Bryan Clay Invitational - Wednesday Recap

It was a record-setting opening night at the Bryan Clay Invitational, with the most impressive performance coming from an athlete who is already closing in on the NCAA all-time mark after only one collegiate 3,000-meter steeplechase race.

Geoffrey Kirwa, a Louisville freshman representing Kenya, set a meet record by running a world-leading 8 minutes, 13.89 seconds in the invitational section of the men’s steeplechase Wednesday night at Azusa Pacific University’s Cougar Stadium, elevating to the No. 2 all-time collegiate competitor.

Only Kenyan legend, Washington State star and former world record holder Henry Rono has run faster during the collegiate season than the 23-year-old Kirwa.

Rono set the world record and collegiate all-time mark of 8:05.4 at the 1978 Northwest Relays in Seattle.

Rono, who held the world record for more than 11 years until fellow Kenyan athlete Peter Koech clocked 8:05.35 in 1989, followed that performance three weeks later by running 8:12.39 to capture the NCAA Division 1 Championship at Hayward Field in Oregon.

Kirwa also eclipsed the meet record of 8:24.86 set last year by Benard Keter of the U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program.

Keter finished 14th on Wednesday in 8:37.81, as Rob McManus of Montana State also challenged the previous meet standard by finishing second in 8:26.83.

Titouan Le Grix of Wingate, representing France, elevated to No. 2 in NCAA Division 2 history by placing fifth in 8:29.02.

Tabor Stevens of Adams State still holds the Division 2 all-time mark of 8:26.81 from 2015. 

Five athletes ran faster than the previous meet record in the invitational section of the men’s 10,000 meters, with Furman senior Dylan Schubert edging Texas Tech sophomore Ernest Cheruiyot in a thrilling finish by a 27:45.63 to 27:45.65 margin.

It marked the second year in a row that Cheruiyot was held off at the finish line in the 10,000 at Bryan Clay, with Alex Phillip of North Carolina prevailing by a 27:51.26 to 27:52.13 margin against the Kenyan standout last season.

Schubert not only eclipsed the meet record produced by Phillip, but also smashed the Furman program all-time mark of 28:27.85 set in 2019 by Aaron Templeton. Schubert also improved on his own previous-best 28:52.85 from the 2022 Virginia Challenge.

Dismus Lokira, an Alabama freshman representing Kenya, took third in 27:47.20, just ahead of West Texas A&M senior and Ghanaian standout William Amponsah in 27:47.93, as well as Spanish competitor and Iowa State senior Said Mechaal in 27:48.08.

Amponsah, who also finished fourth last year at Bryan Clay in 28:00.09, achieved the NCAA Division 2 all-time mark, taking down the 2008 record of 27:48.06 established by Scott Bauhs of Chico State.

Amponsah also lowered his own national record for Ghana as well.

Loic Scomparin, who finished 11th in 28:16.81, set the Colorado School of Mines program record and elevated to the No. 9 all-time Division 2 competitor.

Jenna Hutchins, a junior, set the Brigham Young school record by winning the women’s invitational 10,000 in 32:22.98, lowering the 2023 standard of 32:38.85 achieved by Aubrey Frentheway at the NCAA Division 1 West Regional at Sacramento State.

Hutchins improved on her previous-best 32:44.05 achieved during last year’s sixth-place performance at the Division 1 Outdoor Championships at Hayward Field.

Dana Klein, a former Yale and San Francisco competitor now representing Idaho Afoot, ran 32:42.36 in her 10,000 debut to place second, with Viviana Aroche improving on her own national record for Guatemala to take third in 32:45.91.

Eva Jess, a senior at Texas, finished fourth for the second year in a row at Bryan Clay, lowering her own program all-time mark to 32:50.28.

Juliana Sakat, a freshman at Iowa Western Community College, not only set the Ghanaian national record by running 33:23.71 to place ninth, but she also eclipsed the previous National Junior College Athletic Association all-time mark of 34:42.65 set in 2021 by former Iowa Western standout Faith Linga.

Annika Esvelt of Seattle Pacific ascended to the No. 21 all-time Division 2 competitor by placing 13th in 33:34.30.

Leah Jeruto, a freshman at Oklahoma representing Kenya, won the women’s invitational 3,000 steeplechase in 9:34.71, relying on a 72.18-second final lap to pull away from West Virginia senior and Scottish athlete Sarah Tait, the runner-up in 9:37.62.

Ankita Dhyani of India took third in a personal-best 9:42.34, just ahead of Colett Rampf Cribbs representing the U.S. Army in 9:42.81.

Ava O’Connor of Adams State, a senior, secured seventh in 9:46.22, helping her elevate to the No. 3 all-time NCAA Division 2 competitor.

Adams State now boasts the top three athletes in Division 2 women’s steeplechase history, with Gracie Hyde (9:28.17) and Irish competitor Eilish Flanagan (9:40.68) the only individuals ahead of O’Connor.

– Erik Boal