MARION, Ind. – Lewis-Clark State College junior Jimmy Oribo wrapped up a strong NAIA Outdoor Track and Field Championships by placing 10th in the men’s 5,000-meter race on Saturday.
Oribo set a school record and personal best with a time of 14 minutes and 36.61 seconds at the Indiana Wesleyan University Track Complex.
“I thought he raced really well considering the conditions,” LCSC coach Mike Collins said. “We were under a serve storm warning and there was concern the race wouldn’t even be held, but they barely got the race in.”
Collins said a severe thunderstorm with some tornado warnings hit the area and the meet was eventually suspended. Collins said he had a lightning strike hit about 100 feet away from him at one point.
Collins said because of the weather, all of the competitors in the 5,000 weren’t sure if the race would be held, or how much warming up they should do.
“I know Jimmy’s goal was to be an All American with a top six finish, and he was in fifth or sixth places for the first two-thirds of the race, but running a 10K on Thursday and the 5,000 qualifying on Friday, I think it finally took its toll,” Collins said. “Still, it was a personal record for him and a school record.”
Oribo won his heat in Thursday’s 10,000-meter race by more than a minute but wound 14th overall when 13 competitors beat his time in the second heat. He also had the fourth-fastest qualifying time in the 5,000 during Friday’s heats. Collins said those two races took a lot of out Oribo, but he was still strong enough to run a sub-14 minute pace for the first 2,400 meters.
“I was surprised he was able to maintain that kind of pace,” Collins said.
Early Saturday morning before the storms, the women’s and men’s marathon competitions were held. LCSC junior Amanda Parker placed 34th in the women’s race at 3 hours, 27 minutes, and 27.62 seconds, while Casey Hampton was 39th in 3:29:21.84. On the men’s side, LCSC freshman Taylor Galusha was 45th in 2:56:12.44.
Collins said the mindset of the two LCSC runners in the women’s marathon was to run at their own pace early and not to press, and then in the second half of the race pick off as many runners in front of them as they could.
“They did a good job of that, maybe too good in the first half because they dug themselves in a huge hole to get out of,” Collins said. “About mile 2 they were in second and third to the last. That’s too much to come back from.”
Collins said the two stuck together for most of the race before Parker broke away near the end.
The winner was Obsie Burru of Grand View in an NAIA record time of 2:48:39.78.
Galusha became the first freshman at LCSC to compete in the marathon.
“He is mentally and physically mature enough to handle it, but he just lacks maturity in this race,” Collins said. “He went out way to fast and that’s kind of like taking out a loan. You have to pay it back before you are done and Taylor paid the price. He finished the race and I think he learned from it. He just needs a little more race maturity.”
Outside of Oribo and the marathon runners, LCSC’s other competitor at nationals was freshman Kayla Stewart, who wound up 14th in the javelin.
