Lalang Avenged Loss, Made History

If revenge is a dish best served cold, then breaking a 35-year-old meet record in the process of hand-delivering that delicacy to someone’s own home must be the cherry on top.

Many expected Lawi Lalang’s final year in an Arizona uniform to be all but a coronation as the best collegiate distance runner in recent memory.

After all, Lalang swept the 5000- and 10,000-meter crowns the previous year at the 2013 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships as part of a four-title junior campaign (He also completed the indoor mile-3000 double earlier that year with meet-record times). Then, in just his fourth competition of 2014, Lalang finished runner-up in the Men’s Wanamaker Mile at the NYRR Millrose Games in 3:52.88 and set a since-broken collegiate indoor record by 0.10 seconds.

All signs pointed toward a dominant senior year for Lalang at the NCAA Championships, but his title-winning ways were put on hold – at least until he went back to Hayward Field in June.

Lalang had a tough go at the NCAA Indoor Championships, headlined by a humbling 6.16-second loss to Oregon freshman Edward Cheserek. What made that defeat tougher to swallow was that Cheserek, who would also win the 3000 that year, put all of the distance between himself and Lalang in the final 250 meters to post the second largest margin of victory in meet history.

Fast forward a few months and Lalang toed the starting line alongside Cheserek once again for an NCAA 5000-meter final, but this time it was outdoors on Hayward Field’s hallowed grounds.

Lalang and Cheserek treated the 11,344 fans in attendance to an amazing duel.

The duo pushed the pace early with only Mohammed Ahmed of Wisconsin and 2013 NCAA Indoor 5K champ Kennedy Kithuka of Texas Tech willing to go with them. Then, after a 64-second lap from 3800 meters and 4200 meters dropped Kithuka, a 63-second penultimate circuit of the track shook Ahmed, leaving Lalang and Cheserek alone at the bell – and on historic pace.

True to form, Cheserek made his big move with 250 meters to go – but Lalang had it well-scouted from the indoor meet and wouldn’t let the freshman stray. Lalang pulled even with Cheserek on the homestretch and beat him to the finish line by just 0.35 seconds, the third closest margin of victory at the meet since 1995.

Final result: Lawi Lalang, Arizona – 13:18.36; Edward Cheserek, Oregon – 13:18.71. Both Lalang and Cheserek went under the previous meet best established by Sydney Maree in 1979, but to the victor go the spoils.

Less than 20 hours later, Lalang returned to the track for the final of the 1500 meters. He sought to become the first man in meet history to complete the 1500-5K double, a feat that only one woman — Sheila Reid of Villanova — accomplished three years earlier.

History looked well within Lalang’s reach as he rounded the Bowerman Curve, but Mac Fleet’s fresher legs paid dividends. Fleet edged ahead with 50 meters left in the race and held off Lalang by 0.04 seconds, the second closest margin of victory in the event since 1990.

Lalang capped his collegiate career by being named a finalist for The Bowerman for the second year in a row. And, as if it was almost fate: Who else would share The Bowerman stage with Lalang and eventual winner Deon Lendore of Texas A&M? Edward Cheserek.