LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) — Iowa State junior Lisa Koll took a record third-straight 10,000-meter Big 12 title Friday evening, fending off a challenge from freshman teammate Betsy Saina.
It was the first time in Big 12 history that a runner has won three consecutive 10,000’s in outdoor competition.
Koll, who won it in 36 minutes, 29.47 seconds, appeared to grow stronger in the final several laps of the 6.2-mile run. She held the lead midway through the race before someone stepped on the back of her right shoe.
In the men’s 10,000, Oklahoma State runners followed the Cyclones women, taking the top two spots. Senior Cowboys runner Ryan Vail won with a time of 30 minutes, 33.85. His teammate, senior Alejandro Ruiz, came across the finish line just behind him in 30 minutes, 38.59.
Iowa State junior Kiel Uhl took third in 30 minutes, 39.19.
Missouri won the men’s and women’s hammer events. Tigers senior Krishna Lee and gave Missouri 10 team points, with a throw of 209 feet, 2 inches. She beat defending Big 12 champion Loren Graves of Kansas State, who tossed the hammer 195 feet, 9 inches.
Third place went to Mikaela Johansson of Oklahoma with a toss of 191 feet, 11 inches.
Tigers Chris Rohr, also a senior, threw the hammer 233 feet, 11 inches, more than 36 farther than the runner up. Iowa State’s Zac Brouillette took second with a toss of 197 feet, 5 inches. Nebraska’s Keith Lloyd lost to the Cyclones thrower by 2 inches, heaving the hammer 197 feet, 3 inches.
Earlier in the day, Nebraska sophomore Megan Wheatley got off to a quick start in her bid to repeat as the Big 12 heptathlon champion, taking first in the opening three events at the Big 12 meet.
Wheatley beat Missouri’s Kaela Rorvig by three one-thousands to win the 100-meter hurdles in 13.76 seconds before tying for first in the high jump with Alyssa Frank of Colorado. Both leaped 5 feet, 6 1/2 inches.
Wheatley went on to win the shot put with a heave nearly 5 feet longer than Oklahoma State’s Tihana Sarac, the second-place winner. The Cornhusker sent the put 44 feet, 3 1/4 inches to garner 760 points for the event.
