NCAA DI Day 2, Emma Bates Wins Women's 10K

Then: Emma Bates as a high schooler. Photo by Gene
Niemi

Now: sprinting to an NCAA championship

Elk River grad Emma Bates won the women's 10K in 32:32.35.  "It's electric here in TrackTown USA," Bates told ESPN after the finish where she outkicked UAB's Elinor Kirk in the final straight. Bates' time was the second fastest in NCAA DI Championship competition as the top ten finishers ran under 33:13, another record.

The Boise State junior ran almost the entire race near the shoulder of whoever was leading.  She said in her post-race interview on ESPN that it was hard to run someone else's pace the whole way, but the strategy worked as she ran the last 5K in 15:56 and the last lap in 67, according to ESPN announcer Larry Rawson's calculations.  She took the lead on the backstrech of the last lap and held off Kirk on the final straightaway.  10K results are HERE. Phone cam video of the last 300 of the 10K is HERE. Runnerspace video of post-race interview with Bates is HERE.

Emma and Mom in Eugene

Gopher Jon Lehman finished tenth in the men's Hammer Throw with a heave of 64.27m/210'10".  Hammer results are HERE.   Teammate John Simons qualified for the 1500 finals by finishing fifth in his heat in 3:41.65(fifth fastest time in qualifying).  1500 results are HERE.  Mounds Park Academy and the University of Michigan's Mason Ferlic finished third in his heat of the 3K steeplechase in 8:49.20 to qualify for the final. Steeple results are HERE.  The Gopher women's 4 by 400 relay finished sixth in the final heat and 19th overall in the prelims. 4 by 400 in 3:37.08.  Results are HERE.

The host University of Oregon men's team was disqualified in the 4 by 400 relay.  Former Eugene Register Guard reporter, now the editor of GoDucks.com, reported on Twiter that: "NCAA has two means to review footage. First attempt didn't resolve protest. Second resource is ESPN, whose crew has left for the day."

If you were watching the ESPN coverage of the NCAA Championships in
Eugene, you saw a familar face in the stands.  Matt Mcelroy captured this
screenshot.

NDSU's Antoinette Goodman, a Burnsville HS grad,  finished seventh in heat 3, 19th overall in the 200 prelims in 23.79. 200 results are HERE.