Bizzarri on fast track

CHAMPAIGN – Angela Bizzarri enters this week's NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships as the No. 1 seed in the women's 5,000 meters.

For that, the Illinois junior can thank her considerable physical skills, years of disciplined training and a resolute drive to keep improving. She also can thank the astute guidance of Illini women's distance running coach Jeremy Rasmussen. And, perhaps most of all, she can thank Jenny Barringer.

Jenny Barringer?

The Colorado senior is the collegiate record-holder in five – yes, five – different distance events. And had the 2008 U.S. Olympian chosen to enter the 5,000 in this NCAA postseason, well, "It would be really kind of a race for second," Rasmussen said.

That's no reflection on Bizzarri. It's just that Barringer is that good, something the six-time Illini All-American readily acknowledges.

"She is definitely ahead of other collegians by far," Bizzarri said. "It's not very close."

How not close? Bizzarri ran a career-best time of 15 minutes, 37.39 seconds in the 5,000 in mid-April – currently the 10th-fastest clocking by an American this year.

Barringer? The reigning U.S. Track & Field and Cross-Country Coaches Association Women's Indoor Track Athlete of the Year set a collegiate record of 15:07.64 in May. It's the fastest time by an American this year, the seventh fastest in the world, and nearly 30 seconds faster than Bizzarri at her best.

Little wonder that Rasmussen let out "a little sigh of relief" when Barringer declared for the 3,000-meter steeplechase instead of the 5,000 before the NCAA regional meets began.

Bizzarri immediately comprehended, too, what Barringer's decision meant – for her and every other 5-kilometer title hopeful. One year after placing second in the event, Bizzarri sees a window of opportunity that she's eager to seize.

"It's hard to say you're excited that a competitor isn't going to be in your event, but at the same time it does give me an opportunity to be able to be at the very top if I have a good race," Bizzarri said. "It's kind of exciting because I'm definitely at the point where if I have a really good race, I could win it. I've never been in that position before (at an NCAA Championships). I'm really excited."

Seeds of caution

Not that the two-time Mideast Regional 5K champion is taking anything for granted. After all, this is a runner who has experienced more than her share of near misses.

In cross-country, Bizzarri has finished second at NCAA regional meets three years in a row. She was a three-time Big Ten track runner-up before finally breaking through for her first conference title last month in the 5,000. And, of course, there was her second-place finish in the NCAA 5K last year, although that surprising performance by the then-10th-seeded Illini could hardly be regarded as either a disappointment or a near miss. In a Barringer-like performance, 2008 champion Sally Kipyego of Texas Tech ran away from the 5K field while setting an NCAA meet record of 15:15.08.

Given that history, Bizzarri is wary of placing too much importance on her status as the No. 1 seed.

"You can't go in with that position like 'Oh, it's going to be easy' or 'It's not going to be extremely hard,' " she said. "It definitely will (be), so I try not to go into it thinking (a victory is) going to happen because who knows what's going to happen.

"My main focus is to just compete. And if I do that, I know it will work out well no matter what place I get."

Based on seed times, Bizzarri's primary competition figures to come from Oregon junior Nicole Blood, who finished third in last year's race; junior Katie Follett, a member of Washington's NCAA champion cross-country team; and Wisconsin senior Gwen Jorgensen, the Big Ten indoor champion in the 3,000 and 5K.

The road to a 5K title begins tonight at Fayetteville, Ark., with semifinal heats set for 8:40. The top 16 runners advance to Friday's finals.

Whatever might be thrown Bizzarri's way in terms of race strategy or pace in her next two races, Rasmussen is confident the Mason, Ohio, native will be up to the task.

"That's the nice thing about Angela," the Illini coach said. "She just has a lot of versatility. She can sit and (then) kick. She can go out and hammer at the front and run hard and be confident enough to do that.

"She's really developed a knack for learning what she needs to do to be in a situation at the end of the race to give herself a chance to win."

That knack has Bizzarri on a two-race winning streak entering nationals. Not only did she win her first Big Ten title May 17, but her 5K time (15:54.86) set a meet record.

"And the Big Ten's a really good distance conference," Rasmussen said, "so to be able to do stuff like that is really amazing."

Then Bizzarri successfully defended her Mideast Regional title, outkicking runner-up Jorgensen by 0.54 second.

Now, Bizzarri has her sights set on something that's been accomplished only six other times in Illini women's track history – and never by a distance runner: winning an NCAA title.

"That would be crazy," Bizzarri said. "It's something you never really think you are going to do. And then if that happens, it would be a huge honor."

Record-wrecker

Illini distance runner Angela Bizzarri has set or tied five school records during her junior year. The rundown:
Cross-country
Event    Time    Meet    Previous
6,000    19:59    NCAA Champ.    19:59 (Bizzarri, 2007)
Indoor track
3,000    9:11.62    Meyo Invite    9:15.16 (Cassie Hunt, 2006)
5,000    16:07.50    Big Ten Champ.    16:32.57    (Jaime Turilli, 2005)
Outdoor track
1,500    4:16.95    Big Ten Champ.    4:17.50 (Julie Lantis, 1984)
5,000    15:37.39    Mt. SAC Relay    15:45.78 (Bizzarri, 2008)

Keeping track

What: NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships
When: Wednesday through Saturday
Where: Fayetteville, Ark.
Illini women’s entrants: Melissa Bates (400); Angela Bizzarri (5,000); Deserea Brown (400 hurdles); Aja Evans (shot put); Latoya Griffith (400 hurdles); Chantelle Groenewoud (3,000 steeplechase); 1,600 relay (Brown, Omoye Ugiagbe, Ryisha Boyd and Bates with Ashley Kelly available as an alternate)
Illini men’s entrants: Andrew Riley (110 hurdles); Greg Shroka (high jump); Andrew Zollner (pole vault).
Live TV coverage: Friday, 6 p.m., CBS College Sports; Saturday, noon, CBS (WCIA)
On the Internet: www.ncaa.com/loc/ncaa-c-otrack-loc.html

 

 

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