Lagat Will Try To Close Gap In Cougs’ 5,000-Meter Fortunes

Hard to believe since the likes of Henry Rono, Peter Koech and Julius Korir have passed through in between, but it’s been 21 years since a Washington State runner won the 5,000 meters at the NCAA Track and Field Championships.

The only thing that may stop Bernard Lagat this weekend is that he’s trying to win the 1,500, as well.

After capturing the 800 and 1,500 at the Pacific-10 Conference meet two weeks ago, Lagat will tackle another daunting double when the NCAA championships open today at the University of Buffalo.

The junior from Kenya is one of eight Cougars who made the qualifying cut into the NCAAs - a couple on a bubble that couldn’t have been more delicate.

Lagat’s countryman, senior Eric Kamau, was the last addition to a 20-man field in the 1,500, while senior Hilary Mawindi was the last of 19 athletes accepted into the triple jump. Freshman Cicely Clinkenbeard ranks 21st among the 22 female triple jumpers admitted.

And a couple of Cougs weren’t so lucky. Rasto Kiplangat missed the cut by .11 of a second in the 800 meters, and Matt Stadelman came up 6 inches short in the javelin.

Still, it’s one of the bigger Cougars contingents of recent years, and there’s enough scoring potential - in the form mostly of Lagat and thrower Ian Waltz of Post Falls - that Track and Field News’ formchart has the Cougars men finishing among the top 12 teams.

A number of other area athletes also made the qualifying cut.

From Idaho, high jumper Hugo Munoz, triple jumper Chris Kwaramba and javelin thrower Oscar Duncan are entered - Kwaramba seeming to have the best chance of placing, thanks to a qualifying mark that seeds him sixth in the field.

Gonzaga Prep grad Justin Strand, who reinjured his back in the Pac-10 meet, is entered in the hammer throw for Stanford with the No. 8 qualifying mark. Oregon steeplechaser Micah Davis of Mead brings the 11th best time into that field, and Colorado freshman Jennifer Smith of Ferris sits No. 12 among the qualifiers in the women’s 3,000 meters.

Lagat’s times in the 1,500 (3:40.79) and 5,000 (13:42.73) qualified him sixth in both fields. He also had the sixth-best time in the 800, but WSU coaches felt the schedule was most accommodating to a longer double - if not particularly accommodating at all. There will be only 50 minutes between the end of the 1,500 and the beginning of the 5,000 final.

“At least we know he’ll be warmed up for the second race,” said Cougars coach Rick Sloan. Joshua Kimeto was the last Cougar to win an NCAA 5,000, back in 1977.

The other Cougar doubling will be Waltz, who has the No. 1 mark nationally in the discus (211-5) and No. 4 in the shot put (63-9-3/4). He was eighth in both in 1997.

Also entered for WSU are freshman high hurdler Arend Watkins, who qualified with a 13.82 clocking for second in the Pac-10s, and two sophomore women, long jumper Francesca Green and javelin thrower Molly Monroe.

ON YOUR MARKS The NCAA Track and Field Championships begin a 4-day run today in Buffalo, N.Y.