Mile posts: Items on Edwin Kurgat, Adam Fogg, Adva Cohen, Gable Sieperda, Ainsley Erzen, Lexi Brown, Kelsey Schweizer

Two former Iowa collegiate greats stamped their authority at major indoor track and field meets and lead off this edition of the WEEKEND UPDATE of the best performances by Iowa-based collegiate and postcollegiate distance runners and triathletes.

Edwin Kurgat, the 2019 NCAA Division I cross country champion for Iowa State, topped a great field that included American mile record holder Yared Nuguse and British miler George Mills to win the Scarlett heat of the 5,000 meters at the John Thomas Terrier Classic at Boston University on Friday night.

The Under Armour Dark Sky Distance athlete based in Flagstaff, Ariz., made a big surge with 400 meters to go to run a new best of 12 minutes, 57.52 seconds to claim the race victory. Kurgat dropped his personal-best time from 13:08.46 while topping the Olympic qualifying standard of 13:05.00.

"At the point everyone's tired, everybody's trying to win the race, so I just kept focusing," Kurgat said in a Flotrack interview. "That was part of the training. I've been working for this, to break 13 minutes. It was my goal and I finally came through."

While Kurgat was showing he could be a threat for either the 5,000 or 10,000 at the Kenyan Olympic Trials, former Drake University three-time All-American Adam Fogg was taking a victory at the Dr. Sander men's mile invitational at the Armory in New York on Saturday. The Drake 1,500 and 3,000 school record holder ran a new best of 3:53.55 for the distance to defeat UA Mission Run Baltimore teammate Casey Comber by .38 of a second. that time ranks third in the world. Fogg also was first to reach the 1,500 mark to earn that honor.

Fogg was coming off a new personal-best time in the 800 meters at the Villanova Invitational at the Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex in Staten Island, N.Y., the previous weekend. Fogg ran 1:48.38 to top Rob Napolitano by .57 of a second

Kurgat and Fogg, who runs for Great Britain, weren't the only former Iowa collegians earning wins over the weekend. Former Iowa Central Community College and New Mexico great Adva Cohen picked up the victory in the women's 5,000 at the Terrier Classic. Cohen, also an Under Armour Dark Sky Distance athlete, established a new Israeli national record with a time of 15:27.20. Cohen topped BYU sophomore Jenna Hutchins by 3.79 seconds.

Will get back to the Terrier Classic, but changing to the Razorback Invitational in Fayeteville, where senior Gable Sieperda posted the No. 8 time in Cyclone history after clocking a 7:53.76 time in the invitational 3,000 meters Saturday. The former Central Lyon-GLR prep finished fourth in the race while setting a new best by nearly four seconds. Sieperda was fourth in the race won by teammate Silas Winders, who now owns the No. 2 time in school history after a 7:49.10 effort. Cyclone junior Tim Sindt, a former Ankeny High product, was 19th in 8:13.03.

Former Carlisle prep star Ainsley Erzen finished 10th overall and fourth in the fifth heat of the women's 800 in a new career best of 2:05.17. That time by the Arkansas sophomore ranks No. 11 on the Razorbacks' all-time list. The winner was Shafiqua Maloney of Saint Vincent in 2:02.29.

Also Saturday, Cyclone senior Janette Schraft missed a victory in the first heat of the women's mile by just .05 seconds, with Oregon freshman Katie Clute crossing the finish line first. Nevertheless, the former Glenwood and East Mills prep ran a season-best 4:46.89 to place 18th in a stacked field won by American Christina Aragon in 4:34.77.

Former Charles City prep and current Iowa State junior Kiki Connell placed 16th in the women's 3,000 invitational in 9:43.76. The Northern Iowa transfer finished fifth in heat 1.

Erzen also ran on the Razorbacks' distance medley relay on Friday that recorded the eighth-best time indoors. Erzen also ran the 800, in 2:03.62, to help Arkansas place second in 10:49.41. That time narrowly missed the school record of 10:49.14 set at the NCAA Championships in 2023. Oregon won in 10:47.50, the second fastest time in NCAA history.

Also Friday, former Johnston prep Bella Heikes placed third in the women's mile in 4:49.74. In the men's 3,000, Cyclone junior and former Humboldt prep Quinton Orr ended up fourth in 8:10.97.

At the Friday Knight Lights meet hosted by Wartburg College at Hoover Fieldhouse, Wartburg senior Lexi Brown established a new Hoover Fieldhouse record with a winning 4:56.87 time in the mile. The former New London prep and reigning American Rivers Conference cross country champion set the No. 2 mark in NCAA Division III. The previous Hoover record was a 4:56.93 set by Carleton's Katherine Geist in 2022. Wartburg senior teammate Aubrie Fisher notched a runner-up finish in a new best of 4:57.83, which is the No. 4 time in NCAA Division III. Fisher, a former AGWSR (Ackley) prep, also grabbed the fourth-best time in program history.

In the men's mile, Wartburg junior Sam Schmitz grabbed the victory in 4:12.49, which now ranks fourth in Knights program history. The former Johnston prep owns the No. 11 time in NCAA Division III. Sophomore teammate Lance Sobaski was just .02 behind Schmitz while establishing the No. 12 time in Division III. The former Washington prep owns the No. 5 time in program history. Taking third was Wartburg junior Jack Kinzer in 4:13.90, which keeps him at No. 8 in program history. The former North Liberty prep has the No. 17 time in Division III. Next across the line was sophomore Shane Erb in 4:20.71. The former Marion athlete ran a new best time. Nathan Kinzer, a freshman and former North Liberty standout, took sixth in 4:23.00. Former Cedar Falls prep and Wartburg junior Michael Goodenbour was seventh in 4:24.21.

The winner of the men's 1,000 was North Iowa Area Community College sophomore Jacob Vais. The former Charles City prep ran 2:33.30, a time that ranks No. 15 in NJCAA this season. Wartburg freshman Luke Benson, a former Sioxu City North athlete, took second in 2:35.83.

Missouri graduate student Kelsey Schweizer ran to a fourth-place finish in the 1,000 at the Vanderbilt Invitational in Nashville, Tenn., on Friday. The former Dowling Catholic prep standout ran the No. 2 time in program history with her 2:44.16 time.

Back to the Terrier Classic, where former Iowa steeplechase great Nathan Mylenek finished 12th in the 3,000 invitational. The athlete with the Very Nice Track Club based in Michigan clocked 8:02.54.

Also in the women's mile, Boston University true freshman Adrienne Buettner-Cable placed 64th in the women's mile, in 4:56.65. Buettner-Cable is a former Des Moines Roosevelt standout.

At the Grinnell Invitational on Saturday, Central College senior Caleb Silver continued his excellent form. The former BCLUW (Conrad) prep star ran 14:43.32 to capture the 5,000 title. Silver was over 13 seconds ahead ofFitness Sports Distance Project's Kallin Carolus Khan of Iowa City, who ran a 14:56.61 time. Runablaze Iowa's Blake Whalen, a former Dubuque senior and Iowa Central athlete, was third in 15:18.24. Runablaze's Tyson Wieland, a former Johnston prep and Iowa Central athlete, was fifth in 15:29.04.

Central College senior Caroline McMartin picked up a win in the 3,000 meters in 9:46.45. The All-American in cross country in the fall is a former Pella prep. Taking second was junior teammate and former Aplington-Parkersburg prep Megan Johnson in 9:52.30. Central swept the top three when junior Addison Parrott ran 10:11.45. Parrott attended Danville.

Dutch freshman Jack Brown was a winner in the mile in 4:22.80. Brown is a former Norwalk prep.

At the Penn State National Open in University Park, Pa., former Mid-Prairie (Wellman) star Marie Hostetler jumped into the Liberty University record books on Friday. Hostetler ran a new best of 4:50.84 for the mile to earn the No. 6 effort in Flames history. On Saturday, the junior finished 20th in the 3,000 in a new season-best effort of 9:46.00.

South Dakota freshman Madison Brouwer claimed victory in the women's 1,000 meters at the USD Alumni Meet at the DakotaDome in Vermillion, S.D. The former Sibley-Ocheyedan prep ran 2:55.70 to top teammate Ella Byers by .27 of a second.

In the men's 1,000, South Dakota senior Dylan Blake ran to a fifth-place finish in 2:35.51. Blake is a former North Union athlete.

At the Charlie Foster Classic Friday hosted by Nebraska-Kearney, former Center Point-Urbana and Marion prep star Myles Bach earned the mile victory. The Kearney senior's 4:14.18 effort was good for an NCAA Division II provisional time. Bach won by almost seven seconds.

At the Black and Gold Invited hosted by Iowa at the Recreation Building, Iowa freshman Derek Leicht ran to a 1:53.72 effort for fourth place in the 800 meters. Leicht is a former Dubuque Hempstead prep. One spot back was Eli Naumann, running unattached, in 1:53.91. Naumann is a former Western Dubuque prep.

Former LeMars Gehlen prep Isaac Vaske of Northern Iowa ran to a runner-up finish in the 600 meters. Vaske was clocked in 1:21.02.

In the men's mile, former Linn-Mar (Marion) prep Hayden Kuhn of Iowa placed ninth in a strong field. Kuhn, a sophomore, was timed in 4:14.02. Northern Iowa sophomore Kon Dut, a former Ames and Waukee Northwest athlete, was 14th in 4:23.69. Running Wild Elite's Isaiah Rabata took 15th in 4:23.75.

Northern Iowa junior Sophia Jungling, a former Aplington-Parkersburg athlete, was fourth in the 600 meters in 1:34.51. Northern Iowa freshman Liza Schaffer picked up a third-place finish in the mile. The former North Polk athlete ran 5:10.85.

At the SDSU/NAIA Open at Brookings, S.D., Dordt University stacked its 4x800-meter relay and that foursome delivered a winning 7:40.18 effort. The runners included sophomore and former Atlantic prep Craig Becker, senior and former Western Christian (Hull) prep Cole Zevenbergen and senior and former Central Lyon-GLR prep Payton Mauldin. That group topped South Dakota State's top team by nearly two seconds.

Winning the 3,000 was Morningside College sophomore Courtney Sporrer in 10:23.37. Sporrer is a former Logan-Magnolia athlete who also anchored the winning distance medley relay.

Illinois State junior Mattison Plummer dropped down to the 800 at the Jaguar Invite in Indianapolis and placed fifth in that event in 2:16.52. Plummer is a former Southeast Polk prep.

Wayne State sophomore Quentin Dreyer doubled up in a pair of races at the Mark Schuck Invitational hosted by Minnesota State in Mankato, Minn. The former IKM-Manning prep produced a runner-up finish in the 1,000 meters. Dreyer also took third in the mile in 4:23.25.

Buena Vista senior Kyle Miller, a former Carlisle prep, won the 1,000 meters at the Dennis Young Alumni Classic in Storm Lake. Miller ran 2:31.29 to win by 1.26 seconds over Southwestern Community College sophomore Chase Oates.

MISSING A TOP DISTANCE RUNNER OR TRIATHLETE?: Let me know at bergeson@registermedia.com.

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This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Mile posts: Items on Edwin Kurgat, Adam Fogg, Adva Cohen, Gable Sieperda, Ainsley Erzen, Lexi Brown, Kelsey Schweizer