Tucson's Lagat wins 7th US title in 5,000

When Tucsonan Bernard Lagat won the USA national championship in the 5,000 meters Friday night in Sacramento, California, it became his seventh U.S. outdoor title in that event, an American record. What makes Lagat’s winning time of 13 minutes 31.41 seconds special is that he will turn 40 in December. The world’s five greatest 5,000- meter runners of the last 50 years were essentially retired long before 35. Kip Keino was done at 33; Lasse Viren at 32; Henry Rono at 29; Said Aouita at 30. Only the great Haile Gebrselassie continued international success to Lagat’s age, running effectively until his late 30s. … After winning the NCAA 5,000 meters in Oregon two weeks ago, Arizona senior Lawi Lalang signed with a marketing firm, Global Sports Communication BV of the Netherlands. Lalang, an eight-time NCAA champion, laughed last month when he told me he wanted to get a car like Lagat’s. “He has a Mercedes, or maybe it’s a BMW,” Lalang said. “Either one will do.” … New cars? Sahuaro High grad Caitlin Leverenz is now driving a new BMW. She won a year’s free lease to the car by being America’s top female scorer in the just-completed Grand Prix swimming series. Leverenz clinched the title, and the car, by winning the 200 IM at the Santa Clara Grand Prix last week. She begins training for the USA National championships Aug. 6-10 in Irvine, California.