USATF Indoor Championships: How did former Oregon Ducks athletes fare?
Cole Hocker is the USATF Indoor Champion in the 1,500 meters for the second time in the last three years.
All it took was a small opening and a strong finish.
With three laps to go, the former Oregon star slipped past John Reniewicki along the rail and into the lead. From there, Hocker was all alone as he raced to the title Saturday during the final day of the track and field championship meet inside the Albuquerque (N.M.) Convention Center.
“I felt like Centro in 2016," a smiling Hocker told NBC, referencing the year former Duck Matthew Centrowitz won gold medals at the World Athletics Indoor Championships and during the Rio Olympics. "I was happy with that move and then just tried to put the hammer down.”
Hocker crossed in 3 minutes, 37.51 seconds, which was both a personal and meet record, as he qualified for the World Athletics Indoor Championships being held March 1-3 in Glasgow, Scotland.
Hocker avoided the drama that unfolded right behind him as Hobbs Kessler (3:38.76), Henry Wynne (3:38.81) and former Oregon standout Cooper Teare (3:38.99) battled to a 2-3-4 finish, respectively.
Former Duck Sam Prakel, the 2023 USATF Indoor champion, was sixth in 3:40.04. Josh Thompson, who is a member of the Eugene-based Bowerman Track Club coached by Oregon's Jerry Shumacher, was 12th in 3:54.25.
Hocker and Teare were both entered in Friday's 3,000 as well, but scratched from that race.
Yared Nuguse won the men's 3,000 in 7:55.76 and Elle St. Pierre won the women's 3,000 Friday in 8:54.4. Eugene's Jenn Randall was ninth in the women's race in 9:27.09.
World records set in both 60 hurdles races
There were fireworks Friday night in the 60 hurdles, as Grant Holloway reset his own world record in the men's race with 7.27 in the semifinals, and Tia Jones tied the world record at 7.67 during the women's semifinals.
Jones went go on to win the indoor title in 7.68. Holloway, who already was qualified for the World Athletics Indoor Championships, opted out of the final that was won by Trey Cunningham in 7.39.
Also in the women's final, former Duck Alaysha Johnson — the 2023 USATF Indoor champion — was disqualified for a false start after running a season-best 7.86 in the semifinals.
Thrilling finish in the men's 60
Star sprinters Noah Lyles and Christian Coleman capped the meet with a dual in the 60.
Lyles, the reigning world champion in the 100, won with a personal record and world-leading 6.43 to 6.44 for world-record holder Coleman.
Other notable performances
Daniel Haugh broke Lance Deal's 29-year world-best and American record in the men's weight throw on Friday with a winning mark of 86 feet, 5 inches. Deal, a Eugene resident and former Oregon assistant coach, set the previous record of 84-10 in 1995 during the U.S. Indoor Championship meet.
Former Oregon all-American Jasmine Todd was 12th in the women's long jump on Friday with a mark of 19-10¼.
Former Ducks Matt Wisner and Grant Grosvenor were 12th and 16th, respectively, in the men's 800 semifinals Friday and didn't advance to Saturday's final. Wisner ran 1:48.63 and Grosvenor ran 1:50.10.
Ryan Crouser won the men's shot put on Saturday in a meet-record 74-9¾.
Follow Chris Hansen on Twitter @chansen_RG or email at chansen@registerguard.com.
This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Takeaways from USATF Indoor Championships: Cole Hocker wins title
