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May 20, 2022

Johnson, Buchalski top two Team USATF performers at Distance Classic

WALNUT, California — Sinclaire Johnson ran a season best to win the women’s 800m and Allie Buchalski made a strong move with a mile left to run to victory in the women’s 5,000m Thursday night at the USATF Distance Classic, the second U.S. stop on the World Athletics Continental Tour - Silver.

Johnson (Portland, Oregon/USATF Florida), an Olympic Trials finalist at 1,500m last summer and the 2019 NCAA champion at that distance for Oklahoma State, moved down to take the two-lap title in 2:01.06, holding off a challenge by Anna Camp-Bennett (Provo, Utah/USATF Utah), the 2021 NCAA 1,500m champ for BYU, who ended up second in 2:01.20.

Biding her time near the back of the pack for the first mile, Buchalski was fifth at 3,000m, going past that mark in 9:09.38. She moved to the lead with just over three laps to go and increased her lead steadily on the way to a comfortable 15:18.60 to win by five seconds over China’s Wuga He.

Olympian Mason Ferlic (Ann Arbor, Michigan/USATF Michigan) garnered a runner-up finish in the men’s 3,000m steeplechase with an 8:25.41, and in fifth was American record holder Evan Jager (Portland, Oregon/USATF Oregon). Jager, the 2016 Olympic silver medalist, had a season best 8:27.88 and Frankline Tonui (Colorado Springs, Colorado/USATF Colorado) ran a lifetime best of 8:28.83 just behind him. Last year’s NCAA bronze medalist, Katie Rainsberger (Colorado Springs, Colorado/USATF Colorado), took second in the women’s steeplechase at 9:33.23.

Other top-three finishes on the track came from Brannon Kidder (Seattle, Washington/USATF Pacific Northwest), who was second in the men’s 800m, and Olympic sixth-place finisher Cole Hocker (Indianapolis, Indiana/USATF Indiana), who was third in the men’s 1,500m. Biya Simbassa (Flagstaff, Arizona/USATF Arizona) was the top American in the men’s 5,000m, placing fourth.

In field event action, American record holder Keturah Orji (Atlanta, Georgia/USATF Georgia) won the women’s triple jump with a leap of 14.28m/46-10.25, and Vashti Cunningham (Las Vegas, Nevada/USATF Nevada) cleared 1.90m/6-2.75 on her second attempt to take the women’s high jump. Chris Benard (Chula Vista, California/USATF San Diego-Imperial) was the men’s triple jump victor with a best of 16.55m/54-3.75, and Trey Culver (Lubbock, Texas/USATF West Texas) won the men's high jump.

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