DES MOINES, IA - Iona College outdoor track senior Leonard Korir won his second NCAA National Championship of the 2010-11 school year with a first place finish in the 10,000-meter run at the 2011 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Drake University. Korir out kicked Liberty's Sam Chelanga in the back stretch to win the race nearly five seconds.
Around the seventh lap, Korir, Chelanga and Arizona's Stephen Sambu began to break away from the field of 24 in the 10k final. The trio jockeyed for first place position as they traded leads in a game of cat-and-mouse at the front of the pack. With about 1,200-meters remaining, Chelanga made a move to try and breakaway. Korir was up to the challenge as the two separated themselves from Sambu. As the two continued to lead the pack, it was Korir's turn to try and separate himself from his competitor with about 800-meters left. Chelanga held tough though and kept up with Korir until the back stretch when the Iona harrier positioned himself for his second national championship. Korir's final 400-meter split was an incredible 56.18.
Korir's time of 28:07.63 was the second fastest time in Iona history with only his own NCAA qualifying time of 27:29.40 at the Payton Jordan Cardinal Invitational being better. He was just .23 off the Drake Stadium record set in 1980 and just over six seconds off the NCAA Championship record set 32 years ago by UTEP's Suleiman Nyambui.
Chelanga finished the event in 28:12.18 while Sambu was third in 28:19.61. Iona junior Alexander Soderberg finished in 30:04.95, his third fastest 10k time in his career in New Rochelle.
After becoming Iona's first-ever national champion in the 5k indoor event in March, Korir has won Iona's first-ever outdoor NCAA crown.
Less than 24 hours after becoming the National Champion, Korir finished third in the 5,000 meter race on Saturday afternoon. He finished with a time of 13:35.71. Chelanga took first place with a time of 13:29.30, while Arizona's Lawi Lalang placed second with a time of 13:31.69.
10,000-meter Results
5.000-meter Results