Mile posts: Items on Wesley Kiptoo, Hillary Bor, Isaiah Hammerand, Ani Wedemeyer, Bryant Keller, Shaelyn Hostager

Two former Iowa State All-Americans battled for the USATF Half Marathon Championships title in Atlanta on Sunday, March 1.

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Wesley Kiptoo, the 2021 NCAA indoor 5,000 champion for the Cyclones, and two-time steeplechase Olympian Hillary Bor surged away from the field by 18 seconds at the 5-kilometer mark of the 13.1-mile race. They owned a surprisingly big lead of 42 seconds at 10K, or 6.2 miles.

The tussle for the crown was all theirs and it was Kiptoo, the HOKA NAZ Elite athlete based in Flagstaff, AZ, made the key move with about 800 meters to go. The 26-year-old Kiptoo surged away from the HOKA athlete based in Colorado Springs, CO, to earn the victory in 1 hour, 1 minute, 15 seconds. Bor, 36, secured an easy second place in a time of 1:01:30 and $12,000.

Kiptoo, a seven-time Big 12 Conference champion for Iowa State, leads off this edition of the WEEKEND UPDATE of the best performances by Iowa-based collegiate and post collegiate distance runners and triathletes.

“If you know your training and you know how you’re feeling, you know what’s coming,” Kiptoo told David Monti of Race Results Weekly after the race. “It’s not a surprise. I’ve been putting in a lot of work and my team (Hoka Northern Arizona Elite) and my coach (Jack Mullaney) has been there for me. I have been working so hard.”

It was the first U.S. title for Kiptoo, who became a U.S. citizen on Sept. 2 of last year, earned $20,000 for the win and a likely selection for the U.S. team that will compete at the 2026 World Athletics Road Running Championships in Copenhagen, Denmark, in September. The official team selection of three men and three women will not be made until May, however.

Iowa Kassie Parker was very likely shocked to see that she had placed fourth in the women's professional race as part of the Publix Atlanta Marathon. The seven-time Loras College NCAA Division III champion and former Clayton Ridge (Guttenberg) prep watched as Jess McClain, Emma Grace Hurley and Ednah Kurgat had pulled out to a commanding lead late in the race. But the trio were led off the wrong course at 12 miles and the mistake was not realized until they had covered about half a mile extra. A fourth runner, Carrie Ellwood, who was about 150 meters behind the leaders, was quickly told of her mistake following them and lost only a few seconds.

Parker, a Crown Running athlete now based in Waverly, stayed on the correct route and finished fourth overall in 1:10:47. Molly Born had been running in fifth place until the course mistake. She was declared the winner in 1:09:43, with Ellwood second in 1:09:47 and Annie Rodenfels third in 1:10:12. A protest from the three females was denied by USATF and Parker's fourth place finish stood. Parker, 26, described the day as “bittersweet chaos," according to Crown Running's post on Instagram.

McClain finished ninth in 1:11:27. Hurley was 12th in 1:11:38 and Kurgat 13th in 1:11:50.

Another Iowan also competed in the USATF event. Former Marion and Iowa runner Madeline Block, 26, of Coralville picked up 34th place in 1:19:42.

Moving to indoor college track and field, where the Wartburg College teams dominated the action at the American Rivers Conference Championships at Luther College in Decorah.

Helping lead the Knights men to their 15th indoor ARC or Iowa Conference title with 199 points was record-breaking junior Isaiah Hammerand. The former Western Dubuque product set a program record in the 3,000 while taking the win in 8:10.18. Hammerand edged senior teammate Lance Sobaski, who prepped at Washington High, by .82 of a second. Sobaski now owns the No. 2 time in school history after both eclipsed the previous mark of 8:12.34 set by senior teammate Tyler Schermerhorn on Jan. 30 of this year.

Taking third place a day after repeating as mile champion was Central College junior Jack Brown. The Norwalk grad ran 8:20.58 as the Dutch claimed second with 114 points. Simpson College sophomore James Johnson notched the No. 2 time in program history with a fifth-place effort in 8:21.03. Johnson ran for Marshalltown in high school. Knights sophomore Solomon Zaugg, a former Mediapolis prep, ran to sixth in 8:26.90. Also earning all-conference was Wartburg senior Seth Bailey. The former New London runner clocked 8:32.93 for seventh.

Brown's win in the mile came after he fought off Wartburg junior Nathan Kinzer, a former Iowa City Liberty High athlete. Brown ran 4:10.63 to top Kinzer by .33 of a second. Wartburg sophomore Ahmed Aldamak, a freshman eligibility-wise and a Cedar Falls grad, ran 4:14.29 for third place. Sophomore teammate Andrew Smith continued the orange-and-black run with a fourth in 4:16.55. Knights sophomore Aidan Decker, who attended Liberty High, ran 4:18.61 for fifth. Loras College freshman Cameron Gotto, a Pleasant Valley product, ran 4:19.73 for sixth. Simpson senior Cole Leggett, a former Urbandale prep, ran 4:21.00 for seventh. Central College sophomore James Brant, who competed for South Tama, ran 4:23.00 for ninth just miss scoring for his team. Simpson junior Ben Reyes, who started his college career at Iowa Central after graduating from Interstate 35 (Truro), rounded out the top 10 in 4:27.32.

A 4x800 with sophomore and former Dallas Center-Grimes prep AJ Angus, freshman and ex-Crestwood (Cresco) runner Nathan Ahern, junior and former New London athlete Rylan Martin and freshman Gage Heyne, who competed for English Valleys (North English), took the victory for Wartburg. The Knights ran 7:48.50 to win by 7.28 seconds. A Simpson unit with sophomore and former Carroll runner Ryan North, freshman and former Winterset prep Collin Kessler and junior and Collins-Maxwell product Ethan Haus, picked up third in 7:55.91.

Simpson had earlier steamed to the victory in the distance medley relay on Friday, Feb. 27. The unit included Kessler on the opening 1,200, senior and former Mount Vernon athlete Ben Gilbert-Binder on the 400, North on the 800 and Johnson on the mile anchor. That crew ran 10:14.93 to hold off Wartburg by .06 of a second. The Knights' quartet included freshman and Cedar Falls product Connor Martin (1,200), junior and Cedar Falls grad Ben Roussell (400), Heyne and Zaugg. A Luther College DMR that included sophomore and former Waukee High prep Jalen Taha on the 1,200 set the ninth-fastest time in program history, 10:18.91, while taking fourth.

Ahern, of Wartburg took a third-place finish in the 800. Ahern ran 1:52.05 to finish third in Section 2 as well. Knights freshman Logan Rosas, who prepped at New London, ran 1:53.70 for fourth. The Knights' Martin, the ex-New London runner, picked up fifth in 1:56.18. Dubuque junior Evan Robertson, who ran for Springville, was sixth in 1:56.32. Haus of Simpson was seventh in 1:56.21 and Wartburg sophomore Marcus Camacho, an ex-Cedar Rapids Xavier competitor, was eighth in 1:56.71. They all trailed Wartburg junior Hutton Edney's time of 1:51.20.

Wartburg senior Eli Larson ran a strong 14:36.11 time to grab second place in the 5,000 on Feb. 27. Larson is a Center Point-Urbana product. Wartburg senior Ander Julian, another former New London runner, claimed third in 14:44.26. Rounding out the top 10 was Wartburg freshman AJ Schermerhorn, an Ankeny Centennial grad who started his career at Iowa State, in 15:14.74. The winner ran 14:28.70.

Loras College redshirt freshman Keelee Leitzen had an outstanding conference meet. The Dubuque Hempstead product who transferred from Iowa State won the mile title in 4:54.35, holding off Central College senior Peyton Steffen by .18 of a second. Steffen competed for Marion. Dutch freshman teammate Maddy Stevens, a former Dallas Center-Grimes runner, took fourth in 4:57.73. Central sophomore Teah Miller, an Iowa Falls-Alden grad, took sixth in 5:09.22.

Leitzen also anchored the Duhawks' DMR to a title in 12:13.18. The squad also included freshman and former Mason City High athlete Savannah Davis on the 800 leg.

Wartburg was 1.51 seconds back and members included senior and former Kee (Lansing) prep Haley Meyer (1,200), senior and ex-Waverly-Shell Rock athlete Leah Cherry (400) and junior and ex-Iowa City High prep Bella Skay (800). Central notched third place and was boosted by freshman and Marion product Kyra Cordes (1,200), freshman and former Interstate 35 athlete Olivia Phillips (400) and senior and Hillcrest Academy grad Leah Bontrager (mile) in 12:18.30.

Wartburg's Meyer claimed the championship in the 800 meters as the Section 2 results prevailed. Meyer ran 2:13.62 to ward off Loras' Leitzen by 2.18 seconds. Wartburg junior Hannah Ramsey, who prepped at Liberty High, ran 2:16.55 for fourth. Freshman teammate Bethany Warren, who competed at Forest High, was next in 2:17.34. Loras' Davis was the final point scorer in eighth in 2:19.81.

Central's Steffen did walk away with a title in the 3,000 to end the distance events on Feb. 28. Steffen clocked 9:53.69 to win by 6.05 seconds. Teammates Stevens was third in 10:09.51. Knights sophomore Anna Quillin, who attended Solon, was sixth in 10:25.06. Freshman teammate Peyton Morey, an ex-Spencer runner, took seventh in 10:25.54. Central's Miller was the final scorer in eighth in 10:27.98.

Wartburg sophomore Lydia Maas earned her first all-conference title. The Hampton-Dumont product ran 18:03.85 in the 5,000 Feb. 27 to win by nearly six seconds. The Knights took the top five spots, as senior and Monticello grad Karle Kramer was third in 18:10.30.

Wartburg also claimed the 4x800 championship on its way to 216 points and the 18th indoor conference title in program history. Junior Ramsey was leadoff, with freshman and ex-Johnston runner Marissa Pewe on the third leg and freshman Warren on anchor. That quartet ran 9:27.61. A Central unit with freshman and former Glenwood athlete Brecklyn Petersen on leadoff and Bontrager on the third leg was runner-up in 9:36.21. A Loras squad with freshman Davis on leadoff, senior and ex-Johnston athlete Bailey Vaughan on the third leg and Leitzen on anchor was third in 9:41.96.

At the Division III Centennial Conference Championships in Lancaster, PA, former Pleasant Valley product Ani Wedemeyer claimed the 800 title on March 1. Running in the fastest Section 3 on the 200-meter flat track, the Johns Hopkins freshman ran 2:13.69 to win by 3.34 seconds.

The previous day, Wedemeyer ran on the squad's DMR that claimed the conference title. That unit ran 11:46.73 to win by 36 seconds.

Glenwood grad Bryant Keller was a double conference champion at the Division II NSIC Indoor championship at the MSU-Mankato Myers Fieldhouse in Minnesota. The Augustana University sophomore won the 5,000 first in 14:41.09 on Feb. 27. He topped teammate Isaiah Anderson by 2.26 seconds on the 200-meter flat track. Senior teammate Brady Hogan, who prepped at Decorah and is from Waukon, ran 8:34.47 for sixth.

The next day, Keller set a new best in the 3,000 of 8:27.62 to take the championship. He ran 8:27.62 to edge teammate Anderson by 1.41 seconds. Hogan notched his second consecutive sixth place in a time of 8:34.47. The Vikings were third in the team race with 84 points.

Former Dubuque Hempstead and Wartburg standout Shaelyn Hostager, now a grad student at Minnesota-Duluth, won her first NSIC indoor title as a Bulldog by taking the 5,000 in 17:15.73 on Feb. 27. Hostager won by more than six seconds. Hostager also anchored the Bulldogs' DMR to a third-place finish in 12:03.76, which is an NCAA Division II provisional time. U-Mary won in 11:59.64.

The 5,000 and 10,000 NSIC outdoor champion a year ago followed up with a sixth place in the 3,000 the next day. Hostager ran a new best of 10:09.78. The best time was 9:55.41.

Two former Iowa preps also claimed all-conference honors in the 800. Sioux Falls senior Bryson Canton, who competed at Cedar Rapids Prairie, claimed sixth in the final in 1:56.94. Canton ran 1:57.61 in Heat 1 of the prelims. Taking seventh in the final was Minnesota State freshman Jonathan Owen, a Valley High grad, in 1:57.89. Owen was fifth in Heat 2 of the prelims in 1:56.90. The champion ran 1:53.20.

Canton also ran the leadoff 1,200 leg on the Sioux Falls squad that placed fifth in 10:28.95. Former Okoboji (Milford) athlete Akron Jostand, a Wayne State sophomore, ran the leadoff on a unit that was seventh in 10:45.87. MSU-Moorhead won in 10:08.19.

Sibley-Ocheyedan product and Southwest Minnesota State junior Madison Marco ran 3:05.69 in Heat 3 of the 1,000 prelims, but didn't advance to the final. Wayne State sophomore Zoey Holmes, an ex-Forest City runner, clocked 1:39.35 in Heat 2 of the 600, but didn't advance.

Northwest Missouri State senior Riley Witt, a former St. Ansgar athlete, ran to two all-conference honors at the MIAA Indoor Track & Field Championships in Pittsburg, Kansas. Witt clocked a 1:50.29, which is an NCAA Division II provisional time, to take runner-up honors in the 800 final on the 300-meter flat track on March 1. He was edged by Nebraska-Kearney's Conner Wells by .01 of a second for the title. Witt had run 1:52.56 to win Heat 1 of the prelims the previous day.

Witt also produced a fourth-place finish in the mile final. His time of 4:11.88 was 1.79 seconds behind winner Dylan Sprecker of Pittsburg State.

His wife, Kiki Witt, anchored the Bearcats to a DMR championship on a squad that was comprised of three Iowans. Witt, a Charles City grad who attended Northern Iowa and Iowa State before coming to Maryville, was assisted by junior and former Clarinda athlete Mayson Hartley on the 1,200 and senior and former Atlantic and Iowa Central Community College runenr Taylor McCreedy on the 800. They ran 12:04.20 to edge Rogers State by .75 of a second. The Bearcat men and women were both second in the team races.

Witt also secured a second all-conference honor in the 3,000 on Feb. 28. Witt ran 9:56.51 in a race won in 9:49.15.Also, Missouri Western senior Wimachmorr Gilo ran 15:08.51 in the 5,000 to take 15th place. He competed for Council Bluffs Thomas Jefferson and Iowa Western Community College prior to going to Western.

Moving to the NCAA Division I ranks, where former Des Moines Roosevelt prep Adrienne Buettner-Cable had a strong Patriot League Indoor event. The Boston University junior started her weekend by taking fourth in the 5,000 on Feb. 28 in a new best of 16:47.81. She was the top Terriers runner. The winner ran 16:29.88 on the 200-meter banked track at the Boston University-Track & Tennis Center.

The next day, Buettner-Cable picked up third place in the 3,000 in 9:28.98, which was another personal best. The winning time was 9:20.42.

Carlisle grad Ainsley Erzen earned All-SEC honors at the conference meet at College Station, Texas. The Arkansas junior made the final after placing second in Heat 1 of the 800 and eighth overall in 2:06.36. Erzen came back in the final to run 2:06.67 for seventh on the 200-meter banked track. Teammate Analisse Batista won the title in 2:01.10 as Arkansas went 1-2-4-7 in the event.

Iowa City High grad Ford Washburn picked up All-Big Sky Conference accolades in the mile at the Holt Arena in Pocatello, Idaho. Running in section 2, the Northern Arizona junior ran 4:11.47 for fifth as the Lumberjacks swept the top five overall.

Washburn also took ninth in the 5,000, run at 4,539 feet of elevation on a 200-meter banked track, in 14:43.67. Teammate Manny Perez won in 14:08.60.

Montana junior Truman Thompson ran the leadoff 1,200 leg for a squad that placed fifth in the DMR in 10:06.93. Thompson competed for Iowa City High. He also ran in Heat 3 of the 800 prelims in 1:53.26 that was fourth in the heat and 12th overall.

Montana sophomore Libby Hartz ran the 800 leg on a Grizzlies squad that claimed eighth in the DMR in 12:13.83. Hartz is a Southeast Polk product.

NOTE: This blog will be UPDATED.

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This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Mile posts: Items on Wesley Kiptoo, Hillary Bor, Isaiah Hammerand, Ani Wedemeyer, Bryant Keller, Shaelyn Hostager

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