University of Oregon
Cardinal Invitational
Centrowitz Nearly Breaks 1,500 Record in Winning at Stanford
05/03/09 | Track and Field
STANFORD, Calif. -- Matthew Centrowitz came within half a second of breaking one of the most hallowed records in Oregon track and field history, the men's 1,500 meters, Saturday at the Payton Jordan Cardinal Invitational at Cobb Track and Angell Field.
Centrowitz ran 3:36.92 to win the 1,500 over Peter van der Westhuizen of Team Nebraska, who came in at 3:37.22. Lee Emanuel of Nebraska was third in 3:37.25, Chris Lukezic of Reebok was fourth in 3:37.32 and Garrett Heath of Stanford was fifth in 3:37.57.
Centrowitz's time is the top mark in the NCAA this season, and more impressively was less than a half second off Olympic gold medalist Joaquim Cruz's 1984 school record of 3:36.48. The redshirt freshman's time ranks third all-time at Oregon, behind only Cruz and Centrowitz's father, Matt Centrowitz, who clocked 3:36.7 in 1976. It was also the sixth-fastest time in NCAA history.
In other action Saturday, Chris Winter, running in the top section of the 3,000 meter steeplechase, finished 13th in a personal-best 8:42.03 in a race that was won by Oregon Track Club Elite's Ben Bruce in 8:26.08. Winter was the third collegian to finish, trailing only Jake Morse of Texas, who was fifth in 8:34.57, and Kyle Perry of Brigham Young, who was 10th in 8:40.20.
Winter had a :04 personal best as the senior from North Vancouver, B.C., continued to lead the Pac-10 in the event. His time from Saturday also moved him up to fifth nationally in 2009.
Other local finishers in the steeplechase included OTC Elite runners Billy Nelson, who was eighth in 8:37.53, and Tom Brooks, who was 12th in 8:41.97.
Zoe Buckman ran a season-best 2:05.21 in the top section of the women's 800 meters. She finished fifth overall and was the second collegian in a race won by Katie Waits of Reebok in 2:01.78. Buckman's time is the best in the Pac-10 this season, and the junior from Canberra, Australia, also clocked the 12th best 800 time nationally in 2009.
Galen Rupp finished fifth as the only collegian in the top section of the men's 800 meters. The senior from Portland, Ore., ran 1:50.00 to give the Ducks their 69th NCAA qualifying mark of the 2009 season. Duane Solomon of Charisma Sports won the 800 in 1:47.36.
Alexandra Kosinski took fourth in the women's 1,500 meters in 4:18.64.
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