HAVING RUN the fastest-ever 1500 on the all-time U.S. list and also recorded a pair of top-3 Diamond League finishes in May and June, Yared Nuguse raced buoyantly confident throughout.
The 24-year-old Notre Dame alum led the heats with a speedy 3:35.37. Notable casualties included defending champion Cooper Teare, Craig Engels, Vincent Ciattei and prep distance wunderkind Simeon Birnbaum.
In the final a steady paced opening 400 saw Nuguse lead Hobbs Kessler, Cole Hocker, Henry Wynne and Sam Prakel through in 58.72. A slightly slower 60.24 second go-round still had Nuguse leading the bunched field through 800 in a sedate 1:58.96.
With a field loaded with fast finishers, the race was being scripted for a blistering end.
As Nuguse stayed at the helm, the pace increased incrementally with each 100. They passed 1000 in 2:27.63 and approaching the bell Nuguse led Kessler, ’22 NCAA champ Joe Waskom, Hocker, Holt and Wynne through 1100 in 2:41.65.
A 56.49 brought Nuguse and company through 1200 in 2:55.45 as everyone started to rev their engines. Waskom had passed Kessler and now had his sights set on the leader. With 250 out he made his decisive move, rushing by Nuguse with a furlong to go.
Kessler could not keep the speed and he started to fall back as Hocker edged closer to Nuguse and Waskom as they entered the homestraight.
It appeared to be anybody’s game as they streaked 3-wide down the stretch, Hocker on the right, Nuguse center and Waskom to the left.
With Waskom and Hocker straining to get to the finish, Nuguse found another gear and passed Waskom 50m out and pulled away for a 3:34.90 victory over Waskom (3:35.32) and Hocker (3:35.46). Prakel came 4th in 3:35.83, followed by Wynne (3:35.99) and Kessler (3:36.08).
Nuguse’s final 400 (53.26) bettered both Waskom (53.43) and Hocker (53.30), but the final 100 told the tale, as his 12.65 bested Waskom (13.12) by 0.47.
Nuguse admitted he felt the heat from Waskom, but he wasn’t worried, as he said, “When Joe passed me I wasn’t like, ‘Omigod, I’m not going to win!’ It was like, ‘Oh, good. I have something to fight for right in front of me.’”
Waskom, also the NCAA runner-up, described his tactics when he told NBC’s Lewis Johnson, “With 250 to go, that’s usually the spot I like to go from and I was like, ‘Don’t look back.’”
Hocker summed up his performance saying, “I really wanted to win today, but I can put it in perspective and just know where I’m at. I can be content right now because I know where I’m going with it.”
MEN’S 1500 RESULTS
FINAL (July 08)
1. Yared Nuguse (OAC) 3:34.90 (12.65, 25.69, 53.32, 1:50.69, 2:51.09)
(58.72, 60.24 [1:58.96], 56.49 [2:55.45], 39.46);
2. Joe Waskom (Wa) 3:35.32 PR (13.12, 26.33, 53.60, 1:50.20, 2:50.91);
3. Cole Hocker (Nike) 3:35.46 (13.20, 26.14, 53.55, 1:50.84, 2:51.49);
4. Sam Prakel (adidas) 3:35.83 (13.04, 26.23, 53.52, 1:50.84, 2:51.67);
5. Henry Wynne (BrkB) 3:35.99 (13.41, 26.52, 53.85, 1:51.16, 2:51.91);
6. Hobbs Kessler (adidas) 3:36.08 (13.47, 26.70, 54.26, 1:51.64, 2:52.13);
7. Nathan Green (Wa) 3:36.29 PR (13.51, 26.47, 53.77, 1:50.89, 2:51.46);
8. Drew Hunter (adidas) 3:36.51 (13.37, 26.67, 54.06, 1:51.32, 2:52.22);
9. John Gregorek (Asics) 3:36.56; 10. Matthew Centrowitz (Nike) 3:37.23; 11. Josh Thompson (NikBowTC) 3:37.34; 12. Eric Holt (EmpE) 3:37.63.
HEATS (July 06)
I–1. Nuguse 3:35.37; 2. Waskom 3:36.31; 3. Gregorek 3:36.95; 4. Thompson 3:37.01; 5. Green 3:37.03 PR; 6. Centrowitz 3:37.36; 7. Brett Meyer (unat) 3:37.86; 8. Elliott Cook (Or) 3:39.09; 9. Daniel Schaffer (ZapE) 3:41.62; 10. Kasey Knevelbaard (UArm) 3:43.85; 11. Sean Peterson (NBal) 3:50.28.
II–1. Prakel 3:42.78; 2. Kessler 3:42.95; 3. Holt 3:42.99; 4. Craig Engels (Nik) 3:43.14; 5. Rheinhardt Harrison (Or) 3:43.75; 6. Simeon Birnbaum (unat) 3:44.14; 7. Evan Dorenkamp (PennSt) 3:44.31; 8. Casey Comber (UArm) 3:44.36; 9. Benjamin Allen (EmpE) 3:44.60; 10. Christian Noble (NBalB) 3:45.99; 11. Davis Bove (LSU) 3:47.90; 12. Isaac Basten (Drake) 3:50.31.
III–1. Hocker 3:39.23; 2. Hunter 3:39.34; 3. Wynne 3:39.34; 4. Cooper Teare (Nike) 3:39.38; 5. Nick Foster (Mi) 3:40.85; 6. Vincent Ciattei (UArmDS) 3:40.89; 7. Matt Wisner (OTC) 3:42.49; 8. Sam Ellis (unat) 3:42.87; 9. Austen Dalquist (TS) 3:44.08; 10. Matt Strangio (Port) 3:48.64; 11. AJ Ernst (unat) 3:48.69; 12. Jack Yearian (OTC) 3:51.99.
