HALL & KOLL WIN USA 7-MILE TITLES AT THE BIX
By David Monti
(c) 2010 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved (Used by permission)

Ryan Hall of Mammoth Lakes, Calif., and Lisa Koll of Fort Dodge, Ia., were the winners at the rain-soaked Quad City Times Bix 7 on Saturday in Davenport, Ia. The race played host to the USA 7 Mile Championships.

Hall, 27, passed early leader Antonio Vega near the five-mile mark to take the win in 32 minutes in 55 seconds. It was his first USA road running title since winning the Olympic Trials Marathon in New York City in November, 2007. Hall worked with Ed Moran and Sean Quigley to overhaul Vega who had been running at the front with Scotty Bauhs. Moran, the 2010 USA 10-K road running champion, and Quigley also got past Vega to finish second and third in 33:00 and 33:05, respectively. Vega finished fourth (33:08) while Bauhs faltered in the second half and faded to 8th (33:28).

The 22 year-old Koll, the 2010 NCAA 5000m and 10,000m champion, made winning her first professional road race look easy. Facing no serious challengers, she romped to a 41-second victory in 37:52, winning her first USA open title.

"The goal going into it was to be in the mix for the win," Koll told the Des Moines Register newspaper. "It was kind of a surprise, I guess, to actually have it happen."

Both Koll and Hall picked up $10,000 in prize money for their victories.

Defending men's champion Meb Keflezighi attended the race, but did not compete. The 2009 ING New York City Marathon champion and 2004 Olympic Marathon silver medallist is still working his way back to full strength after suffering a knee injury last winter prior to running the Boston Marathon.

"It's tough, but you get to see the other side of it," Keflezighi told the Quad City Times as he watched the race from the VIP tent. "It is very well done."

Sadly, there was a death during the race. John Chapman, 41, and a wrestling coach at Galesburg High School about 25 miles east of Des Moines, suffered a heart attack and died during the race, according to the Galesburg Register-Mail newspaper. He had been running the race with his wife, Jody.

"It's a shame. I just can?t believe it," race director Ed Froehlich told the Quad City Times.