Kisorio, Mesta both smash OC 1,000-meter indoor record

Silas Kisorio (above) and teammate Nathan Mesta both broke the OC indoor school record on Friday during the Arkansas Invitational.

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (Jan. 6, 2012) – OC middle-distance runners Silas Kisorio and Nathan Mesta both broke Oklahoma Christian’s 1,000-meter indoor record during a 1-2 finish on Friday during the Arkansas Invitational at the Randal Tyson Track Center.

Running in the first meet of the indoor season, Kisorio – technically running unattached, as he has exhausted his indoor track eligibility – ran a blistering 2:21.94. The senior from Eldoret, Kenya, cut almost four seconds off the former OC record of 2:25.88, set by his former teammate, Josh Wayland, in 2009.

“Those two are really savvy runners and they had a really good race,” OC assistant coach Mark Thompson said of Kisorio and Mesta. “It’s exciting to see that in the first meet of the season.”

Kisorio already held OC indoor marks in the 800 and 3,000 meters, the mile run and the distance medley. He also holds school outdoor records in the 800, 1,500 and 5,000 meters and the distance medley.

Mesta, a senior from Salina, Kan., finished second behind Kisorio in the five-man race, posting a time of 2:24.05, good enough to automatically qualify him for the event in the NAIA Indoor Championships in March.

“Nate has been chomping at the bit,” Thompson said. “Cross country, he likes it OK but it’s not his best thing. He’s been excited to get on the track. It was his first time to race at Fayetteville, which is a top- notch facility and a fast track. I suspected he would run pretty fast.”

Kisorio and Thompson (running unattached) also posted a 1-2 finish in the event’s mile run. Kisorio finished in 4:08.94 while Thompson was close behind in 4:09.97. OC junior Brayden Barrientez was fourth in 4:14.51, qualifying him for the NAIA Indoor Championships. OC’s David McWilliams (eighth in 4:26.00) and Robert Macom (13th in 4:45.02) also ran in the race.

“Silas was using it as a workout,” Thompson said. “The pace was comfortable for him. He could have gone faster. I wanted a qualifier out of Brayden, just to get it out of the way, and he delivered. He was a half-second off of his all-time best.”

In the women’s mile, OC freshman Jacqueline Hallam was ninth in 5:24.24, with her sister Cassandra Hallam 12th in 5:35.04. It was Cassandra Hallam’s first competitive event as an OC student-athlete, as she missed the cross country season due to injury.

“Cass had a little bit of a cold this week,” Thompson said. “The race went out a little quick for her and she paid the price the last half of the race, but you’ve got to start somewhere. It’s good to have her back.”

The OC runners competed mostly against NCAA Division I runners during the meet.

 

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