Kenneth Rooks a current BYU runner pulled through and won the 3000m steeplechase title after a tragic fall.
During the week he had the opportunity to compete in his first international event. He ran at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, Saturday, Aug. 19, 2023.
As the only American to reach the finals, Rooks held his own and ran with the leaders the first three laps. Ultimately he faded over the final 2 ½ laps, finishing with a time of 8:20.02, about 3 1⁄2 seconds slower than the time he ran to win the U.S. nationals after falling.
“What I should have done is I should have made a move around when somebody first started moving up to the front, because I knew they would push it with four laps to go,” Rooks said. “Instead of waiting until when I did, they had already made the move by the time I was trying to respond, and I lost contact. In retrospect, I should have been more assertive.”
Rooks became the first BYU athlete ever to win both the NCAA championships and USA championships while still a student-athlete.
He plans to take a week off and then resume training for the 2023 NCAA cross-country season, the Deseret News reported.
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