BYU’s Kenneth Rooks and Lexy Lowry swept the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the U.S. championships Saturday afternoon, adding another chapter to the school’s reputation as Steeplechase U.
Rooks, the surprising silver medalist at last summer’s Olympic Games, won his third consecutive U.S. championship. That was no surprise, but this was: Lowry, who just completed her senior year at BYU by setting the American collegiate record at the NCAA championships, ran away from a loaded field to win the women’s race. She left two Olympians in her wake, including former BYU teammate Courtney Wayment.
That means both Rooks and Lowry qualified to represent the U.S. at the world track and field championships, which will be held in Tokyo September 13-21.
In his customary style, Rooks ran near the back of the pack through the first kilometer in a slowish, tactical race, and then worked his way up through the field.
By 2,000 meters he was running in the lead and never gave it up. He finished with a time of 8:26.58. It was quite a turnaround for Rooks after he finished 15th in a Diamond League race in Monaco.
“So happy for Ken,” said BYU coach Ed Eyestone. “He had an off day at Monaco and really came back strong.”
Daniel Michalski, who is sponsored by the U.S. Air Force World Class Athlete Program, finished second behind Rooks with a time of 8:26.77.
Michalski and his family moved to Provo two months ago to train under Eyestone and Michalski now has made his first U.S. team for a global championship, provided he can meet the time standard. He will turn 30 before the world championships.
Bernard Keter was third in 8:29.00. BYU’s James Corrigan, who finished third in this race last year to qualify for the Olympics, led through the early laps but faded to last place, finishing with a time of 8:37.00. A month ago he won the NCAA championships in 8:16.41.
“Just wasn’t his day,” said Eyestone. “Maybe it was the 16 races he’s had over the course of the outdoor season.”
Wayment led the women’s race through four laps and pushed a hard pace, but she was unable to shake the field, and after about 4 ½ laps of the 7-lap race she was overtaken.
Angelina Napoleon moved into the lead but she was tracked by Lowry. With a little less than two laps to go, Lowry made a bold move and started a long kick to the finish. She was never seriously challenged after that.
“She is just on a new level this year,” said NBC commentator Kara Goucher as Lowry approached the finish.
Lowry, running her first post-collegiate race, finished with a time of 9:09.14. Napoleon was second in 9:10.96 and Kaylee Mitchell third in 9:11.36.
Wayment was a distant sixth in 9:17.94. Another Paris Olympian, Val Constien, was seventh.
“This has been years in the making,” Lowry told NBC after the race. I can’t thank Coach (Diljeet Taylor) enough for believing in me the whole time and just my reliance on God. I can’t tell you how much those two have helped me in my career … All season long, throughout the NCAA season, it’s all been building to this moment, so I could run in this race with the potential to race for the USA on the national stage.”
Added Eyestone: “Lexy was off the hook, the cream of the crop, but in a way it isn’t a surprise. She has looked very good this season.”
BYU has dominated the steeplechase in recent years. Since 2021, three different BYU steeplechasers have won NCAA championships and another claimed a runner-up title. They also claimed three spots on the Olympic team last summer.
Beside his three U.S. championships, Rooks also owns the second-fastest time ever by an American.
It wasn’t all good news for BYU on Saturday. Riley Chamberlain, who will be a senior at BYU in the fall, was running with the leaders in the latter stages of the 1,500-meter final when she tripped and fell hard to the track.
On Sunday, Meghan Hunter, who just finished her senior year at BYU, will compete in the finals of the 800-meter run.