Sports Briefs: Linden shatters world 50K record; Hursey wins second college tourney in a row; Kehoe repeats as MIAA Athlete of the Week

Apr. 14—Linden shatters world 50K record

Charlevoix resident Des Linden, 37, finished 50K meters in 2:59:54, a world record for the distance, more than seven minutes ahead of the existing record of 3:07:20, set by British ultrarunner Aly Dixon in 2019.

Linden hit the 19.6-mile mark in about 1:53:35, 2:31:12 for 26.2 and covering the final roughly five-mile out-and-back loop in just under 30 minutes. She averaged 5:47 per mile pace.

Linden, 37, won the 2018 Boston Marathon in 2:39:54 amid driving rain and winds. She made two Olympic teams, and she finished seventh at the Games in Rio in 2:26:08.

At the most recent Olympic Trials in 2020 in Atlanta, Linden placed fourth, just missing a spot on Team USA heading for Tokyo. She's the alternate for the team, should any of the top three finishers be unable to compete.

Linden broke the 50K world record on Tuesday after running an amazing time of 2:59:54 in Oregon. Running in the first ultra-distance event of her career, Linden shattered the previous record of 3:07:20 that Great Britain's Aly Dixon set in 2019 at the 50K world championships in Romania.

Hursey wins second tourney in a row

BIG RAPIDS — Suttons Bay native Thomas Hursey led the Ferris State University men's golf team posted its second consecutive third-place team finish. Hursey claimed individual medalist honors for the second time in a row as play wrapped up at the Bill Blazer Memorial in Pickerington, Ohio.

The Bulldogs shot a two-round 584 team score at Turnberry Golf Course, finishing only nine strokes behind team champion and host Ohio Dominican, which carded a 575 figure. Malone took second place at 577.

Hursey tied for first overall in regulation with a 137 score on rounds of 68 Friday and 69 on Saturday. He eventually won a playoff for medalist honors on the fourth hole, topping Malone's Connor Curry.

Kehoe repeats as MIAA Athlete of Week

FREELAND — Saint Mary's College senior Hunter Kehoe garnered her second consecutive Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) Women's Golf Athlete of the Week honor for her performance leading up to April 12.

The Traverse City West grad was the round medalist as the Belles captured the lone conference jamboree of the week last Monday. Kehoe shot a three-over par 75 as she posted the best front-nine score in the field. The senior shared round-best honors with 11 pars, while also tying for the best par four and par five scoring as Saint Mary's won the jamboree hosted by Hope.

It is the second MIAA Women's Golf Athlete of the Week honor of the season and fourteenth of her career.

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