Andrew Wheating (2020) - Hall of Fame - University of Oregon Athletics

Andrew Wheating

Induction:
2020
Class:
2010

With his signature kick off the Bowerman Curve, five-time NCAA Champion Andrew Wheating helped reignite the passion for collegiate running in TrackTown USA. He became just the fifth man to sweep both the NCAA 800 and 1,500 meter titles when he accomplished that remarkable feat at the 2010 NCAA Championships. It was the first 800/1,500 double by anyone since Oregon's Joaquim Cruz in 1984. The 2010 NCAA 1,500-meter final remains one of the most indelible moments in historic Hayward Field history. A slow pace kept the pack together until the final lap, which turned into an all-out sprint. Waiting until the last possible moment to unleash the final thunderous kick of his collegiate career, Wheating surged past the field down the homestretch and finished just ahead of teammates A.J. Acosta and Matthew Centrowitz to win in 3:47.94. Led by Wheating, Oregon became the first school ever to go 1-2-3 in the 1,500 meter finals. His 2010 800-meter title was easy by comparison as he broke away from the field on the bell lap to win by more than a second in a season-best 1:45.69. For his performance, Wheating was named a 2010 Bowerman Award finalist, finishing behind teammate Ashton Eaton for that honor. He was also the 2010 USTFCCCA Outdoor Track Athlete of the Year and the Pac-10 Track Athlete of the Year. One of the nation’s most exciting 800 meter runners at all levels, Wheating earned his first NCAA title at that distance in 2009. He also ran on Oregon’s two-time NCAA Indoor champion distance medley relay team. Wheating dominated the 800 meters at the conference meets with three consecutive wins. He ran a personal-best 3:37.52 1,500 meters at the 2010 NCAA West Regional. That time was the fourth-fastest in school history. While unrivaled in his accomplishments as a senior, it was during his sophomore season of 2008 that Wheating’s legend was born. Virtually unknown to the running community coming out of high school, the Norwich, Vt., native burst onto the scene by winning 11 consecutive races in 2008 before finishing second by .01 in the 800-meter final at the 2008 NCAA Championships. Wheating topped that by winning the silver medal in the 800 meters at the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials, clocking a personal-best 1:45.03 to rank second all-time at Oregon. His runner-up finish earned him a spot on the U.S. Olympic team that competed in the 2008 Beijing Games. He was the first Oregon undergraduate to compete in the Olympics since Matt Centrowitz in 1976. The eight-time all-American set school records in the mile, indoor 800 meters and distance medley relay. In his final race as an amateur, he broke a 26 year-old school record in the mile, running 3:51.74 at the 2010 Prefontaine Classic.