Iowa State track and field head Coach Martin Smith split his team and sent them to two different meets, on two different sides of the country over the weekend. 

Some of the runners for Iowa State traveled West to the Hayward Premier Meet in Eugene, Oregon, and others traveled East to the the Florida Relays in Gainesville Florida. 

Kiptoo and Kurgat dominate in Oregon

While there were a number Iowa State runners who ran well Friday and Saturday, two stood out among them all. 

Sophomore Wesley Kiptoo and Senior Edwin Kurgat would suit up to run in the men’s 10,000-meter run invitational at the Hayward Premier Meet.

The two were seeded No. 1 and 2 headed into the meet, and they lived up to the expectations.

By 4,000-meters, it was a three-man race, Kiptoo, Kurgat and Portland’s Stan Niesten. However, it didn’t take long for Niesten to give way to the consistent, steady pace from the pair of Iowa State runners.

Kiptoo, fresh off a Big 12 Indoor Championship, would edge out teammate Kurgat by less than half a second. The pair would clock in at 27:58.10 and 27:58.33.

Kurgats mark of 27:58.33 is good enough for the No. 2 spot in the event in Iowa State history, right behind teammate Kiptoo.

After Friday, Kiptoo and Kurgat are ranked No.1 and No. 2 in the NCAA in the men’s 10,000-meters.

Also racing in the men’s 10,0000-meter run invitational was junior Mitchell Day. 

Although Day would only finish thirteenth, he would shave 75 seconds off of his previous personal record en route to crossing the finish line in 28:55.03.

Clemson Tigers perform well at Florida Relays

In Gainesville, it was the team out of Clemson that would see a number of runners compete at a high-level Friday and Saturday.

Highlighting the group was Nicole Foster. 

The junior from Jamaica would finish the women’s 400-meter open with a time of 57.73. This mark is over a second faster than Foster’s previous personal best and good enough to move her within the Tiger’s all-time top-10 in the event at the No. 9 spot. 

Also competing for Clemson was Terryon Conwell. 

The junior out of Mississippi State would suit up to run in the men’s 200-meter open. 

In his debut outdoor meet for the Tigers, Conwell would post a new lifetime best in the event, finishing with a time of 20.54, which was good enough for third place. 

Finally, in the men’s 400-meter hurdles, Rayan Holmes would finish with a new personal best of 52.07. 

Other notable Iowa State performances 

Seniors Festus Lagat and Roshon Roomes would enter the NCAA top-10 in the men’s 800-meter after their performances Saturday night at the Florida Relays.

Lagat would cross the finish line in 1:47.15 which put him at third place, and Roomes would cross the finish line in 1:47.87 which was good enough for fourth place. 

Sophomore Gage Clay would compete in the men’s 400-meter open on Saturday. 

Clay would record a new personal best of 48.24 on his way to finishing third overall in the event. 

Finally the women’s team would see its fastest time in the 4×100-meter relay in over 11 years. The group made up of Zakiyah Amos, Bria Barnes, Erika Furbeck and Kaylyn Hall would cross the finish line in 46.01, taking either place in the event.