June 12, 2010
Lee Emanuel will leave Oregon not exactly the way he wanted to. The senior finished 6th in the finals of the 1500-meters Saturday at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore. Emanuel was ahead most of the race until about the last 200-meters when three members of the Oregon team passed him to take one, two and three. Emanuel ran a time of 3:48.61 to be the only Lobo track athlete this year to earn All-American honors. Emanuel’s four All-American honors (indoor and outdoor) tie the program record and is the most by a track athlete. Pole-vaulter Simon Arkell also had four.
“I am devastated,” Emanuel said. “I went out to win and it didn’t workout today. It was not for a lack of effort or desire. I wanted to go out on a high and it just didn’t happen.”
The pace this year was much slower than the previous in 2009. Emanuel ran a time of 3:39.66 for 3rd place in 2009. Andrew Wheating of Oregon ran a time of 3:47.94 Saturday for 1st place.
Jacob Kirwa ran a 14:11.83 in the 5,000-meters for 18th place.