With a time of 4:12.10 Washington State sophomore Rosemary Longisa captured the 1500 meter national title at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore. Longisa became the first Coug to win an individual national championship in 14 years and the first woman in 23.
While Longisa entered the race as the nation’s highest qualifier, she won the national title because she started her final kick 300 meters out from the finish line. South Carolina’s Salma Elbadra only started their kick on the straight away, when there wasn’t enough track left to make up the difference. Longisa’s had a 72-second split through the first 700 meters and then a 62-second split headed into the bell lap.
The sophomore is the first woman in program history to win the 1500.
Washington State’s last individual track title came in 2011 when Jeshua Anderson won the 400 meter hurdles and the first woman since Whitney Evans won the high jump in 2003.
The other Cougs in Eugene
Sophomore Evans Kurui earned a ninth place finish in final of the 5,000 meter race with a time of 13:51.49. It was the second final that he qualified for, Kurui placed sixth with a time of 28:10.73 in the 10K. Kurui’s ninth place finish in the 5K earned him a second-team All American honors in the 5,000 meter; while his 10K performance earned him first-team honors.
The last Coug to qualify for Eugene was another sophomore, Caroline Jepkorir. Jepkorir finished with a time of 10:08.78 in the 3,000 meter steeple chase semifinal and earned a All-American Honorable mention with her 20th place finish on Friday.
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