Cyclone Distance Runners Highlight Indoor Opener

FAYETTEVILLE, Arkansas – The Iowa State men's indoor squad opened the 2021-22 season in historic fashion Friday evening at the Woo Pig Classic held at the Tyson Track Center in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

Five Cyclones posted a sub-14 minute times in the 5,000-meter run, highlighted by Gable Sieperda's top-five program mark of 13:44.75. Thomas Pollard finished the race in 13:45.34, the seventh-best mark in school history, while Chad Johnson (13:57.25) and Ezekiel Rop (13:58.62) became the 10th and 11th Cyclones to ever run a time of less than 14 minutes in the event.

Ryan Ford, competing unattached, finished the 5,000-meter run in 13:44.30 to take third.

Four Cyclones placed in the top five of Iowa State's first event of the day, the 1,000-meter run. Jason Gomez placed second with a time of 2:21.02 while three others – Nehemia Too (2:21.65), Alex Lomong (2:21.75) and Darius Kipyego (2:21.85) – added their names to the school record book with top-10 program times.

David Thompson (2:24.84) finished seventh in the event and shaved nearly five seconds off his personal best. Joe Schaefer rounded out the Cyclone runners in the 1,000 meters with a time of 2:26.89, just .49 shy of a personal best.

Cebastian Gentil placed fourth and set a new personal best in the 600m with a time of 1:17.93 while Frank Hayes finished seventh in 1:18.65.

Iowa State closed out the day with a fifth-place finish of 3:19.05 in a 4x400 relay comprised of Tanner Anderson, Lomong, Kipyego and Schaefer.

Up Next
Wesley Kiptoo runs tomorrow in the 5,000-meter run at the Sharon Colyear-Danville Season Opener in Boston. Kiptoo will take to the track at 5 p.m. Central Time, and the race can be watched on FloTrack.

Iowa State Results
600m Run (M): 1. Brandon Miller, Texas A&M - 1:15.49; 4. Cebastian Gentil, Iowa State - 1:17.93; 7. Frank Hayes, Iowa State - 1:18.65
1,000m Run (M): 1. Festus Lagat, Unattached - 2:20.10; 2. Jason Gomez, Iowa State - 2:21.02; 3. Nehemia Too, Iowa State - 2:21.65; 4. Alex Lomong, Iowa State - 2:21.75; 5. Darius Kipyego, Iowa State - 2:21.85; 7. David Thompson, Iowa State - 2:24.84; 11. Joe Schaefer, Iowa State - 2:26.89; Tanner Anderson, Iowa State - DNF
5,000m Run (M): 1. Scott Beattie, Tulsa - 13:40.42; 3. Ryan Ford, Unattached - 13:44.30; 4. Gable Sieperda, Iowa State - 13:44.75; 5. Thomas Pollard, Iowa State - 13:45.34; 8. Chad Johnson, Iowa State - 13:57.25; 9. Ezekiel Rop, Iowa State - 13:58.62
4x400m Relay (M): 1. Texas A&M - 3:10.10; 5. Iowa State (Tanner Anderson, Alex Lomong, Darius Kipyego, Joe Schaefer) - 3:19.05

Players Mentioned

Tanner Anderson

Cebastian Gentil

Jason Gómez

Chad Johnson

Wesley Kiptoo

Festus Lagat

Alex Lomong

Thomas Pollard

Ezekiel Rop

Joe Schaefer

Gable Sieperda

David Thompson

Nehemia Too

Sponsors

Iowa State University Athletics