Weekend of track, roads and records for Evergreen thinclads

February 3, 2008

OLYMPIA, Wash. - The third Geoduck Gallop 10k and Half Marathon took place today at The Evergreen State College. With race temperatures in the low 30's, conditions were on the chilly side. However, a rain and wind free day is always welcome to runners this time of the year and today saw 86 finishers crossing the line in the two races. A course record was set in the men's half marathon and women's 10k road races.

Rachel Williams of Blaine, WA, who is an alumnus of ESC and former cross country team member, ran 46:00 to better the 10k standard in the women's race. Ryan Prentice, a 17 year old from Normandy Park, WA won the men's race in an excellent time of 33:11. The high school junior is a standout competitor in cross country and track and field in the state of Washington. Richard Brown of Tumwater was not far behind in 33:37 for second.

A large pack of five men stayed together the first 25 minutes in the half marathon. Eric Jones (5th) gave up his lead at the big hill at 4 1/2 miles to Jesse Stevick, Jason McConnell, Chris Hallows and Brian Rakestraw.

Stevick (Olympia, WA), who has won the last two Capital City Marathon's, and McConnell pulled away at 5:30 mile pace and dueled it out to the finish. Stevick took the win in 1:12:34. McConnell, who was 3rd in '07, qualified for the NAIA Marathon Championships at last year's race and improved his '07 time by over two minutes. The former Geoduck is an assistant coach at Evergreen and is training for Capital City.

The top four went under the previous course record of 1:14:20. Rakestraw, a sophomore at Evergreen (2nd '07), came in just behind Hallows and bettered his personal best to hit the "A-Standard" for the NAIA Marathon Championships in May. Jones bettered the "B-Standard". Both are members of the Evergreen Track and Field Team and will most likely focus on the 5,000 & 10,000 meters this spring rather than compete in the marathon.

It was a family event for the Stevick's as Jenny Stevick took the win in the half marathon with a time of 1:29:52. a pace of 6:52 per mile. Emily Uhlig, a senior member of the ESC Track and Field Team, was close behind Stevick in 1:30:25. Uhlig also went under the NAIA "A Standard" for the marathon. The steeplechase - 10,000 meter runner will choose the shorter events at the National Track and Field Championships if she hits a qualifying standard. Stevick's and Uhlig's times rank 4th and 5th among Geoduck Gallop performers. Additionally, Uhlig becomes the new school record holder in the event, beating the old standard by over three minutes.

The race is a fund raiser for the Cross Country and Track & Field Teams at Evergreen and runners received a discount on their registration fee with food donations. The pick-up truck load of food will be delivered to the Thurston County Food Bank, who has been the team's choice charity the last two years.

Friday night Evergreen sent a men's Distance Medley team to the University of Washington Invitational. Unfortunately the team fell short of their goal with a combined time of 10:59.51. The performance is a new standard on the men's record books however.

Miguel Pineda led off with the 1200 meters with solid 3:12.8 split but found himself at the tail end of the pack at the hand off. Ryan Lara managed to catch two teams with a 51.9 400 split as he handed the baton to Liam Rockwell for the 800 meter leg. Rockwell fell twenty meters behind the next closest team and handed Eric Jones the baton with a large deficit to make up. Jones closed half the distance with a 4:43 mile split but did not have his best day as the team finished 15th overall.

Geoduck Gallop Results