The Closer: Kammler blazes way to NAIA National 'A' Standard time in 10,000 meter run, runner-up finish at Lee Fast Break Athletics Invite
Smart, savvy and simply put, a special talent.
Those qualities pretty much describe Aiden Kammler in a nutshell.
Friday's performance by the senior standout, however, was incredible -- even by normal Aiden Kammler standards.
In one of the most special performances of his career, Kammler set an NAIA National 'A' Standard time in the 10,000 meter run by over a full minute in the Lee University Fast Break Athletics Invitational -- as his mark of 29:59.71 not only placed second among 55 runners in the Cleveland, Tenn.-based event but also stands as the fastest time in the event in school history, as Kammler set the first mark under 30 minutes in the event in the history of the program with his runner-up showing.
Running a strategically brillant race all the way, Kammler sat seventh for much of the event's opening 5,000 meters before turning on the afterburners in the second half of the event.
Trailing Indiana Wesleyan's Luke Pohl by just under three seconds over the first half of the event, Kammler not only blitzed his way past Pohl but set his sights on much higher honors -- as the senior chipped away at the lead of NCAA Division I runner Sam Duncan out of Dayton.
Down to Duncan by over 10 seconds at one point, Kammler's smarts and running ability pushed Duncan all the way to his limits as it took a personal best time from Duncan, who ran a 29:57.71, to better Kammler's 29:59.71 -- a scant two-second difference. They were the only runners in the entire field to run under a 30-minute mark for the entire event.
In addition to automatically qualifying for the 2024 NAIA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, Kammler's mark of 29:59.71 is, as of this moment, the fourth-fastest time in the entire NAIA in the 10,000 meter run. The mark bettered the former school record by over 25 seconds, as well.
On Friday, his mark bettered the next two fastest runners -- Indiana Wesleyan's Landon Wakeman and Pohl -- by 39 and 43 seconds, respectively, in the event.
In addition to Kammler, Kaiden Lanoy set a 15:13.23 for his personal best time in the 5,000 meter run, finishing 31st overall in a competitive 93-runner field, while Trevor Lanoy finished 39th with a 15:19.59 to finish well inside the top-half of the field in the same event. Dylan French posted a 64th place in the event, running a 15:42.82.
Other performers on the men's track and field side of the coin at Lee on Friday included Philip Evory, who set a personal best in the 1,500 meter run with his 4:15.16 to finish 57th, and Isaiah Lanoy, who added in a 4:26.91 to place 74th overall. Logan Boggs, who also competed in the 10,000 meter run along with Kammler, finished 48th with a time of 33:10.83.
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