by John Dye

It was a sequel to the Oregon state meet, but not a re-run. Galen Rupp and Lauren Jespersen had run 1-2 in a record setting Oregon state meet, with Rupp setting a fast pace and Jespersen closing to within a split second at the end. This time, there was no gap most of the race, and undefeated Washington champion Carl Moe made it a threesome. Looking at his watch frequently, Rupp tried a surge every 2 minutes, but Jespersen and Moe covered it each time. Late in the race, the Oregon pair surged together and put a 15-meter gap on Moe. Moe rallied as they hit the soccer fields for the last 500 meters and passed a tiring Rupp, but couldn't catch Jespersen.

Lauren Jespersen

Carl Moe split the Oregon pair  and got second ahead of Galen Rupp

the start for Oregon

awards
 
Nike elite runner Bob Kennedy presents the 1-mile marker to Jespersen in behalf of winning Oregon team. From right are Kennedy, Jespersen, Moe, Rupp, and Wall.

Rupp-Jespersen Act 2 whets the appetite for more

by Leo Collins

BEAVERTON OR 11/17/02 -- Two weeks had passed since the Oregon State meet, yet time failed to dull interest about the duel in Eugene. The internet chat lines were still a-buzz over the Rupp-Jesperson match. Now it was Sunday in mid November and a goodly crowd gathered for the Rupp-Jesperson Show: Act 2.

Ostensibly this was the Oregon-Washington Border Clash, but for many running fans this was the second act in a hopeful ongoing serial. Prior to the race the conversation was not so much about what state would win, but about what was going to happen. Would the two go at IT again or would this be a training run? Would Carl Moe of Washington decide this was a time to make a statement of his own?

The crowd gathered at the Nike campus in Beaverton, Oregon in spite of threatening rain. But after a week of solid rain the running gods smiled on Oregon and the clouds even allowed the sun to break through providing an ideal day to run cross country.

The Border Clash has a unique start with each team facing each other and running around 200 yards before they make a turn and meld together. The cannon blasted and they were off but due to this fact there was a brief interlude when spectators were not sure of the action that was transpiring. As they made their turn all questions were answered. Rupp was in the lead & blasting and Jesperson was in immediate chase. A friend of mine standing nearby noted “they’re hammering” and it was almost an understatement. The pace was so fast that two of the younger Mead High School runners set their PRs for the 800 at 2:05, yet they were way back in the pack.

Galen Rupp continued to lead in spite of the fact that he was making regular checks of his watch and appeared to be running a fartlek workout. Running in this fashion allowed the pack to close in a bit at the mile which was run in a more sensible 4:55 but still it was the same two in the lead. Carl Moe had joined the fray about four minutes into the race with Alec Wall nearby. Lauren Jesperson slipped & nearly fell but he retained his position even while Rupp ran his on again off again surges as predicated by his watch.

Nearing the 7 ½ minute mark Carl Moe threw in his own surge passing Jesperson although he never quite made it up to the leader. Jesperson is a heady runner, it appears, and he responded in kind. At this point the race seemed to be on and the Oregon stars exchanged the lead a number of times, as they managed a ten yard lead over Moe who had a an even bigger lead over Wall.

They continued pretty much in this manner accompanied by the ever repeated watch checks until shortly before the 11 minute mark in the race, when Jesperson took the lead for good. It was unbeknown to all the end of the race, for Rupp appeared to have finished his training run and sauntered in from there. Carl Moe surged past an eased up Rupp to place second three seconds behind Jesperson and 8 seconds ahead of the cruise-controlled Central Catholic runner. An impressive Alec Wall, running in a vacuum, chipped in with a fourth place effort. Mark Currell, only sixth in the 3A Washington race, placed fifth ahead of Oregon’s Joaquin Chapa.

As far as the team race Oregon runners held a good lead with their top six having a total of 32 points to Washington’s 47. The Border Clash is also unique in its scoring as the top ten from each state determine the team score. While Oregon mid-packers placed 12,14 & 15, Washington paraded the next 15 runners over the finish to make it a close contest. Oregon held on for 104 to 117 victory.

After the race the winner noted the attention to the stop watch and the ensuing surges but was happy with the victory and seemingly none the worse for wear. Carl Moe gave evidence that he has to be counted once the Footlocker Regional is contested and Alec Wall also made a strong case for himself. Still there is the Rupp factor. His Mother noted after the race that he had been suffering from strep throat, and in deed there had been talk of him not competing. Galen is an affable young man, who is rather unassuming, and he down-played the illness noting that Lauren Jespesrson is a talented runner. He even noted that his was a training run today with work still to do. Still one has to believe he had not recovered, so the question that lingers is: what is yet to be seen for Act 3 at Regionals? I for one look forward to it.