WHEN THE STARTING GUN FIRED for the 1500, others might have had a chance to win, but by the end, Simeon Birnbaum made his victory look inevitable. The Oregon junior, only 7th last year, had come into his own this season, clocking a Collegiate Record 3:31.69 in his first outdoor race at the distance. He defeated rival Trent McFarland to win a sprinter’s race at the Big 10 meet and came to the NCAAs flush with confidence.
Content to run at the back of the pack initially, Birnbaum moved through 400 in 58.6 as Cal Poly’s Chris Caudillo led. It wasn’t till they came past 1000m that Birnbaum moved out to lane 3 to get around the traffic jam that McFarland found himself in. At the bell, Reuben Reina moved past Caudillo and had a slim lead on Birnbaum. Michigan’s Brendan Herger moved into 3rd as the acceleration started to stretch out the pack.
At the end of the backstretch Birnbaum finally took the lead. With clear running ahead, he blasted a 25.7 final 200 while McFarland, nearly 10m back, still had traffic to contend with.
No one had the wheels to reel in the runaway Duck, who flew to the finish in 3:36.05 on the strength of a 52.07 final lap — even as he pointed at the homestretch crowd to celebrate some 50 meters out and lifted his right hand to his ear as though taking a phone call before the line. It was the fastest winning time since fellow Duck Cole Hocker won in ‘21. McFarland finally found a clear path with 80 left but the only race left to win was the one for 2nd. He clocked 3:37.18, barely ahead of Virginia’s Gary Martin (3:37.21) and Princeton’s Connor McCormick (3:37.27).
“I’ve been dreaming of that moment for a while now, especially after how the 1500 went last year,” admitted the winner. “I swore I wasn’t going to end up like that again, and so I was so nervous. I barely slept last night, and I wanted this so bad. I’m very grateful for this opportunity, and to get it done.
“The last lap was a dream. I felt incredible that entire race. I looked at the big screen with about 150 to go, and I couldn’t even see the chase pack. I knew at that moment, I had won. Then I just saw the crowd erupt and get on their feet, which gave me so much energy.”
In the end, it was easier than the 20-year-old anticipated. “I was expecting guys to be much closer. I’m expecting to work a bit harder for it, but I sure will take it like that.”
Sydney Maree’s 3:35.30 meet record set 45 years ago survived — but for how much longer?
MEN’S 1500 RESULTS
FINAL (June 12)
1. *Simeon Birnbaum (Or) 3:36.05 (52.07, 1:51.62, 2:52.44) (43.61, 60.82 [1:44.43], 59.55 [2:43.98], 52.07);
2. *Trent McFarland (Mi) 3:37.18 (52.98, 1:52.87, 2:54.15);
3. Gary Martin (Va) 3:37.21 (52.75, 1:53.06, 2:54.27);
4. Connor McCormick (Prin) 3:37.27 (52.92, 1:53.41, 2:54.66);
5. **Matan Ivri’ (Wi-Isr) 3:37.41 NR (52.86, 1:52.81, 2:53.62);
6. Elliott Cook (Or) 3:37.80 (53.11, 1:53.26, 2:54.53);
7. *Chris Caudillo (SLO) 3:38.06 (54.01, 1:54.54, 2:55.86);
8. *Carter Cutting (BYU) 3:38.10 (53.87, 1:54.42, 2:55.73);
9. Tomas Palfrey’ (Or-Aus) 3:38.67(54.23, 1:54.59, 2:55.83);
10. **Brendan Herger (Mi) 3:38.91 (54.78, 1:54.98, 2:56.22);
11. Reuben Reina (Wa) 3:39.15 (55.21, 1:55.40, 2:56.64);
12. **Benne Anderson’ (Syr-Ger) 3:40.06 (55.34, 1:55.41, 2:56.57).
SEMIS (June 10)
I–1. Martin 3:38.81; 2. Birnbaum 3:38.87; 3. Herger 3:39.15; 4. Ivri’ 3:39.39; 5. Palfrey’ 3:39.56; 6. Nicholas Plant (VaT) 3:40.03; 7. **Martin Barco (Wa) 3:40.29; 8. Tor Hotung-Davidsen (NnAz) 3:41.24; 9. ***Elliott Pugh’ (Prov-NZ) 3:41.36; 10. Carson Smith (SLO) 3:41.52; 11. ***Oussama Allaoui’ (Fl-Mor) 3:42.67; 12. **Nick Sloff (PennSt) 3:42.96.
II–1. McCormick 3:35.81 PR; 2. Cutting 3:35.95 PR; 3. McFarland 3:36.07; 4. Anderson’ 3:36.15 PR; 5. Caudillo 3:36.30; 6. Reina 3:36.31 PR; 7. Cook 3:36.77; 8. **George Couttie’ (VaT-GB) 3:36.99; 9. Brian Masai’ (Ar-Ken) 3:37.92; 10. **Matthew Endrody’ (NM-SA) 3:38.26; 11. *Jaouad Khchina’ (SC-Mor) 3:39.23; 12. **Max Hooper’ (Lips-Aus) 3:47.90.
