Who is Luke Puskedra

Luke was one of the best runners to ever come out of Utah. He was twice named Utah Boys Gatorade Player of the Year, and ran some of the fastest times ever by a high schooler for the 3200m/2 mile distance.

Freshman/Sophomore Years

Luke finished 12th at the Utah 3A State Cross Country meet his freshman year, running 16:40. His sophomore year he finished 9th in the Utah 3A State Cross Country meet, running 16:55.5. He was the team's 5th man in both races.

Junior Year

Luke won the Utah 3A State Cross Country meet with in a time of 15:43.9.

On the track, Luke started the year with a 3rd place finish at the Nike Indoor Nationals 2 mile (9:07.50). He placed 4th at the Penn Relays high school boys mile, running 4:25.11. Luke won the distance double at the Utah 3A state meet where he ran xx for 1600m and a state record 9:04.6 for 3200m. The feat helped earn him earn the honor for Utah Boys Gatorade Player of the Year for track.

Senior Year

Luke started the year by winning the Bob Firman Invitational in 14:49. He then won the Utah state cross country meet in 14:54.60. He then won the Nike Team Southwest Regional in 14:48. He suffered his first loss at the Footlocker West Regional, finishing 2nd to German Fernandez in 15:08. At the Footlocker Championships, Luke finished 5th in a time of 15:15. Some notable competitors in that race included Chris Derrick (2nd - 14:57) and German Fernandez (3rd - 15:09). For his performance he won the Utah Boys Gatorade Player of the Year for cross country, his 2nd such honor.

On the track, Luke started the year with a big victory at the Reebok Boston Indoor Games high school mile, clocking 4:08.77. He then ran a 4:10.58 for 1600m indoors to win the Simplot Games. He then went on to run 8:49.58 to win the Nike Indoor Nationals in the #3 indoor 2 mile time by a high schooler. He won the Arcadia Invite 3200m in 8:46.40. He then ran a one-day distance double of 4:15.85/8:56.71 at the BYU High School Invitational. At the Prefontaine Classic, he ran 8:46.41 for a PR in the 2 mile.

He quadrupled at the Utah 3A State track meet, winning the 1600m and 3200m, but finishing 4th in the 800m and sprint medley relay. His individual times were 1:58.37/4:09.29/8:54.40, with the relay team finishing in 3:38.69. He ended his season at the Nike Outdoor Nationals, where he doubled, running a personal best 4:06.60 for the mile, and 8:47.06 for the 2 mile.

Sources: Athletic.net, MileSplit

Freshman Year

Luke was named Pac-10 Newcomer of the Year for his outstanding freshman cross country campaign. He led Oregon by finishing 3rd at the Bill Dellinger Invitational (24:06.90). He then finished 2nd at the Pac-10 Championships (behind Galen Rupp) to help Oregon claim the title. At the West Regionals, he finished 6th (one spot behind freshman rival Chris Derrick of Stanford) in 28:45. Finally, at the NCAA Cross Country meet, he finished 5th in 29:27.8, the best performance by an Oregon freshman since Steve Prefontaine finished 3rd in 1969.

He opened up his indoor track campaign with a 13:46.52 for 5000m in Seattle. He then finished 3rd at USATF Junior Cross Country meet (23:53), behind German Fernandez (23:20) and Chris Derrick (23:39). He then finished 3rd in the MPSF Championships 3000m, running 7:58.42. He finished off the indoor season with a 13:50.82 6th place finish in the NCAA Indoor 5000m.

Prior to opening up outdoors, Luke ran 24:53 to finish 30th at the Junior World Cross Country meet in Amman, Jordan. He was the 3rd American. He then opened outdoors with a 28:34.17 for 10,000m at the Oregon Relays, the 3rd fastest time by an American junior all-time (behind Galen Rupp and Rudy Chapa).

Luke then finished 4th in the Pac-10 Championships 10000m, running 29:18.11. followed that up with a 29:20.18 11th place finish in the NCAA Championships 10000m. He wrapped up his season with a 29:11.32 16th place finish at the USA Championships.

Sophomore Year

Luke opened up his cross country season at the Bill Dellinger Invite, where he faded to 11th in 23:53.96. He came back to win the Blue Race at Pre-Nationals with a time of 23:40.2. He then finished 4th at the Pac-10 Championships, running 23:05.04, to lead Oregon to 2nd place in the team competition. At the West Regionals, he placed 6th in 30:48.40. He placed 21st in the NCAA Championships in 30:01.9, but led the Ducks to a surprising 2nd place finish in the team competition.

Luke's first track race was a 6th place 8:00.69 for 3k at the Texas A&M Challenge 2010. He then ran 13:50.87 for 5000m at the Husky Classic in Washington, and followed it with a PR 7:57.42 for 3000m the next day. He finished 9th in the 5000m at the NCAA Indoor Championships, running 13:57.98. He followed that with an 8:22.47 3000m for 14th place. He finished 4th in the 10000m at the Pac-10 Championships, running 29:15.36, and followed it with a 9th place finish in the 5000m, running 14:03.62. At the NCAA West Regionals, Luke finished 12th in the 10000m in 29:47.54 to qualify for NCAAs. He then led much of his 5000m heat, before falling back to 14:41.61 (31st out of all heats). At NCAAs, Luke finished 14th in the 10000m, running 29:27.37.

It appears most of his sophomore year was spent battling iron deficiency.

Junior Year

Luke opened up his cross country season with a win at the Notre Dame Invitational, running 23:39. He then finished 2nd at the Bill Dellinger Invitational, clocking 23:38.13. At the Pac 10 Championships, Luke finished 4th in 23:05.80. He again finished 4th at the West Region Meet, running 30:03.29 for 10k. At the NCAA Championships, Luke went with the leaders and held on for 3rd, running 29:38 for 10k.

He opened up his indoor track season with a 13:46.70 victory at the UW Invitational. At the NCAA Indoor Championships, Luke finished 14th in 14:02.26. At the Pac 10 Championships, Luke finished 5th in the 10000m (29:35.67) and 4th in the 5000m (14:02.62).

Sources: Go Ducks

Championships

2007 Utah State 1600m
2007 Utah State 3200m (9:04.6)
2007 Utah State Cross Country
2008 Nike Indoor Nationals 2-mile (8:49.58)

High school bests

4:10.58 - 1600m - Pocatello (2008)
4:06.60 - mile - Greensboro (2008)
8:46.41 - 2 mile - Eugene (2008)

Personal bests

4:06.60 - mile - Greensboro (2008)
8:46.41 - 2 mile - Eugene (2008)
7:57.42i - 3000m - Seattle (2010)
13:46.52i - 5000m - Seattle (2009)
28:34.17 - 10000m - Eugene (2009)

Sources: Go Ducks

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. 7:57.42i - Luke Puskedra - Seattle (2010)

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. 13:46.52i - Luke Puskedra - Seattle (2009)

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. 27:28.22 - 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. 28:34.17 - Luke Puskedra - Eugene (2009)

Source: All-Time Athletics