After trading the lead with two competitors on a sunny Friday afternoon at Hayward Field, Ocean Athletics’ Deon Clifford managed to hold off Clackamas Community College’s Jackson Baker to win the men’s 3,000-meter steeplechase.
A 2011 IAAF youth world competitor in the 2,000-meter version of this event, Clifford took the lead for the first time going into the fourth of twelve and a half laps. Baker moved up from third to take the lead before Clifford reclaimed it again prior to the last lap.
Clifford won in 9 minutes 25.4 seconds.
Baker, a freshman, ran his first steeplechase race less than a month ago at the Sacramento State Hornet Invitational, just to see if he liked it. Friday at the Oregon Relays, Baker improved his personal best by 10 seconds to finish second in 9:28.03. He had been aiming for a sub-9:30 mark.
“With all the barriers in the 3K, it definitely seemed like an endurance event and that’s kind of my specialty,” said Baker, whose main events are usually the 5,000 and 10,000 meters. “So I was thinking that would work out for me.”
His third-place finish in Sacramento was a chance for Baker to test out the waters of the steeplechase. “I liked it so I felt like giving it another shot, maybe make it one of my main events,” said Baker.
Dustyn Salomon of the Humboldt Track Club led early in the race and finished third in 9:29.71.
–by Lindsay Rossmiller
