EUGENE, OREGON, July 03 — The sport was abuzz when then 16-year-old Cooper Lutkenhaus set an under-18 World Record of 1:42.27 in finishing 2nd in the 800 at last year’s USATF Championships.
Or, if you were Brandon Miller, you were devastated. His 1:43.14 brought him 5th, and out of the WC. He took it “really hard,” he said.
“We just brought that feeling to every practice,” he said. “I’ve just been gaining confidence from every workout, every race.”
Lutkenhaus’ return to Hayward Field didn’t evolve as scripted Friday night at the Prefontaine Classic.
Miller surged away from the front-running Texan to win in 1:43.68, becoming the first American to beat the 17-year-old in an 800 since last year’s breakout.
Indeed, no one from any nation had beaten Lutkenhaus, the world indoor champion, in an 800 since heats of the ’25 WC.
But, said Miller,“I felt good with 150 to go so I sent it.”
Lutkenhaus was 2nd in 1:44.62, Donovan Brazier 3rd in 1:44.86 and Bryce Hoppel 4th in 1:45.05. The order from last year’s nationals: Brazier, Lutkenhaus, Hoppel, Josh Hoey, Miller.
Lutkenhaus recently beat Canada’s Marco Arop, the yearly world leader at 1:41.84. Lutkenhaus posited that he is in that kind of shape.
“It wasn’t there today,” he said. “But eventually, hopefully, maybe down the road.”
He will end his season at the USATF Championships in New York later this month. Then it’s back home for his last year of high school.
No one latched onto the pacer, and Miller said the second lap was hard because he was in lane 2 for most of the way.
“I just tried to pick people off,” he said. “And when I made my move, I made it.”
The other featured race of the night, the men’s 2M, was likewise no time trial. Billed as a possible sub-8:00 attempt, it turned tactical.
Parker Wolfe finished 1st in 8:10.13, beating Germany’s Mohammed Abdilaahi (8:10.34). Grant Fisher, coming off his first DL 5000 win, was 3rd in 8:10.96.
Andreas Almgren of Sweden was 4th in 8:11.22, Thomas Ratcliffe 5th in 8:11.68 and Cooper Teare 6th in 8:12.00. Villanova’s Marco Langon, in his first race as a pro, was 14th in 8:14.32.
The race was analogous to the Millrose Games indoor 2M, when Wolfe took the lead before being overtaken by Cole Hocker in a world-leading 8:07.31. By default, Wolfe led this contest over the closing three laps.
“I felt really good out there, way better than Millrose,” Wolfe said.
Time was irrelevant, he said. He said the pace lights disappeared by the end of lap 5.
“All right, it’s going to be a little bit slower couple of laps here, and then it’ll pick back up. That’s exactly what happened,” Wolfe said.
In other men’s events:
•In the undercard to Saturday’s Bowerman Mile, Liam Murphy edged the Netherlands’ Stefan Nillessen, 3:50.49–3:50.50.
Michigan’s Trent McFarland was 6th in 3:52.21. The time for the NCAA 1500 runnerup, whose senior season still lies ahead, was faster than the No. 8 performance by an American collegian though run outside the collegiate season. It also bettered the best during Michigan collegiate years of his coach, Kevin Sullivan, who ran 3:52.25 in ’95 and PRed at 3:50.26 in ’00. Utah high schooler Jackson Spencer was 13th in 3:57.34, just off his PR.
•Canada’s Ethan Katzberg won the hammer with a world-leading 273-4 (83.33), a Pre and Diamond League record. He spun out the three longest throws of the competition. Rudy Winkler, who held the year-old previous Pre record of 272-10 (83.16), placed 2nd at 266-2 (81.12).
Women’s events:
•Sandi Morris came from behind to beat Katie Moon to win the vault, reversing the order from last year’s Worlds. Morris rattled the crosspiece on her first attempt at 15-11 (4.85), but the bar stayed up. Moon was 2nd at 15-9 (4.80). Gabriela Leon was 3rd at 15-5 (4.70), and three-time NCAA champ Hana Moll tied Emily Grove for 4th, also at 15-5.
Morris, who turns 34 on July 8, said, “I just feel like I’m finding myself. I’m Sandi 2.0 now, and I’m pumped. My technique is better than it’s ever been. I think I’m going to jump really high in the next few years.”
•The second round of the discus was decisive for reigning Olympic and world champion Valarie Sion. Former Oregon thrower Jorinde van Klinken, the ’25 World Champs silver medalist for the Netherlands, sent one out to 223-9 (68.21) in that frame. Sion was ready. Four throwers later in the order, she stepped into the circle and whirled her platter 224-10 (68.54), good for the win. NCAA champion Alida van Daalen, also of the Netherlands, was 3rd at 213-4 (65.02).
•On her college oval, Wilma Nielsen of Sweden won the 1500 in 4:05.60, her season’s best. Paris 800 Olympian Juliette Whittaker, driving hard in the final homestretch, finished 2nd in a PR 4:05.78. Oregon high schooler Ellery Lincoln was 8th in 4:07.06, climbing to No. 4 on the all-time prep list. Lincoln — whose parents are ’01 World Champs 1500 competitor Sarah Schwald and ’04 steeple Olympian Daniel Lincoln — will return to Hayward next month for the U20 World Championships.
•Jamaica’s Dejanea Oakley, returning to the track where she set a Collegiate Record of 48.79 for Georgia last month, came from behind to take the 400 in 49.64. Georgia alum Aaliyah Butler was 2nd in 49.97.
EUGENE DL FIRST-DAY RESULTS
(all first-day events not part of DL)
MEN’S EVENTS
800: 1. Brandon Miller (US) 1:43.68 (51.9/51.8); 2. Cooper Lutkenhaus (US) 1:44.62 (51.1/53.6); 3. Donavan Brazier (US) 1:44.86 (51.6/53.3); 4. Bryce Hoppel (US) 1:45.05; 5. Eliott Crestan (Bel) 1:45.11; 6. Daniel Williams (Aus) 1:45.42; 7. Yanis Meziane (Fra) 1:45.66; 8. Tshepiso Masalela (Bot) 1:45.70;… rabbit—Lloyd Frilot (US) (49.88).
Mile: 1. Liam Murphy (US) 3:50.49 PR; 2. Stefan Nillessen (Neth) 3:50.50; 3. Abel Teffra (US) 3:51.13 PR; 4. Davis Bove (US) 3:51.42 PR; 5. Festus Lagat (Ken) 3:51.44; 6. Trent McFarland (US) 3:52.21 PR; 7. Abraham Alvarado (Mex) 3:52.30 NR; 8. Carter Cutting (US) 3:53.07 PR; 9. Nick Plant (US) 3:53.13 PR; 10. Wes Porter (US) 3:53.57; 11. Ollie Hoare (Aus) 3:55.35 (2:53.45);…
13. Jackson Spencer (UtHS) 3:57.34 (x, 7 HS).
2M: 1. Parker Wolfe (US) 8:10.13 out PR (7:13.69); 2. Mohamed Abdilaahi (Ger) 8:10.34 PR; 3. Grant Fisher (US) 8:10.96 out PR; 4. Andreas Almgren (Swe) 8:11.12 PR; 5. Thomas Ratcliffe (US) 8:11.68 PR; 6. Cooper Teare (US) 8:12.00 PR; 7. Ky Robinson (Aus) 8:12.16 PR; 8. Morgan Beadlescomb (US) 8:12.24 PR; 9. Tshepo Tshite (SA) 8:12.94 NR; 10. Dylan Jacobs (US) 8:13.37 PR; 11. Abdihamid Nur (US) 8:13.44 PR;…14. Marco Langon (US) 8:14.32 PR.
Field Event
HT: 1. Ethan Katzberg (Can) 273-4 (83.33) (WL) (f, 273-4, 271-5, 263-3, 268-11, f) (f, 83.33, 82.73, 80.24, 81.98, f);
2. Rudy Winkler (US) 266-2 (81.12); 3. Merlin Hummel (Ger) 259-2 (79.01); 4. Mykhaylo Kokhan (Ukr) 259-0 (78.95); 5. Trey Knight (US) 250-11 (76.48); 6. Rowan Hamilton (Can) 248-1 (75.63); 7. Daniel Haugh (US) 237-6 (72.39).
WOMEN’S EVENTS
400: 1. Dejanea Oakley (Jam) 49.64; 2. Aaliyah Butler (US) 49.97; 3. Stacey-Ann Williams (Jam) 50.12; 4. Alexis Holmes (US) 50.36; 5. Ella Onojuvwevwo (Ngr) 50.67; 6. Martina Weil (Chl) 50.75; 7. Sanaria Butler (US) 51.65; 8. Bailey Lear (US) 51.99.
1500: 1. Wilma Nielsen (Swe) 4:05.60; 2. Juliette Whittaker (US) 4:05.78 PR; 3. Lindsey Butler (US) 4:06.46; 4. Gaia Sabbatini (Ita) 4:06.55; 5. Marta Zenoni (Ita) 4:06.75; 6. Annika Reiss (US) 4:06.89 PR; 7. Salma Elbadra (Mor) 4:06.97; 8. Ellery Lincoln (US) 4:07.06 PR (6, x AJ; 4, 5 HS);… 11. Carlee Hansen (US) 4:08.09; 12. Sadie Engelhardt (US) 4:08.10; 13. Gracie Morris (US) 4:08.50; 14. Sadie Sargent (US) 4:09.58; 15. Christina Aragon (US) 4:11.38.
Field Events
PV: 1. Sandi Morris (US) 15-11 (4.85) (= out WL, AL) (14-9 [2], 15-1 [2], 15-5, 15-9 [x], 15-11, 16-¾ [xxx]) (4.50 [2], 4.60 [2], 4.70, 4.80 [x], 4.85, 4.90 [xxx]);
2. Katie Moon (US) 15-9 (4.80); 3. Gabriela Leon (US) 15-5 (4.70); 4. tie, Emily Grove (US) & Hana Moll (US) 15-5; 6. tie, Chloe Timberg (US) & Amanda Moll (US) 15-1 (4.60); 8. Brynn King (US) 15-1.
DT: 1. Valarie Sion (US) 225-2 (68.64) (223-0, 225-2, 216-9, 220-3, 206-4, 219-9) (67.98, 68.64, 66.06, 67.14, 62.90, 66.98); 2. Jorinde van Klinken (Neth) 223-9 (68.21); 3. Alida van Daalen (Neth) 213-4 (65.02); 4. Lagi Tausaga (US) 204-8 (62.39); 5. Erika Beistle (US) 201-2 (61.32); 6. Jayden Ulrich (US) 200-10 (61.21); 7. Gabi Jacobs (US) 193-5 (58.95).
