By David Rogers. WALNUT, Calif. — It might have been close to “tax day” for most Americans on April 14, but a trio of Blowing Rock-based ZAP Endurance athletes overcame the taxing challenge of long distance running at the historic Mt. Sac Relays, staged in the Hilmer Lodge Stadium on the campus of Mt. San Antonio College.
ZAP’s Ryan Ford and Dan Schaffer finished first and third, respectively, in a field of 28 athletes competing in the Men’s Elite Division at the 5,000 meters distance. Just about 15 minutes earlier, ZAP’s Tristin Van Ord finished in third place among the 25 elite runners competing in the Women’s Elite Division of the 5,000 meters.
The Mt. Sac Relays were first held in 1959 and every year since, drawing among the nation and world’s top high school, collegiate and elite track and field athletes.
It may have been ironic for Van Ord to compete so well at Mt. Sac, which is exactly a marathon race’s distance (26.2 miles) from downtown Los Angeles. Van Ord, who has already qualified for the U.S. Olympic Trials in the marathon, is aiming for a spot on the U.S. team going to the Paris Olympics in 2024. For the former Appalachian State cross country star, the Mt. Sac Relays race at the short end of distance running was little more than “speed work” in her training regimen, ZAP Endurance head coach Pete Rea explained to High Country Sports in a pre-event interview.
ZAP already has five team members qualified for the Olympic Trials in the marathon may end up with a couple more. Schaffer and Ford are candidates for the Olympic team at the shorter distance races, such as the 5,000, as well as middle distance competitions.
Van Ord was among the leaders from the start in the women’s race, running behind the initial leader, but took over the pace-setting responsibilities as the athletes completed the first lap. She held the lead until the last few laps when she slipped back into No. 3 position and the “slipstream” of the two runners in front of her, helping maintain a substantial gap between the leaders and the rest of the pack.
Veerle Bakker, an elite runner from The Netherlands running unattached and known more for her performances in the 3,000m steeplechase, finished in the No. 1 position with a personal best of 15:39.42. Her previous best at 5,000 meters, according to World Athletics, was 15:54.19. She was closely followed across the line by Dani Shanahan, affiliated with the McKirdy Trained team, based in Houston, Texas, as the No. 2 finisher in 15:41.06. Shanahan was a pre-race favorite to win, having run a 15:17.62 in 2021.
At No. 3, and also running a personal best, Van Ord finished just three seconds behind the leader in 15:42.78. Her previous PR was 15:45.03, set in July 2022, in the Jack Kemp Stadium on the campus of Occidental College in Los Angeles, according to World Athletics.
Ford Runs Away for the Win, Schaffer close behind
For most of the Men’s Elite Invitational 5,000-meter race, Ford and Schaffer shuffled back and forth into the lead after following a “rabbit” from Missouri University in the early laps. Eastern Kentucky University’s Abdelhakim Abouzouhir hung with them for the entire race and the trio established themselves as the clear lead pack. With three laps to go, the EKU runner edged into the lead, but in the next to last lap, Ford put himself in another gear and established a big lead gap as if he were shot out of a cannon. With a strong kick, Ford finished over five seconds ahead of Abouzouhir, with a winning time of 15:43.43, slightly slower than his personal best set in Fayetteville, Ark., in May of 2022 (13:34.79). Schaffer and Abouzouhir battled each other for the runner-up spot, with Abouzouhir getting the edge in 13:47.73 and Schaffer just a half-second behind at No. 3, in 13:48.26.
Kansas State University’s Stephen Kielhofner was narrowing the gap at the end but came up short in 13:51.20.
ZAP head coach Pete Rea was understandably in good spirits after the two races.
“Tonight was a great start to the outdoor season for Tristin, Ryan and Dan,” Rea told High Country Sports. “Tristin grabbed a personal best to open the year and Ryan to get the win on this big stage are real positives. Dan also competed very well, which sets him up for the Penn Relays in two weeks.”
