Lions on the run at national championships

Not too many runners have been able to keep up with Vanguard freshman Grace Jepngetich in the 5,000 meters this season, but her teammates aren’t exactly chopped liver themselves.

The Lions will send five strong runners to the NAIA outdoor track and field championships, which start today and run through Saturday at Fresno Pacific University. Joining Jepngetich are fellow freshman Rebecca Sopp (10,000 meters and probably the 5,000), seniors Jenny Thune (women’s 1,500) and Matt Meyer (men’s 1,500) and junior Laura Bowman (3,000 steeplechase).

The top six finishers in each event will earn All-America status.

For Jepngetich, originally from Eldoret, Kenya, this is her first year in the United States. But you couldn’t tell it in her results ? she broke the freshman school record in the 5,000 meters three separate times this season. She also starred in cross-country for Vanguard in the fall, finishing 17th in the 5,000 at the NAIA championships and making the All-American team. Jepngetich is seeded a team-best fourth in the 5,000 for the national championships.

“Everything’s new to her, but she’s adapted pretty well,” said Vanguard Coach Bryan Wilkins, in his 18th season. “It’s been a smooth transition for her, easier than I expected. Every time I ask her if she’s homesick, she tells me no.”

Thune, a senior from Brea, is seeded seventh in the 1,500. She was an All-American last season after finishing fourth in the eventr, and ran a season-best of 4:39.01 on her way to a Golden State Athletic Conference title in April.

“This season’s been a little bit of a struggle, because she sat out the cross-country season and she’s been catching up with her fitness,” Wilkins said. “The goal for her is definitely to crack that top six again, and she’s got a good chance of doing that.”

Bowman had a personal record at the Occidental Invitational, finishing sixth in the steeplechase in 11 minutes, 32.63 seconds. She is seeded eighth in the event this weekend.

Sopp, a freshman from Redondo Beach, ran the 10,000 meters in 37:52.5 at the conference championships, a personal-best that got her a third-place finish. She will run the 10,000 finals Thursday ? Sopp is seeded 11th ? and may come back and compete in the 5,000 on Friday and Saturday.

Meyer, a senior and Vanguard’s only men’s entrant, is seeded sixth in the 1,500. Amid tough competition, he finished 13th at the Occidental Invitational in 3:52.56, missing a personal best by just two seconds. He also finished second in the 1,500 at the GSAC championships.

“He’s been back here to outdoor nationals all four years,” Wilkins said. “He was seventh his freshman year, and that’s his best showing so far. That’s been the goal all along, to crack that top six.”

The 1,500-meter trials and the 10,000 final are scheduled for Thursday. Semifinals for the 5,000 meters are set for Friday, with the finals for the 1,500, 5,000 and the 3,000 steeplechase set for Saturday.

“You can usually tell when athletes have peaked and are struggling to go on, but our athletes aren’t showing that,” Wilkins said. “That’s a good sign. I’m excited about the potential of this group.”dpt-vanguard25.IMG0GraphicInfoPB1RACR720060525PB1RACR7No Caption