Over and over again during the course of today’s program, the same question came up: “What just happened?!”
Heading into a stacked men’s 1500m final, everyone assumed that two spots were spoken for by the two Olympic medalists in the field — Paris champion Cole Hocker and third-placer Yared Nuguse — and that the battle was for the third spot. But teams aren’t made on paper; you still have to run the race.
Nuguse kept everyone honest early, taking the field through 400 meters in 56.23, but he didn’t manage to thin out the field enough by the final lap and would have to settle for fifth in 3:31.34. Hocker got under his meet record from last year’s Olympic Trials with a 3:30.37 finish… but that was only good for third place, as two new contenders, Ethan Strand and Jonah Koech, hit the front in the homestrech and never looked back, with Koech winning his first U.S. title in 3:30.17.
The women’s 1500m was a little bit more predictable, but it was nevertheless thrilling to watch Nikki Hiltz extend their victory streak to an increasingly improbable six U.S. titles with a 4:03.15 win and a blistering 58-second last lap.
Whether it’s a surprise victory, an unprecedented time, or a tight battle for the last qualifying spot, Hayward Field was delivering plot twists left and right. And with nothing but finals on the docket for the final competition session, get ready for a lot more where that came from.
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Hosts: Chris Chavez, Eric Jenkins, Aisha Praught-Leer, Paul Hof-Mahoney & Anderson Emerole
Produced by: Mac Fleet & Jasmine Fehr
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