By: Maggie Vanoni
Colorado senior Nick Harris came off the finish line with an open mouth in utter surprise as he took home one of the team’s only five individual Pac-12 titles in the 800-meter race with a season best time of 1 minute, 48.77 seconds.
“It went out really fast and I tried to lay off the pace because I knew then it was going to be quick,” said Harris. “When I was in the position at the 150, I just laid it all out there and ran for the line with my life.”
Harris stayed in the front of the pack for the majority of the race, battling with Saturday’s preliminary winner, Washington State’s Matthew Swanson until Harris outkicked the group in the last 50 meters. Swanson finished fifth with a time of 1:50.10.
Harris placed third in the event last year. This year he came with the mentality of knowing that he could win the title.
“Last year I didn’t know what to expect,” said Harris. “But this year I felt like I could win, and that made it a lot scarier. It’s scary when you get out there with eight guys behind you, coming after you. You think you can win and you try to win, but it’s different when you’re actually out there doing it, and I was surprised when I crossed the line.”
Harris, a Colorado native, said winning the title for his home state was beyond exciting and something that he has been dreaming of for a while.
“It’s all about finding a balance and not being out too back,” said Harris. “I tried to get into position without making too many moves. I always tell the younger 800 guys, ‘You only get one move so when you make it, it better be the right one.’ So that’s why I threw myself into it at the last 150.”
This is Harris’s second year on the Colorado team, following three years of running for the University of Washington.
“It was a super easy transfer,” said Harris. “Coach Mark [Wetmore] was super welcoming and it felt like he wanted me to come. It’s nice to be back home again closer to my parents.”
UO took home the women’s title in the 800 meters for the third year in a row, with Raevyn Rogers winning her third Pac-12 title in a time of 2:02.93.
Rogers took the lead of the women’s race early in the first 200 meters, crediting the racing strategy back to her early days as a competitive runner.
“Running like that put me back in my old grounds,” said Rogers. “I ran in the front in high school. Before I came to college I was only a front runner. I mean, I like running in a pack, but it’s a lot to take on when you run in the front without any communication.”
