Shipley Runs Gutsy 10,000 Meters To Open NCAA Championships
Meet ResultsÂ
DELAWARE, Ohio – In his first track and field national meet,
Tyler Shipley (So., Forest Grove, Ore.) made the gutsy call to try to pull the pack along in the front in the men's 10,000 meters at the NCAA Division III Championships on Thursday.
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The tactic was not enough, however, as the sophomore faded over the final half of the race to finish in 18th place on first day of the meet at Ohio Wesleyan University's Selby Stadium, clocking a time of 32:21.65.
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"Tyler felt fine throughout the race, but his hamstrings tightened with the surging at two miles to go and he couldn't maintain the pace," said Pacific Head Coach Tim Boyce. "We're looking forward to a more honest effort by the field in the 5,000 meters. He isn't a bit tired. His legs just didn't cooperate."
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Shipley, who entered the race with the 14th fastest time in Division III with a school record of 30:24.44, found himself in the lead or near it over the first 5,000 meters as things moved along at a pedestrian pace as the race proved a tactical one. After the pack took out an 80-second first lap, Shipley kept things moving along with an average of 78 seconds per lap and threw in a 74-second lap with 18 laps to go.
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Shipley started falling back at the midway point and left the lead pack when John Crain or North Central and Chris Stadler of Haverford set the hammer down with nine laps to go, setting the pace with 67-second laps. Crain went on to win the race in a time of 31:11.83. Stadler was second in a time of 31:17.50.
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Shipley is Pacific's seventh qualifier for the NCAA Division III Track and Field Championships and just the second male to qualify. He will complete his meet on Saturday, running the 5,000 meters at 5:05 p.m. (EDT).
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