It wasn’t the memorable 1-2-3 finish at the 2010 NCAA Championships, but former Oregon athletes Matthew Centrowitz and Andrew Wheating crossed the line 1-2 for a thrilling finish in the men’s 800 meters at the Oregon Twilight Meet at Hayward Field on Friday.
Centrowitz, of the Nike Oregon Project, kicked past Joe Abbott, running unattached, with 400 meters to go, and held off Wheating of Nike Oregon Track Club Elite down the final stretch to win the race in 1 minute, 48.46 seconds.
“Every race, no matter what, goal is always to win no matter the time,” Centrowitz said. “I definitely would’ve taken a 1:48 first place rather than a 1:46 and a second.”
On the other hand, Wheating said it wasn’t the end of the world if he didn’t win because running at Hayward is “home.”
“That crowd, win or lose, is really winning no matter what for me,” said Wheating. “Obviously you want to win, but Matt is in great shape and really sharp. He’s run two races, so he’s definitely got the speed figured out.”
With Joe Abbott, a 1:45 guy, and Wheating, a 1:44 guy, in the field, Centrowitz was happy with the victory. Wheating finished second, just .24 behind Centrowitz, and Abbott finished third in 1:49.68.
Centrowitz, a 2013 world championship silver medalist at 1,500 meters, will be running another 800 next week in Occidental and another in the Adidas Grand Prix, a Diamond League event in New York. He said these races are for improving his speed.
“The idea behind it that is so the pace can feel a little bit easier,” said Centrowitz. “A lot of these top guys in the world have 1:44 or faster. Looking at my PRs, I’m farther away in the 800 than I am in the open distance stuff. I’m really trying to work on that bottom-end speed.”
Wheating was disappointed after missing the Oregon Relays with a blister, but finishing this season’s rust-buster is a relief. It’s been a long time coming since Wheating last raced at Hayward Field in the 2013 Prefontaine Classic. He said he is excited to compete in more races at “home,” which include the Pre Classic and the U.S. nationals.
“I’m more excited for the fact that I got to the finish,” Wheating said. “And my legs feel ecstatic.”
