Kipyego claims prestigious race
Saints senior wins 800 meters at Meet of Champions
Once Darius Kipyego made his move, there was no looking back.
On a blustery Sunday afternoon in Myrtle Beach, S.C., Kipyego turned in a dominant effort on an outdoor track to win the Boys’ 800-Meter Championship Race in conjunction with the NSAF USA Meet of Champions. The field that assembled inside Doug Shaw Memorial Stadium stayed close with Kipyego after one lap was in the books, but that’s when the Iowa State-bound product turned on the afterburners.
The winning time was 1:54.58 – a full second better than the runner-up finisher. The weather conditions weren’t the smoothest, though that proved to be a mere footnote in what was an impressive display by an individual who continues to send out strong signals regarding a return to his pre-injury self after missing time earlier this yeaer with a stress fracture.
“Good race, good environment. It was a fun time to be at a big meet where you had big crowds and have that amazing atmosphere once again,” said Kipyego when reached Sunday. “The wind was a little brutal, but I was racing to win and be happy with whatever time I got.”
“Darius likes the hot weather.
That is not an issue. No matter what type of runner you are, the wind is not favorable,” said SRA head coach Chris Magill, who was an eyewitness to Kipyego’s latest successful foray on the national stage. “We talked about being competitive and wanting to win races regardless of what the conditions are.”
Facing runners from around the country, Kipyego and the eight other competitors were bunched closely together after the first 200 meters. At the onset of the second lap, Kipyego acted as if he were shot out of a cannon.
Now possessing the lead at the 400-meter mark – his split time was 57.20 seconds – Kipyego kept the rest of the pack at bay before pulling away with 100 meters separating him and the finish line. Kipyego came into Sunday’s race as the favorite – his PR in the outdoor 800 is 1:48.82 – and managed to put away the competition on a day when the gusts were strong.
“Especially with the wind, we knew everyone was going to go out slow, but it was a lot slower than I anticipated,” said Kipyego. “I would have liked a faster time [at the 400-meter split], but I’m thrilled that I came out with the victory. The biggest thing is being able to stay healthy and feel no pain. It shows that we’re going in the right direction.”
“All the kids are good when you come to a meet like this,” said Magill. “It shows you the strength you’re going to need to win races in the future. Competitive 800-meter races come down to that last 100. He ran that last stretch particularly well.”
Joining Kipyego in Myrtle Beach was fellow SRA senior Rachael Mongeau. In her first taste of competing on the national stage, Mongeau entered two events. On Saturday, she placed 11th in the Girls’ Two-Mile Emerging Elite (11:43.34). On Sunday, Mongeau teamed up with two Rhode Islanders and one runner from Colorado to help secure a second-place finish in the Girls’ 4xMile Championship (21:05.65).
“This was a great experience for Rachael,” said Magill.