Casey Comber took the time to soak up the sights and sounds that surrounded the array of races at Saturday’s BAA Invitational Mile.
Comber had simply completed a robust second to Hobbs Kessler in 4:08.27 and his feedback echoed these of a number of athletes who competed within the three-lap race on Commonwealth Avenue and Boylston Street.
“It’s definitely different from the track, but it’s fun, said Comber, a five-time All-American at Villanova. “This is what racing should be. It’s an interesting course and there’s a ton of people out here cheering. I loved it.”
Comber needed to work his method from the again to battle Kessler to the marathon end line on Boylston Street. Kessler was a step forward on the end along with his 4:07.91 and crowd favourite, Johnny Gregorek, who attended Seekonk High and Villanova, clinched third in 4:09.19.
“I was almost in last on the first lap,” stated Comber. “What I really wanted to do was work that last lap to get to the front and give myself a chance. I did that, but like I said Hobbs is a savvy racer. I gave him just an inch of space on the inside. I tried to get back there but just couldn’t. It was a solid run though and I’m pretty happy.”
Kessler, who runs for Adidas, took the lead for good on the final lap and used his sturdy ending pace to garner the win.
“I was a little nervous but I think my form was there,” he stated. “It’s my biggest pro win. I didn’t think my form was going to be there from my training. It’s nice to have a win. I took the lead going into the third to last corner. I kind of pushed people away on the last lap and tried to be fast and relaxed on the back.”
There was a cluster of runners on the entrance of the ladies’s skilled race and the winner didn’t emerge till the ultimate straightaway. Arkansas Razorback Krissy Gear surged onerous and put daylight between herself and runner-up Elizabeth Bird of Great Britain. Gear was clocked in 4:39.98 and Bird registered a 4:42.37. Kenya’s Susan Ejore was third in 4:42.57.
“We emphasize racing and having fun in the process,” stated a beaming Gear. “We’re really not heavy into track training yet, but this was a good start.”
Newton South standout Amelia Everett was again on the beginning line of the scholastic mile occasion after profitable the three,000-meter race as an eighth-grader. Everett led from the gun and ran a managed 5:10.85. Newton North’s Ciara Evans, who ran a private better of 5:01.5 on Wednesday in a twin meet in opposition to Brookline, pulled away from the chase pack to take second in 5:15.30.
For Everett, who will attend Stanford, the nostalgia of coming again to race 5 years later was not misplaced on her.
“It’s kind of like I’ve come full circle because I ran it in eighth grade and now I’m running it my senior year,” she stated. “It’s so so fun. It’s a really cool event. It’s a road mile so I knew it would feel pretty different so was kind of like let’s take it as I feel run fast and see what happens. I just decided to go. I really had no expectations.”
Evans made it some extent to get away from Sasha Lamakina of Framingham, who completed third in 5:24.35, and get as shut as she may to Everett.
“I’ve never run a road mile before so I wanted to enjoy it and see what I could do,” Evans stated. “I had a group of girls with me so I wanted to keep pushing and use them to go faster.”
The scholastic boys race become a runaway as Brimmer & May’s Brian Gamble simply missed the division document. Gamble pumped a fist into the air and was all smiles as he broke the tape in 4:27.83. Brookline’s Declan Mulligan of Brookline was second in 4:38.83 and Newton’s Alex Hrycyszyn clinched third in 4:29.19.
Source: www.bostonherald.com