Oregon Track Club Elite Impresses At Nike Mile

Beaverton, Oregon – The Oregon Track Club Elite put on a show for several hundred Nike Employees at Nike’s World Headquarters on Thursday, May 28th.  Competing in the sixth annual Nike Mile event OTC Elite won all three events that it entered including the marquee men’s Mile.

In the women’s 800 OTC Elite team member and 2008 Olympian from Great Britain set the tone for the afternoon winning in commanding fashion with a time of 2:02.93.  Simpson led nearly wire to wire while beating a field including two other Olympians.

In the men’s 800 OTC Elite was led by 2008 Olympic Trials Champion Nick Symmonds.  In his first race of the outdoor season Symmonds picked up where he left off last year winning in 1:46.25.  Finishing second to Symmonds, Mark Wieczorek ran a personal best of 1:47.11.  Kevin Hicks was third in 1:47.85 followed closely by Stephen Pifer in 1:48.17, Will Leer, fifth, 1:49.42 and John Jefferson, sixth, 1:50.00.

Highlighting the annual Nike event was the men’s Mile.  OTC Elite’s Tom Brooks ran an impressive race to win in 3:59.31.  For Brooks, it was the first time he had broken the 4-minute barrier.  Also competing well were team members Chris Thompson, third in 4:01.23 while Ryan Bak finished fifth in 4:01.68.

For full results and highlights from the Nike Mile visit the team’s website at www.OTCelite.com.

Contact:
Rob Vermillion
Rob.otcelite@gmail.com

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Videos (2007, 2008, 2009)

Photos

SYMMONDS OPENS OUTDOOR SEASON WITH 1:46
By David Monti
(c) 2009 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved - used with permission

U.S. Olympic Trials champion Nick Symmonds opened his outdoor season yesterday on the Nike campus in Beaverton, Ore., clocking 1:46.25 for 800m.  His was just one of four elite events incorporated into the Nike Mile, a series of track races held for Nike employees.

"I wasn't really sure because I've only done one or two speed sessions," Symmonds told RunnerSpace.com in a video interview.  "I was injured for most of March and part of April, so my training is a little bit behind where it was last year.  My goal was just to come out here and open up in 52, and if I felt comfortable, close in 54."

Kara Goucher doubled in the 800m and the mile; the races were held just 15 minutes apart.  Finishing fourth behind Briton Jemma Simpson, who ran 2:02.93, Goucher clocked a personal best 2:06.79.  She then finished a close second in the mile to training partner and Olympic 10,000m teammate Amy Begley.  Goucher clocked 4:37.58, just 4/100ths behind Begley.

"I was really happy with that," Goucher said to RunnerSpace.com about her 800m personal best.  "I came back to run the mile, and I thought it would feel really easy.  I wanted to run 4:35.  I almost bailed with a lap to go I felt so bad."

Steeplechaser Tom Brooks won the elite mile in 3:59.31 and was the only man to break four minutes.

Videos of all the races, including athlete interviews, can be viewed at http://www.runnerspace.com/NikeMile.

ENDS

Licensed to Willamette University      Hy-Tek's Meet Manager 5/28/2009 05:38 PM
                           Nike Mile VI - 5/28/2009                            
                                   5/28/2009                                   
                                    Results                                    
 
Women 1 Mile Run
=========================================================================
    Name                    Year School                  Seed     Finals 
=========================================================================
Finals
  1 Begley, Amy                  Nike                            4:37.54  
  2 Goucher, Kara                Nike                            4:37.58  
  3 Lambie, Arianne              Nike                            4:46.01  
  4 Murphy, Joanna               Bowerman Athleti                4:58.54  
  5 Rice, Paige                  Unattached                      5:00.56  
  6 McHattie, Carla              Unattached                      5:17.51  
  7 Klettke, Kelsey              Unattached                      5:18.77  
 
Women 800 Meter Run
=========================================================================
    Name                    Year School                  Seed     Finals 
=========================================================================
  1 Simpson, Jemma               Oregon Track Clu                2:02.93  
  2 Vaughn, Sara                 Unattached                      2:04.77  
  3 McMahon, Emily               Bowerman Athleti                2:05.89  
  4 Goucher, Kara                Nike                            2:06.79  
  5 Schaaf, Sara                 Bowerman Athleti                2:08.50  
  6 McGown, Amber                Oregon Track Clu                2:08.74  
  7 Anderson-Gregg, Brianna      Bowerman Athleti                2:09.22  
  8 Begley, Amy                  Nike                            2:11.09  
  9 Smith, Jordyn                Greater Boise RC                2:12.36  
 10 McIlroy, Emma                Bowerman Athleti                2:15.82  
 11 Johnson, Sydnie              Bowerman Athleti                2:17.70  
 
Men 1 Mile Run
=========================================================================
    Name                    Year School                  Seed     Finals 
=========================================================================
  1 Brooks, Tom                  Oregon Track Clu                3:59.31  
  2 Riley, Jonathon              Nike                            4:00.27  
  3 Thompson, Chris              Oregon Track Clu                4:01.23  
  4 Vaughn, Brent                Nike                            4:01.57  
  5 Bak, Ryan                    Oregon Track Clu                4:01.68  
  6 Schoolmeester, Bret          Bowerman Athleti                4:02.08  
  7 Achon, Julius                Nike                            4:04.16  
  8 Goucher, Adam                Nike                            4:11.92  
  9 D'Onofrio, Vincent           Unattached                      4:16.01  
 
Men 800 Meter Run
=========================================================================
    Name                    Year School                  Seed     Finals 
=========================================================================
  1 Symmonds, Nick               Oregon Track Clu                1:46.25  
  2 Wiezorek, Mark               Oregon Track Clu                1:47.11  
  3 Hicks, Kevin                 Oregon Track Clu                1:47.85  
  4 Pifer, Stephen               Oregon Track Clu                1:48.17  
  5 Leer, Will                   Oregon Track Clu                1:49.42  
  6 Jefferson, John              Oregon Track Clu                1:50.00  

Other race results are on the way!

The Oregonian Staff

Nick Symmonds' right knee held up through a fast 800 meters, and the Olympic hopeful appeared to be on form Thursday at the Michael Johnson Track on the Nike campus near Beaverton.

Symmonds used his trademark kick to finish in 1 minute, 46.14 seconds, the fastest in three 800 races. In all, 13 runners finished under 1:50, but Symmonds was the only one running with 10 stitches in his right knee.

"I didn't feel it at all," Symmonds said. He kicked hard over the last 300 meters to finish ahead of Oregon Track Club Elite teammates Kevin Hicks and Will Leer, who had the second- and third-best times of......READ MORE

NIKE Mile Event Coverage