Rupp and Oregon Win XC Titles

This season he picked where he left off last season in terms of success and winning. Olympian Galen Rupp managed his first individual NCAA Div I Cross Country Championship title. The 2008 Olympian covered the 10k course in 29:04, leading the University of Oregon to a second consecutive title. Liberty Universities' Samuel Chelanga led the race from the gun up until the 400-meters mark when Rupp pulled ahead to put away the victory.

"My coaches told me to sit back, be smart and stay focused," Rupp said. "It was going to come down to a sprint and I relaxed until I was ready to go. I was more patient than last year, and when I made my move it was decisive. With about 800m to go I heard someone say 'Remember last year,' and that helped me win."

The Red Raider football team isn't the only of the schools sports to discover winning ways this season. Sally Kipyego solidified her three consecutive women's title. In flying over the 6 km course in 19:29, Kipyego became the winningest women's cross country runner in Division I history.

Susan Kuijen of Florida State managed to stay within striking distance through half-way, but Kipyego easily pulled away for a six-second win. The University of Washington won the women's team title over Oregon with 79 points.

"It was cold and windy and the hardest of my three wins," Kipyego said. "I tried to stay positive and run my best race. It's an amazing feeling and a wonderful opportunity."

Jay Hicks for Prerace Jitters.

The Reebok Boston Indoor Preview

Tirunesh Dibaba sits next to her World record figures in Boston last year

The Reebook Boston Indoor meet is the second meet on USA Track & Field’s Visa Championships Series and arguably one of the best indoor meets.

The Reebook Boston Indoor meet is legendary for stellar distance races, in part because of the array of talent the meet attracts, and also because of the 200 meter Mondo indoor track at the Reggie Lewis Center.

Bitter Ethopian rivals Tirunesh Dibaba and Meseret Defar, two of the world’s best will take the track in Boston – unfortunately, not in the same race. Defar is slated to run the Two Mile, in which she is currently the world record holder. Dibaba, the 5,000 meter indoor record holder, is stepping down to run 3,000 meters.

Up and coming sprint star, Shalonda Solomon, the 2006 NCAA Champion at 200 meters is debuting her first professional indoor meet.

In the field events, Reese Hoffa and Adam Nelson are competing in the men’s shot put. Jenn Stuczynski, the new pole vault queen, is competing in the Nutrilite Women’s Pole Vault.

The men’s 800 meters is certain to be a fireworks show. The U.S. national champion Khadevis Robinson and #2 nationally ranked 800 meter runner, Nick Symmonds, will go head to head on Saturday.

The men’s 3,000 meters looks to be hotter than fish grease. The line up includes defending champion Craig Mott of Australia, New Zealand’s Nick Willis, Ethiopia’s Tariku Bekele and American phenom Galen Rupp, who has not run against these elite athletes. This race is certain to have implications for later in this Olympic year track season.

The Reebok Boston Indoor meet, the second stop on USA Track & Field’s Visa Championship Series, can be seen Sunday on ESPN 2 at 3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. EST. Check your local listings.

By Jay Hicks, a.k.a. Track Evangelist