Oregon's Own Blake Haney, Raevyn Rogers Secure USA Junior Titles
By Chris Lotsbom, @ChrisLotsbom
(c) 2015 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved - used with permission
EUGENE, Ore. (27-Jun) -- Seven distance disciplines were contested on the final day of the USA Junior National Championships here at Hayward Field, highlighted by the men's 1500m and women's 800m. In both, University of Oregon Ducks Blake Haney and Raevyn Rogers came away with wins, drawing loud roars from their hometown crowd.
BLAKE HANEY USES SUPERIOR SPEED TO DEFEAT HIGH SCHOOL STARS FISHER, HUNTER
The men's junior 1500m was billed as the marquee event of this weekend's USA Junior National Championships competition, and it did not disappoint. University of Oregon star Blake Haney, sub-four minute miler Grant Fisher, and Virginia prep sensation Andrew Hunter all raced toe to toe, making for an exciting battle.
However, contrary to the event's name, the 1500m played out more like a 500 meter sprint for home. After jogging around the Hayward Field oval for 1000 meters, Fisher injected a sudden surge that threw a bit of life into the competition.
Fisher, Haney, and Hunter led a compact group powering through the bell, all in prime position to take home the title. At first Fisher had the lead around the curve, then Hunter approached the pole on the outside down the backstretch.
But on the Bowerman Curve, Haney unleashed a furious kick that proved lethal. He'd win in a 3:58.16, the slowest winning time ever in the history of the USA Junior Championships. He was followed across the line by Hunter in 3:58.48 and Fisher third in 3:58.77.
"I just tried to match [Grant] and stay as comfortable as I could, and the last 300 I just tried to load up and leave it out there the last 100," said Haney, the third-place finisher at the NCAA Championships two weeks ago. "I was confident in myself and my abilities. I thought I had it."
Considering the strength of today's field, Fisher was OK with the third place showing.
"Obviously they got around me and looking back that's something I need to change in the future," said the Stanford-bound Fisher. "Overall I'm not disappointed with today. Not ecstatic with it at all, but it was a race and these guys were just better than me. That's the end of my high school racing so I'm ready to move on to college!"
RAEVYN ROGERS WINS WIRE TO WIRE IN JUNIOR WOMEN'S 800M
In front of her home crowd, Oregon rising sophomore Raevyn Rogers led wire to wire in the women's 800m, claiming her second consecutive junior title in the event. Though challenged by Ruby Stauber and Sarah Walker, Rogers powered home in the last 200 meters to win in 2:06.64, well off of her personal best.
"Today went well. It was hot, but I am pleased with the outcome!" said Rogers, the bronze medalist at the 2013 IAAF World Youth Championships. "My plan going into today was to run my race, stay relaxed... The last 100 my coach just told me to really bring it together the last 100."
Through 400 meters in 1:05.46, the crowd was simply waiting for Rogers to make her break. The only woman in the field to have a personal best of under 2:00 (1:59.71), Rogers was expected to take home gold by a wide margin. Her winning move would come in the final straight, as the 18-year-old obeyed coach's orders and opened her stride.
Hayward Field has been good to Rogers, as she won the NCAA Championships 800m title here and now has claimed the national crown.
"Everyone knows what Hayward is, it's the magical magic of all lands, full of everything. The crowd is amazing," said Rogers. "Hayward is Eugene, it's amazing. The city, the fans, everyone. It really lifts me up and has made my transition [from high school to college] that much easier."
Stauber and Walker would fight hard for second place, with the former coming out on top 2:08.36 to 2:08.37.
KATE MURPHY KICKS HER WAY TO GLORY IN 1500M
Kate Murphy, a rising junior in high school from Virginia, had a kick that earned her a standing ovation from the Hayward Field faithful. With 400 meters left in the junior women's 1500m, Murphy was in third position, more than 15 meters back of leader the University of Utah's Sarah Feeny.
Arms pumping like pistons, Murphy overtook Stephanie Jenks for second down the backstretch, and used her momentum to carry her closer to Feeny. As the crowd's volume steadily rose, Murphy made up close to 15 meters and flew into the finishing straight looking more like Jenny Simpson than a high schooler.
Finishing first in 4:16.98, Murphy raised her hands and fell into the arms of an unsuspecting official, embracing him with a big hug. Her last 400 meters was clocked in 63.14 seconds. According to Dyestat.com's Doug Binder, Murphy's time ranks tenth all time for high school athletes.
"I kind of visualized it before the race, visualized really kicking and I think it helped a lot," said Murphy. "I wasn't expecting to win, and wasn't expecting to run that fast of a time."
Feeny was second in 4:21.50, with Jenks --an elite triathlete-- third in 4:28.24.
UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA'S ROTH VICTORIOUS IN JUNIOR 3000M STEEPLECHASE
In 2014, Bailey Roth set an American high school record at the IAAF World Junior Championships on this very oval. Since he ran 8:47.04 last year, Roth has moved on to the University of Arizona, redshirted this past track season, and overcome injuries that plagued him after last fall's cross country campaign. He's only recently gotten back to racing over barriers.
There didn't appear to be any rust on the 19-year-old as he immediately broke away from the field and ran alone through the finish in 9:08.70. Coached by James Li, the man who has guided Bernard Lagat's career, Roth looks forward to what's in store ahead. He'll represent Team USA at the Pan-Am Junior Championships.
"I just want to keep working hard and see where it will take me," he said. "To qualify for the Pan-Am Juniors is pretty awesome... This [will be] my fourth international competition and it's just really exciting."
INDIANA'S JILL WHITMAN OUT-KICKS PREP ERIN DIETZ FOR 3000M TITLE
In the final kilometer of the women's junior 3000m, Massachusetts high schooler Erin Dietz --who placed third in the 5000m on Friday-- and Indiana University's Jill Whitman battled under a blazing sun that heated temperatures to a scorching 95 degrees. Wincing while turning to her kick, Dietz did all she could to hold off Whitman.
Dietz's final gear just wasn't enough, as Whitman moved into first in the last 100 meters, winning the title in 9:36.62. She joins a list of very formidable past 3000m junior champions that includes Mary Cain, Emily Sisson, Jordan Hasay, and Molly Huddle. Dietz placed second in 9:37.41.
CARLTON ORANGE WINS CLOSE BATTLE IN THE 800M
Nearly a second behind leader Derek Holdsworth at 400 meters, high schooler Carlton Orange (Memphis, Tenn.) was never going to be denied. Fighting from fourth to first between 400 and 600 meters, the recent high school graduate looked like a man on a mission over the final half lap, fighting valiantly with University of Southern California's Robert Ford.
Holding his lead through the finish, Orange won in 1:47.67 to Ford's 1:48.00. Villanova's Ishmael Muhammad took third in 1:48.31.
HANNAH CHRISTEN POWERS AWAY WITH WOMEN'S STEEPLECHASE SUPREMACY
The University of North Carolina's Hannah Christen took the lead roughly a mile into the junior women's 3000m steeplechase and never looked back. She cleared the barriers and water jumps without any trouble, winning in 10:40.61. After having an 11-second lead with 400 meters to go, the 19-year-old coasted through the line out front ahead of Alexandra Harris (10:44.48) and Brittany Innis (10:49.21).
"The race went exactly how I wanted it to," said Christen. "At 1000m to go my coach wanted to make sure I didn't leave it to a kicking race so I tried to take it from there."
