out. YouTube will be showing the event live, which is better than nothing!

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