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ISU’s Saina wins NCAA 5,000 meter title

NAMPA, Idaho – Iowa State junior Betsy Saina was in contention for the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships 5000-meter title from the beginning of the race on the Jacksons Indoor Track Friday night. With 100-meters remaining, it became clear that Saina had not only earned All-America honors for the fifth time, but was about to be the NCAA champion. Iowa State is the team leader with 15 points after the first day of competition.

“We talked before the race and decided that if Betsy felt good with about nine laps to go that she should press the pace and make it hard for the rest of the field and that is exactly what she did,” Iowa State head coach Corey Ihmels said. “It is fantastic really. We told her be ready for a challenge from someone and don’t let them surge in front of you. The race was at altitude. We knew it would hurt, even for the winner.”

With nine laps to go, Saina took over the lead position and held on until the bell lap. The Eldoret, Kenya native battled stride-for-stride with California’s Deborah Maier for the last 200 meters. Saina’s winning time of 15:38.83 clocks in as one of the all-time collegiate top-10 times on a non-oversized track.

“I worked so hard during the entire race,” Saina said during a post-race interview with ESPNU. “I couldn’t just give it all up in the last lap. I gave it everything I had.”

Fellow Cyclone Meaghan Nelson clocked a time of 15:52.37 en route to a fourth-place finish. Nelson, a former Cedar Rapids Xavier prep, earns All-America honors for the second time.

“This is a statement race for Meaghan Nelson,” Ihmels said. “She has sent a message tonight to friends, family and the opposition about just how far she has come and just how good she really is.”

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