As Treniere Moser hit the home stretch of the 1,500 meters, with second place right on her heels, the voice of former American track record holder and Boston Marathon winner, Alberto Salazar, echoed in her head.
“Going the last 100,” Moser said, quoting her coach at the Nike Oregon Project, “nobody passes you.”
And in each of her races Friday at the Oregon Twilight, nobody did.
Moser, a five-time outdoor and one-time indoor U.S. champion in the 1,500, competed in both her specialty race and the 800 meters on Friday. In the 800, she ran 2:05.36, beating second place by almost three seconds. The 1,500 was not so easy.
Moser ran a 4:13.59, more than 10 seconds off the PR she set at Hayward in 2013, as she battled on the last stretch against high school senior and Oregon recruit Katie Rainsberger.
“She made a move and I’m like, ‘I need to react,’” Moser said. “No one is passing me today.”
In the final steps, Moser broke away for the win, and Rainsberger crossed the line less than a second later at 4:14.20.
“That was definitely really crazy,” Rainsberger said. “The battle back and forth just makes you stronger.”
Rainsberger’s second-place finish was the fifth fastest time ever run by a high schooler, and head coach Robert Johnson was ecstatic with the performance.
“For her to be signed, sealed and delivered,” Johnson said with a smile, “we can’t wait until she gets here.”
Rainsberger and Moser had different benefits from the Twilight.
For Rainsberger, the meet was just another stop on the map and another chance to run at her soon-to-be school. For Moser, the meet was part of the road to the Olympic Trials.
Moser began training with the Nike Oregon Project in 2013. Since the beginning of the year, training has ramped up, all in preparation for July 7 when she returns to Eugene for the trials.
Running the 800 Friday, in addition to the 1,500, was all part of that training.
“The Olympic Trials, for America, is like going to the World Finals,” Moser said. “You have to be 100 percent on your game.”
Before making the trip to the Trials in July, Moser will return to Hayward to compete in the 1,500 at the Prefontaine Classic.
“The goal is to come back here and PR again,” Moser said. “I love this place. It’s no better than to do it here.”
