Interview with Central Missouri junior Laban Sialo who captured the 5,000 meter national title after a 5th place finish in the mile at the 2012 NCAA DII Indoor Track & Field National Championships. Sialo made up for a disappointing day in the snow at the 2011 DII Cross Country Championships with a national title and two all-american honors.
Sialo, the 4th year junior from Kenya, finished 6th in the mile prelims Friday where the top 9 qualified for the final. Then on Saturday, Sialo ran the tactical mile final and finished in 4:12.54 to place 5th. Sialo returned to the track just more than 2 hours later for the 5k. The top seed with a 300 meter track converted time of 14:06, pushed the pace a few times in the race. Sialo pushed and moved back, trying to share the work with others. With a few laps to go it was a three man race and in the final two laps it was Sialo and-I assume a fellow eastern African; Glarius Rop of American International. Rop had 6-10 meters on Sialo at the bell but Sialo quickly left no doubt who would win the title. Sialo blazed the final lap and went by Rop in the first 60 meters of the last lap. He put plenty of ground on Rop and cruised to victory down the home stretch easing Coach Kirk Pederson's tension, that had brought him to stand on the barrier near the finish to give Sialo instructions and encouragment during the final laps.
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Coach Pederson's NCAA Champs recap: [ Ссылка ]
Sialo's interview with MSU staff: [ Ссылка ]
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