Liberty University
Flotrack Husky Classic
Chelanga Qualifies for NCAA in 3K
2/12/2011 12:00:00 AM | Track and Field
Running his fourth impressive race in as many weeks, Liberty redshirt senior Sam Chelanga automatically qualified for the 2011 NCAA Division I Indoor Track & Field Championships in the 3K, Saturday evening at the Flotrack Husky Classic. He placed fifth overall with a 7:50.92 clocking at Dempsey Indoor.
The top two spots in Saturday's race were claimed by professional runners Tim Nelson and Garrett Heath. Collegians Matt Centrowitz of Oregon and Ryan Hill of N.C. State also edged Chelanga, as the top five runners were separated by less than one second.
Chelanga finished ahead of some notable professionals in the race, including American mile record holder Alan Webb and 2008 U.S. Olympian Ian Dobson. Chelanga's time was the second-fastest 3K in program history, trailing only his school-record 7:48.24 effort at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix one week ago.
Chelanga will now have a chance to run the 3K at the NCAA Division I Indoor Track & Field Championships for the first time, March 12 in College Station, Texas. Earlier this season, the Nairobi, Kenya native earned his fourth straight NCAA trip in the 5K.
Chelanga, a candidate for The Bowerman, has now run a personal-best 4:03.84 mile, a facility-record 13:41.35 5K, a school-record 7:48.24 3K and an NCAA-qualifying 7:50.92 3K in four consecutive weeks.
Chelanga's distance coach, Derek Scott, also competed in the 3K on Saturday. Representing PUMA, he clocked an 8:01.68 to win his heat by more than five seconds. Scott also qualified for the 2011 USA Indoor Track & Field Championships, slated for Feb. 26-27 in Albuquerque, N.M.
The Flames and Lady Flames will return to action Feb. 24-25, when they travel to Clemson, S.C. for the 2011 Big South Indoor Track & Field Championships. Both the Liberty men's and women's teams enter the meet as defending conference champions.
Watch Sam Chelanga's 3K race, courtesy of Flotrack:
Watch more video of Flotrack Husky Classic 2011 on flotrack.org
Watch a postrace interview with Sam Chelanga, courtesy of Flotrack:
Watch more video of Flotrack Husky Classic 2011 on flotrack.org
Watch Coach Derek Scott win his heat of the 3K, courtesy of Flotrack:
Watch more video of Flotrack Husky Classic 2011 on flotrack.org
Watch a postrace interview with Coach Derek Scott, courtesy of Flotrack:
Watch more video of Flotrack Husky Classic 2011 on flotrack.org
