Tulsa’s Caitlin Klopfer Claims 10,000m Title at The American Championships

Friday, May 14

Tampa, Fla.

All Day

Tulsa

American Athletic Conference Championship

Tulsa’s Caitlin Klopfer Claims 10,000m Title at The American Championships

5/14/2021 8:34:00 PM | Track and Field

Tulsa senior Caitlin Klopfer claimed the 10,000m run title with her time of 34:45.79, while Jenny O'Bryan earned a bronze medal in the same event on Friday evening at the American Athletic Conference Championships at the USF Track and Field Stadium in Tampa, Fla. The conference championship will continue on Saturday and Sunday.

WOMEN:
Caitlin Klopfer won the 10,000m run event with her time of 34:45.79, 1.9 seconds faster than Temple's Michelle Joyce in second place (34:47.69). Jenny O'Bryan earned a bronze medal with her time of 34:54.47 for third place. Caroline Miller finished fourth (36:13.78) and Chloe Hershenow was eighth (37:06.89). O'Bryan set a personal best in the race, while this was the first time in their collegiate careers that Miller and Hershenow raced in the event.

Ali Lund just missed the medal stand by 10 inches as she had a javelin throw of 47.38m (155'5"), her personal-best and the program's second-farthest. She trailed Memphis' Mona Jaidi (54.63m) and Elina Nebl (49.07m), and Wichita State's Kourtni Hubert (47.64m). Lund bested her previous record by two feet from earlier this season.

Katharina Pesendorfer and Keely Jones both advanced to the Finals with their performances in today's 1,500m run Heats. Pesendorfer was fifth in Heat 1 with a time of 4:29.92, while Jones was third in Heat 2 in a time of 4:31.11. Layla Roebke also raced in Heat 1 and recorded a time of 4:46.95 for 10^th place.

Rachel Hamel competed in four of the seven events in the heptathlon on Friday, including a personal-best jump of 1.58m (5'2.25") in the high jump for 11^th place. She also threw the shot put for the first time collegiately for a distance of 8.11m (26'7.25") for 19^th place, while finishing eighth in the 100m hurdles (14.69) and 17^th in the 200m dash (26.91). Hamel will conclude the heptathlon on Saturday.

MEN:
All five of TU's competitors in the 1,500m run advanced out of the Heat to Sunday's Finals. Isaac Akers turned in the best time of all the Heats with his time of 3:47.38 in Heat 1, while Christian Baker was third (3:48.60) and Cameron Field was fourth (3:48.66) in the same race. Patrick Dever won Heat 2 in a time of 3:48.72 and Pete Johnson was sixth (3:51.37).

Henry Visser registered a time of 52.20 for third place in Heat 1 of the 400m hurdles to qualify for Sunday's Finals, while Emmanuel Okwuone was sixth in Heat 2 in a time of 54.10.

In the 10,000m run, Malte Propp turned in Tulsa's best finish with his time of 30:51.72 for fourth place, while Ryan Shumaker was fifth (31:09.49), Jackson Schwartz was seventh (31:30.57) and Brett Davis was 10^th (31:58.95). This was the first time this season that Propp, Shumaker and Schwartz competed in the 10,000m race, while Davis ran in the event at the Wichita State Open in April.

MEN
1,500m Run Preliminaries
Heat 1
1. Isaac Akers – 3:47.38q
3. Christian Baker – 3:48.60q
4. Cameron Field – 3:48.66q

Heat 2
1. Patrick Dever – 3:48.72q
6. Pete Johnson – 3:51.37q

10,000m Run Final
4. Malte Propp – 30:51.72
5. Ryan Shumaker – 31:09.49
7. Jackson Schwartz – 31:30.57
10. Brett Davis – 31:58.95
Greg Fehribach, DNF

400m Hurdles Preliminaries
Heat 1
3. Henry Visser – 52.20q

Heat 2
6. Emmanuel Okwuone – 54.10

WOMEN
1,500m Run Preliminaries
Heat 1
5. Katharina Pesendorfer – 4:29.92q
10. Layla Roebke – 4:46.95

Heat 2
3. Keely Jones – 4:31.11q

10,000m Run Finals
1. Caitlin Klopfer – 34:45.79
3. Jenny O'Bryan – 34:54.47
4. Caroline Miller – 36:13.78
8. Chloe Hershenow – 37:06.89

Javelin Finals
4. Ali Lund – 47.38m (155'5")

Heptathlon Finals
100m Hurdles
8. Rachel Hamel – 14.69

High Jump
11. Rachel Hamel – 1.58m (5'2.25")

Shot Put
19. Rachel Hamel – 8.11m (26'7.25")

200m Dash
17. Rachel Hamel – 26.91