TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (Sporting Alert) – Lawi Lalang of Arizona broke away from the pack at the 5k mark and then paced to an impressive 22:52 at 8k before going all the way to win the individual men’s 10k race at the 2011 NCAA Cross Country Championships on Monday.
Lalang ran undefeated all season and he went on to take the title in a time of 28:44.10 a time that was matched by none of his challengers.
The favourite separated himself at the 5k mark and then open up that lead at the 5k mark and he said he was ready for what ever the pack had to throw at him.
Lalang said his plan was to go to 5k and then step up the pace, but admitted he felt too good at the 4k mark to wait that long.
“My plan was to go at the 4k mark, but I felt good at the 4k,” Lalang said.
“After 4k I was ready to go. My plan was to stay and relax for the first 4k and then go far it.”
He added: “If anybody was going to go with me, then I was going to kick with them.”
Chris Derrick of Stanford was second in 28:57.5, while Leonard Korir of Iona was third in 29:04.8.
Wisconsin dethroned Oklahoma State of it’s team title
The team won its first title since 2005 and the fifth title in the school’s program.
Mohammed Ahmed was the first Wisconsin runner at fifth in a time of 29:06.7.
Wisconsin was first with 97 points, followed by Oklahoma State with 139 and Stanford, at 144 points.
