| | October 18, 2005 By Rick Cleveland
rcleveland@clarionledger.com
Catching up on two fronts, while wondering if there is anything else that could possibly go wrong for the worse-than-snakebit New Orleans Saints ... When last we heard from 42-year-old Oxford distance running champion Brian Pope in June, he was suffering from a hamstring injury and didn't think he would compete in the U.S. Masters running championships in Honolulu because of the ailment and the expense of travel.
Pope's leg improved, and so, apparently, did his budget. With financial help from his father, Pope traveled to Honolulu and won the 5000-meter run, the 10,000-meter run, the 8-kilometer road race and also ran a winning leg on the 4x800-meter relay. Yes, he won three national championships individually and was part of another. But that was in August and only the beginning.
Last month, Pope was in San Sebastian, Spain, for the World Masters Track & Field Championships where he won the 5,000-meter championship and finished fourth in the 10,000 meters.
This past weekend, Pope won the U.S. 5,000-meters (3.1 miles) cross country championship in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., with a time of 15 minutes, 11 seconds.
"My leg is better but it's not quite right," said Pope, a national and world champion nonetheless.
Pope next hopes to compete in the U.S. 10,000-meters championship in Mobile Nov. 5. |
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