Running: Guelph Runner establishes new record

Monday, July 16, 2007 - 06:28 PM

REID COOLSAET MOVES ONE STEP CLOSER TO OLYMPIC STANDARD MARK

WINDSOR (Jul 14, 2007)

If the awards for winning races at track meets were rings rather than medals,
Guelph's Reid Coolsaet would have a hand full of them from the Canadian Track and
Field Championships. Coolsaet captured his fourth consecutive 5,000-metre gold medal at the national championships last night at University of Windsor Stadium, breaking the previous best of three straight golds, which was shared by three runners.

"This means so much," Coolsaet said. "To win four in a row is an honour, especially
to beat out the guys previously."

Coolsaet, a member of the Speed River Track and Field Club, ran the five kilometres
in a time of 13 minutes, 34.55 seconds, edging out Paul Morrison of Sherbrooke,
Que., who finished second for the fourth consecutive year. Morrison posted a time of
13:43.55.

Fellow Speed River runner Eric Gillis placed third in a time of 14:06.50. Gillis was
aiming for a silver medal and a personal best. Neither happened. "I got dry throat 2K in and I just found it tough to close," said Gillis, who entered the race ranked third.

Coolsaet's time was also a new University of Windsor Stadium record, shattering the
previous best by 32 seconds.

Morrison, on the other hand -- and in his own words -- "blew up" by pushing the pace
with Coolsaet. With two laps to go Coolsaet pulled away on the front stretch while Morrison could be seen grimacing. "Honestly, I just didn't have it. I went for it, but I didn't have it," Morrison said. "I'm not as disappointed as I was last year, but I'm really sick of finishing second."

Last year, Coolsaet won the race by three one-hundredths of a second. Morrison
admitted he thought he was the winner at first. It was a race Morrison called
heartbreaking. The trio admitted to working together last night. All three medalists led at least one lap. All three also had their sights set on the Canadian Olympic B qualifying standard, and they were on pace early.

"We had a second agenda, and that was to post a fast time," said Coolsaet, who
missed the standard by seven seconds. Coolsaet and Morrison pushed each other through the first 3,000 metres, trying to gain ground on the qualifying standard, and then "raced after that," according to Coolsaet.

Both will be in Europe later this month still trying to meet the Olympic standard.

"Honestly, we had a plan and whoever had something left in the tank with 3,200
(metres) to go would win it," Morrison said. And that was Coolsaet once again.