Alabama
Crimson Tide Invite
Alabama Track and Field Rookie Eliud Kipsang Posts Seventh-Fastest 1,500-meter Time in NCAA History on Day Two of the Crimson Tide Invitational
4/9/2021 10:38:00 PM | Track & Field, Cross Country
The freshman won the 1,500 meters with a time of 3:36.00, finishing more than 10 seconds ahead of the field and shattering the school and stadium record by nearly three seconds
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – In a performance that was worth the wait, Alabama track and field rookie Eliud Kipsang shattered the school record in the 1,500 on the way to the seventh-fastest time in NCAA history on day two of the Crimson Tide Invitational being held at the Sam Bailey Track and Field Stadium this weekend.
Both the men's and women's 1,500 meter race were delayed due to inclement weather in the area, getting underway just before 9 p.m. The meet was interrupted by the threat of storms, pushing all the events outside of the heptathlon, decathlon and men's and women's 1,500 meters to Saturday. The 2021 Crimson Tide Invitational, presented by Beynon Sports.
After staying with the front of the pack for the first two laps, Kipsang exploded to a commanding lead at the halfway point, running away from the field, running a 3:36.00, shattering the school record, the Sam Bailey Track & Field Stadium record and winning the race by more than 10 seconds.
Kipsang's time was nearly three seconds better than David Kimani's 2001 school record of 3:38.74 and six seconds better than Sammy Nyamongo's 1999 stadium mark of 3:41.02.
The delayed night session started with Amaris Tyynismaa's wire-to-wire win in the women's 1,500 meters. She ran a 4:12.72 to finish more than six seconds ahead of the field. Her time is the second fastest in Alabama history, behind Evelyn Adiru's 4:09.61 school record. She also downed the Sam Bailey Track & Field Stadium record, breaking Dacia Barr's 2007 mark of 4:14.97.
Earlier in the day, Jake Spotswood picked up Alabama's first gold medal of the meet, taking top honors in the first decathlon of his collegiate career. He picked up the victory with a PR of 7,259 points, more than 400 better than his high-school best. He finished more than 100 points ahead of the rest of the fields. In addition to winning the overall decathlon, Spotswood posted the top mark in the long jump, high jump, discus and pole vault.
Both Kipsang and Tyynismaa lead the nation with their respective 1,500-meter marks, while Spotswood's score in the decathlon ranks fourth coming into the weekend.
Schedule of Events
- Nickolette Dunbar and Taylor Gorum open Saturday's field events in the women's discus event at 11 a.m. CT
- Saturday's running events start with the men's and women's 5,000 meters, moved from Friday, starting at 11 a.m.
The Crimson Tide Invitational Field
- The No. 1 LSU women, No. 2 LSU men, and the No. 13 Mississippi State men comprise the nationally ranked teams travelling to compete against the Tide this weekend
- The complete list of teams participating in the Crimson Tide Invitational include Alabama, Central Arkansas, Georgia Tech, Indiana State, Kennesaw State, Louisiana-Lafayette, LSU, Memphis, Mississippi State, Samford, South Alabama, Southern Mississippi, Troy, Tulane and UAB (women only)
Due to health and safety considerations in addition to the current guidelines, fan attendance at the Crimson Tide Invitational is on a first-come, first-served basis until reaching the limited seating capacity. Facial coverings must be worn at all times unless eating or drinking.
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Players Mentioned
