Who is Chris Derrick

Chris attended Neuqua Valley high school in Naperville, Illinois. He had a remarkably successful high school career, that included victories at Nike Team Nationals in 2007 and a 2nd place finish at the Footlocker Cross Country Championships that same year. He was selected the Gatorade Boys' Cross Country Athlete of the Year for 2007-2008.

Freshman & Sophomore Years

As a freshman, Chris won his heat at the De La Salle Super Invitational 1600m in 5:27.55.

In sophomore cross country, Chris finished 8th at the Sterling Invitational, running 15:25. Chris finished 43rd at the Illinois AA state meet in 15:02. On the track, he finished 11th at the Illinois State 3200m, running 9:34.67.

Junior Year

In cross country, Chris finished 3rd at the Culver Academies Invitational, running 15:44.3. He then finished 2nd at the Sterling Invitational, running 14:30. He finished 3rd at the Illinois AA state meet, clocking 14:22. He then finished 18th at the Footlocker Midwest Regional, running 15:36.

Chris was one of the leading juniors in the high school ranks. He ran a very fast 8:54.64 in the 3200m at the Illinois state meet, to finish 2nd behind Evan Jager.

Senior Year

Chris had a remarkable senior year cross country campaign. He started off by beating Michael Fout at the Culver Academies Invitational, running 14:47. He then won the Sterling Invitational by 40 seconds, clocking 14:26 for 3 miles.

In the championship season, he led his team to victory in the Illinois AAA state meet by winning in a remarkable 13:52 (3 miles). He then won the Nike Team Midwest Regional in 14:54.3. He then finished 2nd at the Footlocker Midwest Regionals (to Michael Fout) in 15:04. A week later he won the 2007 Nike Team Nationals (15:39.8 on a sloppy course), leading his Neuqua Valley team to the championship. He then finished 2nd at the Footlocker Cross Country Championships (again to Michael Fout), but ahead of numerous stars, including German Fernandez, Luke Puskedra, and Colby Lowe.

On the track, he started with a 9th place finish at the Reebok Boston Indoor Games high school mile, running a then personal best 4:14.84. He ran a 9:03.10 3200m at the Proviso West Invitational in early season action. His first big race saw him run the fastest ever 5000m in an all-high school competition, clocking 13:55.96 at the Arcadia Invitational. The following week he ran a 4:14.90 for 1600m and a personal best 8:48.90 in the 3200m at the Downers Grove South Invitational. He ran a personal best 4:14.36 for 1600m at the Upstate Eight Conference Meet before his season was cut short after contracting mononucleosis.

Here's a nice photo of some Illinois high school greats: Lukas Verzbicas, Craig Virgin and Chris Derrick!



Sources: Milesplit, Direct Athletics, Stanford

Freshman Year

In cross country, Chris was Stanford's leading runner as a freshman. He finished 3rd at the Stanford Invitational, running 24:18 to lead the Cardinal to victory. He then ran 23:37 to finish 4th at the NCAA Pre-Nationals. At the Pac-10 Championships, Derrick had a blistering last mile to move up to 3rd place, one spot behind Luke Puskedra, in a time of 23:38.17. Two weeks later he would do the same at the NCAA West Regionals, this time beating Puskedra at the line to finish 5th in a time of 28:44.31 (just short of 10k). Finally, at the NCAA Championships, Derrick finished 7th in 29:29.4 (though he was behind Puskedra, who ran 29:27.8 for 5th).

On the track, Derrick opened up with a 13:44 solo indoor 5000m at the UW Invite. It is among the fastest 5000m ever run by a collegiate freshman. He finished 2nd at the USA Junior Cross Country Championships (to German Fernandez, 23:20), running 23:39. He then finished 2nd in the MPSF Championships 3000m, running 7:57.30. He finished the indoor season with a 4th place in the NCAA Indoor 5000m (13:48.26) and a 5th place PR in the 3000m (7:56.91).

Prior to opening up outdoors, Derrick ran the Junior World Cross Country meet, where he finished 15th in 24:20. He was the second American (Fernandez was 11th). His first outdoor race was the 3000m at the Big Meet, where he finished 3rd in 8:18.19. He then ran the 5000m at the Payton Jordan Invitational at Stanford, where he ran a new junior American Record (13:29.98) and defeated rival German Fernandez.

Chris ran 29:08.33 to finish 3rd in the Pac-10 Championships 10000m, then came back to finish 3rd in the 5000m, running 13:54.76. He then finished 4th in the 5000m at the NCAA West Regionals (13:53.81) to qualify for the NCAA meet. At the NCAA meet, Chris ran 14:01.37 (3rd) to qualify for the 5000m final, where he ran 14:07.34 to finish 3rd. Chris elected not to run the USA Championships, but German Fernandez did run, and he broke Chris's 5000m AJR, running 13:25.46.

Sophomore Year

Chris opened up his cross country season at the Pre-Nationals, where he won the White Race in 23:27.1--the fastest time of the day--beating NCAA 10k record holder Sam Chelanga and leading his team to a dominant victory. He then won the Pac-10 title with a smoking 22:35.48 over a very deep field and took the West Region title with a 30:38.84 10k. Chris capped off a great season with a 3rd place finish at NCAA's, clocking 29:14.8. He was beaten by Sam Chelanga of Liberty and David McNeill of NAU.

After skipping indoors with an Achilles injury, Chris opened his outdoor season at Mt. SAC, running 13:31.67 for 5000m. He then ran a PR 3:42.45 for 1500m to finish 6th at the Payton Jordan Invite. He then won his first Pac-10 titles, running 29:10.80 to lead a 1-2-3 Stanford finish in the 10,000 meters and 13:43.69 to win the 5,000 meter title. At the NCAA West Regionals he ran 14:02.16 to finish 3rd in his heat and qualify for NCAAs. He ran 13:49.11 to finish 4th in the 5000m at NCAAs.

Junior Year

Chris opened up his cross country season by finishing 4th at the Stanford Invitational, clocking 23:22. He then won the Pre-Nationals Blue Race in the fastest time of the day, 23:16.9. He then finished 3rd (23:00.59) in the Pac 10 Championships, with Stanford taking the top 3 spots. At the NCAA West Regional, Chris finished 7th in 30:14.57. At the NCAA Championships, Chris ran conservatively and moved up to finish 5th in 29:44.7.

Chris opened up his indoor season with a 3rd place in the MPSF 5000m, running 13:49.05. He then finished 8th in the NCAA Indoor Championships, despite running 13:36.87 for 5000m. He opened up outdoors with a 28:54.76 10000m run at Stanford, a new personal best. He then ran another PR at the Payton Jordan Invitational, finishing 7th in 13:29.74. At the Pac 10 Championships Chris finished 2nd in the 10000m (29:19.90) and 3rd in the 5000m (13:57.88).

Sources: Stanford

Championships

2007 Illinois State AAA Cross Country (13:52)
2007 Nike Team Nationals Cross Country (15:39.8)
2009 PAC 10 Cross Country (22:35.48)
2010 PAC 10 10,000m (29:10.80)
2010 PAC 10 5,000m (13:43.69)

High School Bests and Junior Records

4:14.36 - 1600m - Upstate Eight (2008)
8:48.90 - 3200m - Downer's Grove South (2008)
13:55.96 - 5000m - Arcadia (2008)
13:29.98 - 5000m - Palo Alto (2009) - former AJR

Personal Bests

3:42.45 - 1500m - Palo Alto (2010)
7:56.91i - 3000m - Stillwater (2009)
13:29.74 - 5000m - Palo Alto (2011)
23:16.9 - 8000m - Terre Haute (2010)
28:54.76 - 10000m - Palo Alto (2011)

Sources: Milesplit, Direct Athletics, Stanford

3,000 meters

1. 7:29.00 - Bernard Lagat - Rieti (2010)
2. 7:30.84 - Bob Kennedy - Monaco (1998)
3. 7:33.37 - Sydney Maree - London (1982)
4. 7:34.32 - Chris Solinsky - Rieti (2010)
5. 7:34.96 - Adam Goucher - Monaco (2001)
6. 7:34.98 - Matt Tegenkamp - Monaco (2006)
7. 7:35.84 - Doug Padilla - Oslo (1983)
8. 7:36.69 - Steve Scott - Ingelheim (1981)
9. 7:37.04 - Jim Spivey - Koln (1993)
10. 7:37.70 - Rudy Chapa - Eugene (1979)
11. 7:38.03 - Marc Davis - Monaco (1993)
12. 7:39.03 - Dathan Ritzenhein - Sheffield (2007)
13. 7:39.28 - Alan Webb - Eugene (2005)
14. 7:39.45 - Tim Broe - Lausanne (2001)
15. 7:40.0 - Daniel Lincoln - Eugene (2006)
NR. 7:56.91i - Chris Derrick - Stillwater (2009)

5,000 meters

1. 12:54.12 - Bernard Lagat - Oslo (2010)
2. 12:55.53 - Chris Solinsky - Stockholm (2010)
3. 12:56.27 - Dathan Ritzenhein - Zurich (2009)
4. 12:58.21 - Bob Kennedy - Zurich (1996)
5. 12:58.56 - Matt Tegenkamp - Brussels (2009)
6. 13:01.15 - Sydney Maree - Oslo (1985)
7. 13:07.35 - Galen Rupp - Zurich (2010)
8. 13:10.00 - Adam Goucher - Heusden-Zolder (2006)
9. 13:10.86 - Alan Webb - Berlin (2005)
10. 13:11.77 - Meb Keflezighi - Heusden-Zolder (2000)
10. 13:11.77 - Tim Broe - Oslo (2005)
12. 13:11.93 - Alberto Salazar - Stockholm (1982)
12. 13:11.93 - Anthony Famiglietti - Walnut (2007)
14. 13:12.91 - Matt Centrowitz - Eugene (1982)
15. 13:13.32 - Abdi Abdirahman - London (2005)
NR. 13:29.74 - Chris Derrick - Palo Alto (2011)

10,000 meters

1. 26:59.60 - Chris Solinsky - Palo Alto (2010)
2. 27:10.74 - Galen Rupp - Palo Alto (2010)
3. 27:13.98 - Meb Keflezighi - Palo Alto (2001)
4. 27:16.99 - Abdi Abdirahman - Eugene (2008)
5. 27:20.56 - Mark Nenow - Brussels (1986)
6. 27:22.28 - Dathan Ritzenhein - Berlin (2009)
7. 27:24.67 - Robert Curtis - Palo Alto (2011)
8. 27:25.61 - Alberto Salazar - Oslo (1982)
9. 27:28.19 - Tim Nelson - Palo Alto (2011)
10. 27:28.22 - Matt Tegenkamp - Palo Alto (2011)
11. 27:29.16 - Craig Virgin - Paris (1980)
12. 27:31.34 - Todd Williams - Knoxville (1995)
13. 27:33.93 - Alan Culpepper - Palo Alto (2001)
14. 27:34.72 - Alan Webb - Palo Alto (2006)
15. 27:37.17 - Bruce Bickford - Stockholm (1985)
16. 27:37.45 - Bob Kennedy - Palo Alto (2004)
17. 27:37.74 - Anthony Famiglietti - Palo Alto (2006)
NR. 28:54.76 - Chris Derrick - Palo Alto (2011)

Source: All-Time Athletics