Joe Klecker (right) out-leans Grant Fisher (left) to win the USATF 10,000m Championships at Hayward Field on Friday. Photo by Mikeisha Kelly

By Joe Zochert

The Prefontaine Classic wasn’t only part of the Wanda Diamond League circuit this year, it also played host to the men’s and women’s USATF 10,000 meter championships on day one.

It was an epic night of American championship races with only three spots for each gender on the line to represent Team USA at the World Championships this summer.

Women’s

Bowerman Track Club’s Karissa Schweizer edged out On Athletics Club’s Alicia Monson for the U.S. title with a season best mark of 30:49.56. Schweizer challenged Monson on the final lap before pulling away on the final curve at Hayward Field at the University of Oregon.

Schweizer ran only a mere two seconds behind her personal best of 30:47.99, which came as a surprise after having achilles surgery this past October.

“I’m just so excited that I was able to have that surgery and able to come back so quickly,” said Schweizer after the race.

“I definitely didn’t think that I was in that good of shape. I was very confident that I was in better shape than I was last year. So I’m excited to see where this continues to go.”

Monson, who placed second with a time of 30:51.09, qualified for her first World Championships after competing in the Tokyo games last summer.

The 24-year-old feels more confident after the valuable experience from last summer’s Olympics.

“I came into this 10k in such a different spot compared to last year going into the Olympic Trials,” said Monson. “I just feel like that I can put myself up there in a race and lead the race and be ready for a good finish.”

Men’s

The final lap of the men’s 10,000m was a barnburner, with OAC’s Joe Klecker winning with a 28:28.71. Klecker outkicked the American record holder Grant Fisher down the homestretch.

The race had a dramatic twist as reigning 10,000m Olympic Trials champion, Woody Kincaid, dropped out of the event due to injury.

Even with one of the best kickers out of the field, it didn’t affect Klecker’s strategy.

“I’m not paying attention really to what other people are doing. Or like, who’s who, you know,” said Klecker about his mindset when racing. “It’s just like chess, you know, a bunch of pawns out there. I’m not looking at all that scratch.”

The battle for third came down to the wire. Fisher’s teammate Sean McGorty secured the final spot for the U.S. team after Emmanuel Bor fell to the track in the final five meters of the race.

It was a special moment between the two longtime friends Fisher and McGorty, who were also teammates at Stanford. McGorty was one of the reasons that Fisher chose to be a Cardinal, playing host to Fisher on his visit to the school.

With McGorty making the switch from the steeplechase to 10K, Fisher has been a big help to his long-time teammate’s adjusting to the new distance.

“I’m not a big advice giver,” said Fisher. “When you’re surrounded by guys that are used to the training, the grind and everything, I think it rubs off on each other.”

McGorty couldn’t have agreed more.

“I can always look to him as an example,” said McGorty about his teammate. “I think that composure and things like that are pretty calming.”

“He’s always just kind of someone you can base a race off of and know he’s going to be in the right place at the right time.”