Dartmouth runners outdo famed marathoner

Dartmouth's All-America runners, Jim Sapienza and Frank Powers, made a splash with the Boston press corps by going one-two in the 10,000 meters at the Boston College Relays and outdueling Bill Rodgers in the process. Bill Rodgers? Of Boston Marathon fame? The Bill Rodgers whose running gear shops grace the Commonwealth? The very same. And ironically, both Sapienza and Powers were wearing Bill Rodgers running shorts as they blew past the 36-year-old veteran.

The race attracted such attention because Rodgers held the three mile record for the Jack Ryder Track and was attempting to qualify for the Olympic trials. Sapienza's winning time of 28:56.9 was a meet and Dartmouth record. Powers' time was 29:07.2. Both Dartmouth runners qualified for the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championship slated May 28-June 2 in Eugene, Oregon. Sapienza, the junior from Louisville, Kentucky, took a 40yard lead at the three-mile mark. He turned in a 4:31 mile after that to break open the race. He covered the four miles in 18:30 and hit five miles in 23:12 with Rodgers trailing at 23:19. Powers, meanwhile, worked a bit harder and outkicked Rodgers in the final 600 yards. British Olympic hopeful Malcolm East was third while Rodgers (pictured below) slipped to fifth.