Former Dowling Catholic star Karissa Schweizer ran the season’s best time of 8:34.96 minutes
Karissa Schweizer continued her stellar summer by competing in the Diamond League event in Lausanne, Switzerland on August 22.
The two-time American Olympian, who twice finished in the top 10 in the 5,000 and 10,000 meters at the Paris Olympics earlier this month, finished seventh out of 12 athletes in the rarely run women’s 3,000 meters and leads this edition of the Weekend update of the best performances of college and post-college level long-distance runners and triathletes from Iowa.
The former Dowling Catholic star and six-time NCAA champion in Missouri ran a season-best 8:34.96 at the Stade Olympique de la Pontaise, making him the second-best American behind Elise Cranny (8:25.10). Schweizer is a Nike Bowerman Track Club athlete and hails from Urbandale. The winner was Ethiopian Diribe Welteji with a meet record of 8:21.50.
Three former Iowa college students, all Minnesota Distance Elite athletes, took the top four places at the Twin Cities Twilight 5K at Hamline University in Saint Paul, Minnesota on Friday. The breakout runner was former Iowa All-Big Ten runner and Ottumwa Prep star Kevin Lewis. Lewis, 31, ran 14:22.71, besting teammate and former Sioux City North Prep Merga Gemeda. Gemeda, 25, ran 14:30.49. The former Iowa State runner finished fourth Tyler Jerman32, in 14:48.02.
Two Running Wild Elite athletes claimed victories in the ScoCo 50 and 10 trail races at Scott County Park in Long Grove on Saturday. The 50-mile race featured former St. Ambrose and Davenport Assumption prep teams Steve Froeschle30, from Davenport was the winner in 3:23:04. Nathan Shaffer27, from Iowa City finished second with a time of 3:37:07. The athlete from Runablaze and Fleet Feet Phil Young38, from Davenport came third with a time of 3:40:28. Kasey (Zielinski) Froeschlea 28-year-old RWE athlete from Davenport and wife of Steve, was the winner in the women’s race in 4:43:41.
RWE Men’s Team Coordinator Devin Allbaugh34, of Bettendorf was the winner of the men’s 50-mile race. The former Pleasant Valley Prep ran 58:45 minutes ahead of his best teammate and former Davenport Assumption Prep Daniel Froeschle34, from Davenport by 29 seconds. RWE’s Elliott Klauer28, from Bettendorf completed the podium in 1:04:23, with Stimart Scholarship36, from Cedar Rapids in fourth place in 1:05:21.
The inaugural Find Your Speed 10K was hosted by SingleSpeed Brewing in Des Moines on Saturday. Mitch Davis33, of Johnston was the winner in 34:29.8, a 5:33 per mile pace. Davis, a former Simpson College and Algona High runner, won by more than two minutes.
Sasha GallagherWinner of the 7.5-kilometer cross-country race at the Iowa Games in July, Gallagher triumphed on Saturday as the winner of the Lincoln Highway Dash 5K in Nevada. Gallagher, 29, ran 18:38.0 to finish fourth overall, just over a minute behind the winner.
Let’s get to the triathlon, where Runablazes Elaina Biechler38, nearly won both the women’s and overall titles at the Hero Hustle Triathlon in Manchester on Sunday. The former Coe College of Dubuque standout completed the sprint triathlon course in 1:11:38, placing fourth overall. The winning time was 1:10:09.
The Crim Festival of Races in Flint, Michigan, served as the USATF 10 Mile Masters Championships on Saturday and Michael Mallon58, of Davenport finished sixth among 88 runners in the event. Mallon ran 59:33, a pace of 5:57. The five men who finished ahead of Mallon were all younger, including winner Joel Conn, 40, of Okemos, Michigan, who ran 52:49.
BACK: Five-time Ironman winner Matt Hanson finished 14th at the Ironman European Championships in Frankfurt on August 18. The former athlete and Buena Vista University professor completed the 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike and 26.2-mile run in 7:46:45. The Castle Rock, Colorado, resident’s time of 50:07 was the 35th best swim time among men. Hanson’s time of 4:06:16 was the 17th best bike time. He completed the marathon in 2:44:16, which was the 14th best time. The winner was Norway’s Kristian Blummenfelt with a time of 7:27:21. Blummenfelt’s time of 2:32:29 was the best.
Runablaze Tyson Wieland30, of Des Moines won the Storm the Lake Triathlon on August 17 in Storm Lake. The former Johnston Prep and Iowa Central Community College athlete completed the swim in 7:59.1, the bike in 28:13.4 and the sprint run in 17:54.7 for a time of 55:55.8. A graduate of Iowa State Nickolas Kraus came second with 58:53.4.
The Black Squirrel Triathlon took place on August 18th at Lake Manawa Beach in Council Bluffs and Anthony McDill30, was the champion in 1:02:28. McDill led John Matson35 times 37 seconds.
Back on the road and to the 47th Watermelon Stampede in Muscatine on August 17th. RWE’s Dalton Rice26, of Davenport won the 10K race in 33:18, which is a pace of 5:22. Rice is a former Clinton High and Clinton Community College athlete. Rice won in 2:40. Matthew Schneider26, from Waverly was the 5K winner by Andrew Rompot25, of Coralville by three seconds. Schneider is a former Iowa City West and Wartburg College athlete. Rompot is a former Iowa City West Prep. The women’s winner was Nancy Foxen46, from Muscatine at 7:31 p.m.
Former Luther College athlete and Maquoketa native Drew Burmahl from Cedar Rapids won the Eager Beaver 5K in Wilton on August 17. Burmahl, who won the Solon Beef Days 5K earlier this summer in 15:50, ran 15:52 this time, surpassing the former Cornell College athlete Tigue Snider by 22 seconds.
Wyatt Schmidta previous winner of the John Deere 5K in Waterloo, won the race again on August 17. The former Northeast (Preston) and Wartburg athlete, who now lives in Waverly, ran 16:18.4 to win by 1:41.
At the Extreme Quarry Run in Springville on August 10th Justin Hajek43, from Marion achieved an average time of 5:55 per mile on the 5.56 kilometers and won the hilly race in 20:30. The winner in the women’s race was Emily Burmeister41, by Marion in 22:29 with an average of 6:29.
MISSING A TOP LONG DISTANCE RUNNER OR TRIATHLETE?: Let me know at [email protected].
Want to learn more about long distance running in Iowa? Listen to my podcast here: https://anchor.fm/lance-bergeson8
