#chris derrick

[theshoeaddicts]

2017 Bank of America Chicago Marathon Pt 3

w/ Jordan Hasay & Chris Derrick

[therealxc]

The Golden Trio [Part 2]

In early 2009 the United States sent three of their best young distance runners to the World Cross Country Championships. German Fernandez, Chris Derrick and Luke Puskedra were already household names and record-setters; even at 18 years old. But could the golden trio bring the U.S. back against Kenya and Ethiopia? The legend continues...

By the fall of 2008 each member of the golden trio had only increased their standing in the eyes of the distance-running faithful. 

German Fernandez, after being sick at the 2007 Footlocker Cross Country Championships (he went on the record that “At Foot Locker I was so sick I just stayed in my room before the race trying to recover.”), managed to win the U.S. junior cross country title in the spring and compete in the 2008 World Cross Country junior championship, all at 17 years old. At Worlds he finished in a disappointing 25th with a sore Achilles. Despite this, Fernandez later set a historic double at the California State Championship in track in June, running 4:00.29 in the 1,600 meters, and then coming back a few hours later to win the 3,200m in 8:34.23. It was by far the fastest “double” in state meet history. In the fall, Fernandez continued his success by winning the Big 12 Conference Cross-Country title as a true freshman, clocking 23:47 for the 8-kilometer victory. It prompted talks of Fernandez potentially upsetting two heralded seniors in Galen Rupp and Sam Chelanga for the individual NCAA cross-country title.

Meanwhile, Luke Puskedra was quickly making a name for himself at the University of Oregon, while Chris Derrick was flourishing at Stanford. After briefly leading the nation in the spring as a high school senior by running 8:46 for 3,200 meters, Puskedra trained hard over the summer and appeared as the top freshman finisher at the Pac-10 Cross Country Championship – beating Chris Derrick over 8 kilometers, 23:32 to 23:38. Then, at the West Regional, it was Derrick who got the upper hand, beating Puskedra by a second, 28:44 to 28:45, over 10 kilometers. All three runners of the golden trio were once again on a crash course toward greatness at the 2008 NCAA Cross Country Championship.

The 2008 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championship possessed storylines that went well beyond the emergence of the three phenomenal freshmen. Oregon’s Galen Rupp, a senior who had been denied an individual victory at the championship, had only one final opportunity to win. Sam Chelanga, a Kenyan from Liberty University, was vying for an individual title as well. For Fernandez, Puskedra and Derrick, their team affiliations took higher precedence than their individual intentions. Oklahoma State, the University of Oregon, and Stanford University respectively – were intent on a high team finish, not just the high standing of their new crop of runners.

Despite this, each member of the golden trio found themselves in the lead chase pack in pursuit of Rupp and Chelanga during the start of the race. Oregon’s Puskedra was in the best position of the three, part of a front-running cohort of Oregon athletes all chasing teammate Rupp. At 3,000 meters, the Ducks had three runners in the top five, whereas the supposed challengers from #2 Oklahoma State were nowhere to be seen — OK State had no one in the top 65. Along with Puskedra, Chris Derrick, as the lead runner for Stanford, was staying step for step with the leaders and trailed Puskedra by less than a second until the final 2,000 meters.

Behind Oregon, the one team that the experts thought had a chance to win, Oklahoma State, was moving up after a very slow start. However, any chance they had for a podium finish vanished suddenly when German Fernandez stepped off the course due to an injury.  According to an eye-witness: “Fernandez and his teammate Kosgei were running right next to each other in the chase pack for 3rd place. It looked like they were about to make a move to break away from the pack, then all of sudden I saw German's face grimace in pain and he collapsed in the middle of the course. He rolled off the course still writhing in pain on the ground. It was obviously either a sprained ankle or an achilles injury since he was grabbing his ankle. It looked like achilles since he was grabbing the back of his ankle, and the reports have proved it to be an achilles problem.” 

Experts had little doubt that Fernandez would have finished in the top 10 as he was running with teammate John Kosgei, who ended up 9th. To many, it seemed possible that Fernandez might have finished as high as 3rd given his advancements to that point.

By the end of the fast 10k championship, the results told the story for the three freshmen: Puskedra finished as the top frosh on the day, crossing the line fifth overall, 24 seconds behind teammate Rupp, who was able to win his first individual title (Puskedra, 29:27; Rupp, 29:03). Derrick crossed the line as the first finisher for Stanford, seventh overall in 29:29. Fernandez was carted off the field without a finishing time, despite running 23:38 through the first 8 kilometers. The next time these three would face off over hill and dale, the circumstances would be different: as junior runners all under the age of 19, any “senior”-level competition would be unqualified, and without team implications, the pressure would once again be on the shoulders for each runner to make it on the national team for the World Cross Country Championships.

The 2009 USA Cross Country Junior Championship, held in early February, told a very different tale than the NCAA Championship from the November previous. The trio of Fernandez, Puskedra and Derrick, once again toeing the line against each other – this time at Agriculture Farm Park in Maryland over 8 kilometers – were seeking to qualify individually for one of six spots on the USA National Cross Country Team. Fernandez was the defending champion. Fully healed, he had run a world junior record with a 3:56.5 mile only a few weeks before. Derrick too had been crushing it, running 13:44 indoors for 5,000 meters. Puskedra wasn’t far behind, running a personal best of 13:46 indoors for 5,000 meters. The three of them were well in contention as they followed the course, which was constructed in 2,000 meter loops.

Runner’s World correspondent Amby Burfoot picked up the story: “Last Saturday, when I caught a glimpse of Fernandez for the first time, I was standing at the 1K mark of the 2K loop used for the National XC Championships in Derwood, MD. Fernandez was running up front with the super talented Chris Derrick and Luke Puskedra. (He buried them in the last mile.) All three are still just 18 years old. People are calling them the future of American distance running, and people might be right. Here's what I saw at that first glimpse: two really good runners, and one who looked completely different. Fernandez looked completely different. I immediately thought, "He runs like Haile Gebrselassie." Here's how Fernandez runs like Geb. It was the first thing that flashed into my head as he charged up a slight incline to the 1K mark: He's got quick, light feet but they generate an impressive amount of power with each stride. You can't "see" power, but when someone runs fast with a quick footstrike, it's because his lower legs have that rare ability. No wonder he just ran that surprising 3:56.5 indoor mile with little or no apparent speedwork.”

Fernandez took the race, winning comfortably in 23:20. Derrick crossed in second 19 seconds later, and Puskedra was third, in 23:53. They were the only three athletes under 24 minutes.

The fast finish enabled all three runners to qualify for the World Cross Country championships, and for the first time in 30 years, spurred talk of claiming the title. The USATF press release for the occasion detailed: “The U.S. junior men's squad will feature a trio of college freshmen that could lead Team USA to a team medal. Leading the junior men will be two-time USA Junior Cross Country Champion German Fernandez. While Fernandez, 18, is now considered by many to be an individual medal contender in Amman, Stanford University freshman Chris Derrick, the runner-up at the recent USA Cross Country Championships, and University of Oregon freshman Luke Puskedra, third at the championships, could see potential top-15 finishes as well.” Further analysis unearthed this quote: “Americans in recent years have yawned at World XC as many of America's top talents have skipped the meet to focus on other events. Not this year. The great news is that one of America's best talents is here in German Fernandez and World XC is obviously a huge priority for him, as he just skipped NCAAs to get ready for this race. The better news is he is still a junior so his medal prospects are at least in the realm of theoretical possibilities.” All told, there was definitive hype surrounding the event.

The course in Amman was set in a picturesque bowl between tree-lined hills which provided a tough, true cross country challenge. The terrain for the competitors was a violently undulating route through the countryside traversing an ever changing surface of sand, gravel and grass. Adding to the permanent features of this challenging venue mother-nature threw in a strong chilling westerly wind which bit into the runners faces especially as they approached the long agonizing slope of the finishing straight. The New York Times wrote: “[The event was] staged on a converted golf course that looked better suited to rugged hiking.” “I thought it would be rolling hills like an American golf course, but it was nothing like that,” said Kimberley Smith, a slightly built blond New Zealander, “That was the hardest course I’ve ever run. It was a true cross-country course.”

The difficulty of the task went beyond the terrain of the course. Top candidates from Kenya and Ethiopia were also in contention for the title. The junior men's race appeared to have a "clear favorite" according to the IAAF in 18-year-old Ethiopian Ayele Abshero. Abshero had run 29:21 for 10,000 meters in 2007 at the Great Ethiopia Run at altitude. In 2008 he earned the silver in the junior XC race and then went on to run 13:35 for 5k in Berlin. And as for the Kenyans, not a lot was known about them. Additionally, the Kenyan junior trials had been fairly close, as first through 5th place finished less than 7 seconds apart. Optimists interpreted this as meaning there wasn't one Kenyan who was better than any other. But after the Kenyan trials the qualifiers still carried a mighty reputation: John Kemboi (25:22.9), Paul Tanui (25:23.6), Japhet Korir (25:25.9), John Chekpwony (25:29.3), and Charles Chepkurui (25:35.1) seemed difficult to cover by the three American runners. Out of those five, who would be the favorite runner to match? If one runner ran excellent it was hard to know whether it would come from the front or back... and there was an additional problem. Titus Mbishei, who was 5th in 25:29.5 at the Kenyan Trials, had run 7:50.23 for 3,00 meters, 13:27.65 for 5,000 meters and 27:31.65 for 10,000 meters in 2008 – times that could not be touched by Fernandez, Puskedra or Derrick even on their best day– and he was Kenya’s fifth finisher at the trials.

Soon, the time had come. Each of the three American juniors spelled their nerves and toed the line. As expected, the race went out fast. Fernandez and Derrick fell in immediately with the front group – led by Titus Mbishei of Kenya — and they found themselves among familiar names: Ethiopia’s Ayele Abshero and Uganda’s Moses Kibet among other Africans. Puskedra wasn’t as lucky to match the furious pace put on the outset and was hanging on for dear life at the rear of the lead group.

The race was driven by the national teams for Kenya and Ethiopia. Despite Fernandez and Derrick’s best efforts, the leaders did not crumble during any of the four laps along the 2,000 meter course. And Fernandez was hurting: “The first two laps, my foot felt fine, but on the last two long loops I thought that the muscle was a little bit tight, and that the same thing that happened to me with my Achilles at NCAA nationals was going to happen, but then it went away. I just blocked out the pain.”

By halfway, the outcome was becoming clear: four Kenyans and four Ethiopians were leading and it wasn’t close—the leaders had about 40 seconds on Derrick and Fernandez.

By the end, despite their best efforts and preparation, victory would not come on this day. Puskedra (24:53) would finish an admirable 30th overall, 90 seconds behind the winner, and about 40 seconds behind his American teammates. Chris Derrick (24:20) would hold on gamely to Fernandez’s pace, and cross the line in 15th. Fernandez (24:13), running as hard as ever, finished an impressive 11th overall – the first non-African across the line, and the first American. It was the highest finish for an American junior athlete at World Cross in seven years. As Fernandez stated afterward: “I just tried to go out with the front group and stay there as long as possible, and I think I did a pretty good job of it.” The U.S. team finished fifth overall behind Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda and Eritrea. It was their best team finish since 2001.

Digging deep into his reserves up the final climb towards the finish, Ethiopia’s Ayele Abshero (23:26) wasn’t going to settle for a second successive silver medal. Kenya’s Mbishei (23:30) had perhaps deserved more, for it was he who had pushed the pace along for much of the 8 kilometer race. But Abshero lived up to his billing as the pre-race favorite, taking control with a surge up a short hill with some 600m to go and never looked back. Mbishei stuck to Abshero’s heels briefly but fell away to finish behind by 25 meters.

For the golden trio, cross-country success would continue throughout their collegiate careers and into their lives as professionals. Plagued by injuries and low iron, the fragile German Fernandez would find only sporadic moments of glory in the six years following his 11th place finish at Worlds.  In the Big 12 Conference for cross country, Fernandez would finish in 4th in the fall of 2009, then second, and finally first again by 2011 – three years after his initial Big 12 cross country title. At the NCAA Cross Country Championship, Fernandez would earn all-American honors twice: in 2010 when he finished in 8th and 2011 when he finished 11th – and would enjoy team titles in 2009 and 2010 with Oklahoma State. Professionally his biggest accomplishment in cross-country would be a surprise 3rd place finish at the 2014 USATF Club Cross Country Championship in December.

For Luke Puskedra, he would earn all-American honors in cross-country four times, finishing 21st in the fall of 2009, third in 2010, and sixth in 2011 – all at the NCAA cross-country championship. A calf injury would slow his training, but eventually Puskedra would find success on the roads, his times being in the elite echelon for the marathon and half-marathon distances.

Chris Derrick’s career in cross-country might have been the most notable. He returned in the fall of 2009 to win the Pac-10 conference and West Regional cross-country individual titles before finishing third in the NCAA national championship. He also finished 5th in 2010 and 2nd in 2011 to cap four all-American seasons. In addition, Derrick was able to win three straight USATF cross-country national titles, in 2013, 2014 and 2015 respectively. His ultimate highlight however was helping the United States to a silver-medal finish at the 2013 Senior World Cross Country Championship, a race where he crossed the line in 10th place.

It was the United States’ first team medal at the World Cross Country Championships in 29 years.

Kenya finished third as a team due to Derrick’s effort.

Sources:

German Fernandez “Double Time” Article from Running Times:

https://drive.google.com/a/crystal.csus.org/file/d/0B1XkMtjm6a4nT19sTk9Da3lIVmc/view?usp=sharing

Galen Rupp Sam Chelanga 2008 Showdown at NCAAs:

http://www.letsrun.com/2008/ncaapremen1120.php

Amby Burfoot calls Fernandez the “Next Haile Gebresselasie”:

http://www.runnersworld.com/footloose/feb-10-german-fernandez-is-moving-well-and-moving-up

2009 USA Cross Country Junior Championship Results: http://www.usatf.org/events/2009/USAXCChampionships/Results/jm.asp

Pre-Worlds: https://web.archive.org/web/20090327094444/http://ocolly.com/2009/03/25/fernandez-set-to-continue-dominant-campaign/

http://www.letsrun.com/2009/german2009.php

Preview: http://www.iaaf.org/news/news/fernandez-the-ace-in-the-usas-junior-pack-for Results: http://www.iaaf.org/results/iaaf-world-cross-country-championships/2009/37th-iaaf-world-cross-country-championships-4140/men/junior-race/final/result Results: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2009_IAAF_World_Cross_Country_Championships Report: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/29/sports/othersports/29run.html?_r=0 Report: http://www.iaaf.org/news/news/destination-amman-1 Quotes: http://www.usatf.org/news/view.aspx?DUID=USATF_2009_03_28_14_12_15

Footage of 2009 World XC Junior Race:

http://www.ethiotube.net/video/3075/The-Race--The-37th-IAAF-Junior-Mens-Cross-Country-Championship

[therealxc]

The Golden Trio [Part 1]

It was intended to be America’s statement to the world at large – and the East Africans in particular.  Three of the fastest and most prolific young distance runners the U.S. had assembled in 30 years together on one team. Individuals who had rewritten the record books and challenged convention; what USA Track and Field wrote as being “a trio of college freshmen that could lead Team USA to a team medal.” For three 18 year olds: German Fernandez, Chris Derrick and Luke Puskedra, being the best on home soil wasn’t enough. They were the future, and they were bringing America back in the world’s toughest footrace.

The World Cross Country Championship was called the “world’s toughest footrace” for good reason: it pitted six of every member nation’s best distance runners against each other in one event. Milers to steeplechasers, 5,000 meter specialists to marathoners – they all toed the line in the same event on the same day. On March 28th 2009, the 37th edition of the World Cross Country Championship was contested in Amman, Jordan. “We will not let the athletics world down,” lead organizer Prince Feisal Al Hussein had promised, “We have proved ourselves capable of hosting major world championships and we will deliver something special and unique.” The 2009 event would not disappoint.

The “world’s toughest footrace” hadn’t always been the toughest to win. For the United States, prior to the arrival of Kenya and Ethiopia at the 1981 event, the junior championship had been almost certain victory: in four of the first five runnings of the mens’ junior championship in the 1970s, the U.S. had the first place individual finisher and finished first as a team. Names like Rich Kimball, Eric Hulst and Thom Hunt gave the United States a perpetual winning expectation. They also managed to earn silver in 1980 and gold in 1981, a somewhat unexpected return to the podium in those two years, but not a surprise to the other nations who saw the caliber of the athletes present.

But from 1982 onward, only two teams were in contention: Kenya and Ethiopia. Between 1982 and 2008, Ethiopia had won the title seven times, and finished second 19 more – while Kenya found itself victorious a total of 20 times in the same period, with four more runner-up finishes in years it did not win. That meant that for an entire generation of athletes the championship was little more than a dual meet between the two East African powerhouses – and for the United States? Their best team finish in that span was fourth, without so much as a podium team medal for the hard efforts of the American youth in the 26 years of African dominance.

While damaging, the record at World Cross left the American youth undaunted. Dathan Ritzenhein, a member of the “big three” who emerged out of the graduating class of 2001 (along with Alan Webb and Ryan Hall), proved that the Americans could come back. His third-place finish overall at the 2001 World Cross junior race solidified this idea. His finish, along with the fifth place finish of fellow American Matt Tegenkamp, was the impetus for the American’s return to form. It was in 2001 that the junior team finished only 47 points away from defeating Kenya, and only three points away from finishing on the podium. Eight years later, it was clear the standards had risen by the time Fernandez, Derrick and Puskedra decided to challenge for the title. Fernandez’s coach Dave Smith had this to say before the 2009 event: “[Skipping NCAAs] was hard for him as a competitor. But he wants to compete against the best in the world. He's going to see that at juniors, get a look again at the guys he's going be facing for the next eight to 10 years. I think it's important for him to see where he is in that field, envision himself wining against that field and having the opportunity to test the waters.” Forgoing a year of NCAA eligibility and potential championship just to compete at World Cross was a big move for a runner touted as being the best collegiate freshman in the nation.

German Fernandez was already a household name by the spring of 2009. To understand the elite status of his performances (and his following) required examining the domination he displayed in his meteoric rise. Fernandez had gained a reputation as being one of the strongest runners in California by the start of his senior year in the fall of 2007. As a student-athlete at Riverbank High School, just 90 minutes east of the Bay Area in California, Fernandez didn’t just set records in cross-country—he destroyed them. 

A few highlights from his senior campaign in the fall of 2007 included: running at the 36th annual Artichoke Invitational in Half Moon Bay, where Fernandez re-set his own course record, running 11:04. His nearest competitor for the course ran 12:08, a respectable time considering that this second-place finisher was none-other than future U.S. junior cross-country champion and NCAA all-region runner Erik Olson. It had been a week prior that Fernandez had set the course record at the prestigious Stanford Invitational, running 14:42 for five kilometers in hot conditions. Notable was the fact that his nearest opponent was the state champion in the division above him, a runner by the name of Mohamed Abdalla who Fernandez beat by over 40 seconds. Abdalla was one of 1,320 runners Fernandez defeated that day. By November, Fernandez ran the 5 kilometer state-meet course at Woodward Park in Fresno in a mind-numbing time of 14:24, unheard of considering his mile average for the course converted to three 4:33 miles back-to-back-to-back. On the day, out of all divisions, Fernandez’s nearest opponent was 49 seconds slower. And yet, as columnist Rich Gonzalez reported, Fernandez wasn’t the only high school runner making headlines. He shared that distinction with Luke Puskedra, a runner of similar ability at Judge Memorial Catholic High School in Utah: “Most statistical comparisons point to (Fernandez and Puskedra) being nearly even at this point, and the gap between them and all others (in the country) growing,” Gonzalez said.

Luke Puskedra was deserving of his status of challenger to Fernandez’s throne. Puskedra's favorite experiences in running came at young age when he and his father would travel together to various track meets: “In fifth grade I finally convinced my family to let me do summer track. I would finish third or better in every race because it meant I could go to another meet with my dad. Some of my most memorable moments would be those trips with my father.” He recalled that his family never pushed him or set unrealistic expectations. But winning did not always come easy to Puskedra. As a 5-foot-2 freshman at Judge Memorial Catholic High School in Utah, he already had some lofty goals: “He believed he'd run under four minutes in his freshman year,” said Judge coach Dan Quinn. “Every time he went out he tried to do just that. He's been doing it ever since.” Following a huge growth spurt between his freshman and sophomore years in which he reached his current stature at a towering 6-foot-5, Puskedra struggled to find his stride. Despite winning the Utah State cross-country championship as a junior in 2006, he missed competing in the prestigious national Foot Locker Cross Country Championships and was left wondering whether he'd ever find his running legs again.

As a senior, there was no denying Puskedra’s prowess as a cross-country phenomenon. During the 2007 cross country season, he set a course record in every race he ran in Utah, including the all-time course record on the state course at Sugar House Park. As the snow fell on the state course, Puskedra blew away the field, running 14:54.6 to repeat as 3A boys champion. The previous course record at the Utah State Cross Country Championships, held by Josh Rohatinsky (who had won the NCAA Cross Country Championships), was shattered as Puskedra broke Rohatinsky's course record by nearly 13 seconds: Puskedra blasted away from the start, easily beating everyone in the field.  5A champion Stephen Clark ran the next fastest time of the day, over 26 seconds slower. The stage was set for the Footlocker West Regional, where Puskedra was eyeing a much-awaited showdown with German Fernandez.

Surprisingly, the talk of the town when the athletes arrived at the Mt. SAC course wasn’t the race for the individual title, but a course change.  Due to high amounts of rain that fell the day before the race, course officials decided to use their alternate road “rain” course to avoid mud and potential problems on the normal trail.  Despite this change, none of the top athletes let that affect them. Right from the gun the main front runners were all in the lead pack.  Luke Puskedra took the early lead, pushing the pace through the first mile in 4:30.  The downhill was to blame for creating such fast opening race marks, and between the first and second mile the field really spread out.  Puskedra and Fernandez pulled away from the field at the half-way point and kept on rolling. With 600 meters to go Fernandez made a strong move to gap Puskedra.  By the finish, Fernandez had pushed hard enough to put Puskedra back 15 seconds as he crossed the line in 14:53.  Puskedra finished strong in 15:08 for second – a guarantee he would run Nationals and get his chance at Fernandez again. Afterwards Fernandez talked on how the race felt, saying “My goal was just try and qualify.  With 400 meters to go I knew I had to stay focused.”

As Puskedra and Fernandez battled in Southern California, Chris Derrick was busy setting records of his own in Southern Illinois. As a senior at Neuqua Valley, columnist Scott Bush had this to say of Derrick’s 2007 cross-country season: “Over the past year, Chris Derrick's transformation from very good runner to great runner has sparked conversation implying Chris could be this year's Foot Locker National Champion.  Always a big meet performer, Chris ran 8:54 last year in an amazing 3200m state championship race, where he nearly beat one of the nation's best in Evan Jager.  For some, this signified his entry into national elite status. This fall, Chris has stepped up one more level, breaking numerous course records, leading his U.S. ranked squad to an undefeated season, and showing he is perhaps the best harrier in the land.” For Derrick however, the goal was simply to have his team win the Illinois state meet. As the race approached, however, he found he might have a chance to set a course record there as well: for the team title, Neuqua Valley scored 86 points to York's 105, denying York coach Joe Newton a 27th state title. Meanwhile, Derrick won the boys individual title, falling just two seconds short of Craig Virgin’s course record, running 13 minutes, 51.8 seconds (to Virgin’s 13:50.6). However, Derrick also became the first runner since Sandburg's Tom Graves in 1977 to break 14 minutes (13:56.6): "I wanted to kick as hard as I could to get that record," Derrick said. After a national individual and team championship at Nike Cross Nationals, and a relatively easy Footlocker qualifier in 15:04, Derrick was also joining the Footlocker National Championship title conversation.

Any thoughts that the boys would start conservatively were quickly thrown out the window when Luke Puskedra took out the first 800 meters of the Footlocker National Championship in 2:10. He hit the mile in 4:28. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that the pace was way too fast. Coaching guru John Kellogg summed it up best by saying, "If he wins the thing, I’d be shocked.” At the mile, Puskedra was closely followed by South champ Colby Lowe, Midwest sixth placer Kevin Williams, Northeast champ Donn Cabral, and pre-race favorite German Fernandez. Midwest starlet Chris Derrick was nowhere to be found, however: “They went out really fast, at about my mile (personal-record) pace,” Derrick said. “When I saw at 800 they were at 2:10, I was getting a little bit worried.”

Derrick stuck to his guns. The pace slowed dramatically during the 2nd hilly mile. 1.5 miles was hit in roughly 7 flat and two miles was hit in 9:28. By two miles, Midwest regional champ Mike Fout, who had stayed just off the pace at the crazy start, had joined the 3 other regional champs and Puskedra to form a 5 man lead pack. Early in the third mile, Fout made a move for glory and quickly gapped everyone else in the lead back. The other four had no response.

Just when it appeared to be over, Chris Derrick came up hard from the back. Derrick quickly caught up and dispatched the tiring foursome of Fernandez, Lowe, Cabral and Puskedra – and he was gaining on Fout. Just when it looked like Derrick might do it, there was only 400 meters left and Derrick had run out of real-estate. Derrick was second in 14:57, Fernandez third in 15:09. Puskedra, paying for his “suicidal” early pace, crossed in fifth six seconds after Fernandez. Fout, who had the race of his life, never made the same impact again. For Fernandez, Puskedra, and Derrick however, their legacy was just beginning.

To be continued...

Sources:

USATF Press Release about Junior Team’s Medal chances: 

http://www.iaaf.org/news/news/fernandez-the-ace-in-the-usas-junior-pack-for

IAAF World Cross Country Course Preview: 

http://www.iaaf.org/news/news/destination-amman-1

Coach Dave Smith quote on “Skipping NCAAs” for Fernandez: 

http://www.letsrun.com/2009/german2009.php

German Fernandez High School Achievements: 

http://www.crosscountryexpress.com/2007/10/artichoke-invitational-returns-for-36th.html 

http://www.modbee.com/latest-news/article3093840.html

Luke Puskedra High School Achievements: 

http://www.icatholic.org/article/runner-leads-the-nation-breaks-his-own-record-9782708 

http://www.letsrun.com/forum/post.php?board=1&reply=3797410

http://www.milesplit.com/articles/15419

Chris Derrick High School Achievements: 

http://www.milesplit.com/articles/15269/chris-derricks-milesplit-journal 

http://www.runnersworld.com/rt-web-exclusive/throwback-thursday-chris-derrick

Foot Locker West Regional: 

http://www.milesplit.com/articles/16142/best-of-the-west-hasay-3-peats-fernandez-shows-strength

Foot Locker National Championship: 

http://www.letsrun.com/2007/flboys1208.php http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2007-12-09/sports/0712080506_1_foot-locker-national-cross-country-nike-team-nationals-mile

[nicerunningday]

Chris Derrick in the cover of Competitor Magazine

[nicerunningday]

Chris Derrick 2015 US XC Champion.

[nicerunningday]

Chris Derrick owning Edimburg XC

[nicerunningday]

Schumacher's crew with Nike Zoom Elite 7.

[theshoeaddicts]

Galen Rupp and Chris Derrick

Men's 10,000m Final - #USAOutdoors