That the United States is making strides globally in the middle distance events has never been more evident than the past week. On Thursday, Jenny Barringer Simpson became the first American woman since Mary Decker in 1983 to win gold in the 1,500 meters at the world championships.
And using her performance as inspiration, Broadneck High graduate Matt Centrowitz stunningly earned a bronze in the same event two days later.
While Simpson’s performance clearly was a breakthrough, Centrowitz’s was more of a stunner. Even when he hit the “A” qualifying mark for worlds in Paris earlier this summer, he was toward the back of a loaded field. Just stepping on the track in Daegu, South Korea, seemed like a reward for the NCAA champ from Oregon. Instead, he became the first American-born man to earn a medal in the event since 1987. (Kenyan-born Bernard Lagat won in 2007.)
At 21, Centrowitz was the youngest runner in the field. It’s worth noting that another former Ducks runner was the same age when he made his first real impact on an international level. His name was Steve Prefontaine.
– Scott Silverstein
