Iona College's Vinny Mulvey ran another brilliant race placing sixth in the 10,000-metre event in 29.29.96 at the NCAA Championships held at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana on 30th May.

Championship races are rarely fast, add to that hot humid conditions and few want to risk blowing up in the heat during the 25-lap journey. Kenyan Boaz Cheboiywo, the reigning individual cross champion from Eastern Michigan employed the same tactic he used successfully this fall - go out like a madman and hope no one had the courage or stupidity to follow. Last year's champ, Ryan Shay (Notre Dame) and Dartmouth's Tom McArdle attempted it but fell off the pace around the 3k mark.

The pair ran the remainder of the race alone, together with a chase pack making futile efforts to bridge the gap. Cheboiywo easily won in 28:32.10, a half-minute clear of Shay who ended up second (29.02.92) sprinting away from McArdle (29.10.18).

Mulvey (Raheny Shamrocks) was no doubt having flashbacks to two years ago in Durham, North Carolina when the 10,000-metre event leaders passed the 5k in 16-minutes. He vowed that he would not let that ever happen again if he were in the race. A man of his word, he became the unanimous choice of the pack to take the lead and that he did.

After the race, a pleased Mulvey said, "It felt easy. I wish some of the others in the pack would've helped. I feel I'm really coming around now. I'm delighted with the race."

Mulvey led the race through 5k in 14.50, constantly looking for some volunteers to contribute to the pacing duties. As expected, the pace slowed within the tightly knit group with everyone mentally measuring their kick with the lad to the left, right, ahead and behind. With six laps remaining a pair of Stanford runners, Adam Tenforde and Louis Luchini shared the lead, working together. Mulvey, never known for his scintillating speed decide to run the last kilometre like it was the last metre. The Asbourne, Co. Meath runner ended his collegiate career with flair as he bolted toward the lead of the pack fighting for fourth. He ran his penultimate lap in 64 followed by a 62 final lap - his 2.06 closing half-mile no-doubt, frightfully close to an 800-metre PB [1.59 en route during a 1,200m relay leg. Mulvey finished an impressive sixth running 29.29.96.

After the race, a pleased Mulvey said, "It felt easy. I wish some of the others in the pack would've helped. I feel I'm really coming around now. I'm delighted with the race."

Regarding the pace he commented, "I figured if it was going to be slow, I might as well be near the front and be able to react to any move. I sat in for a while and we hitting 73's. . I said to myself, 'I don't want this ending up like two years ago. I got annoyed with the whole thing. I just went to the front of that group and pushed it a little bit to test the waters, to see who was feeling good and who wasn't. I just slowed it down again because I didn't want to be the sacrificial lamb. Ed Torres (Colorado) took the lead for four or five laps around the 6k-mark. Then I pushed a bit for two laps and two or three people fell to the back of the group and broke off which is what I wanted. I was soaking when it was over, it was hot around 28 degrees. The Stanford guys (Tenforde and Luchini) went to the front with five laps remaining. They picked it up only slightly a little. They were working together. We weren't running fast. With three laps to go, I went to the front of the group again. I ran a 69 second lap followed by a 64 then a 62. I ran so hard in the end because I was mad about people jsut sitting the who;le race and not taking a turn at the lead once."

On placing sixth and earning All-American status, "It felt like one of the easiest races I ran all year. I am big believer in that if you run well, you don't feel the pain because you are on such a high. You go to NCAA's thinking it is going to be the hardest race, the only part that hurt was the last 800 metres. I'm really happy with sixth considering where I was a month or two ago struggling to run 14.30 [for 5k]. It was frustrating being just a second away from fourth."

What's next? "I'm going back home to Ireland for the summer. I'm going to a few races in England (British Milers Club events) to get a decent PB for the 5k [14.08.63] and then the Irish Champs. I am going to train for European Cross at home. I think I need to begin running 115 miles a week to take that next step. I can run a 100, no problem. I'm going to keep working with Mick. We have a great understanding. I came over as 15.05 5k-runner and look at me now. You know if ain't broke…

Providence College Junior Róisín McGettigan ran 10:11.23 in her 3,000m steeplechase preliminary heat and automatically qualified for Saturday's final.

McGettigan, from Wicklow placed second in the first of two heats.

She races the final on Saturday at 9.10 pm local time (3.10 am Sunday morning Irish Time).

McGettigan (Slí Chúlainn AC) may need to break her new Irish record of 10.08.73 just to be in the hunt for a medal.

Alistair Cragg, who recently declared for Ireland races in the 5,000 metre final on Saturday at 8.40 pm.