Walker's Pace: Centrowitz Wins Semi Heat; On to Final

Thursday, September 1, 2011

Current Ducks Matthew Centrowitz and Mike Berry were two of the highlights from an extremely successful Thursday for Team USA at the IAAF World Track & Field Championships in Daegu, South Korea.

Centrowitz, a junior from Arnold, Md., won his semifinal heat of the men's 1,500 meters in 3:46.66 to advance to Saturday's final. Berry, a freshman from Seattle, Wash., led Team USA in the semifinals of the men's 4x400 meter relay with a blazing 43.83 third leg to help the Americans run a world-leading 2:58.82. The team of Greg Nixon, Jamaal Torrance, Berry and LaShawn Merritt advanced to Friday's final.

The Americans captured three gold medals on Thursday, including Jesse Williams of the Oregon Track Club Elite in the men's high jump. He claimed his first world title with a clearance at 7-8.5/2.35m. The U.S. also won the women's 1,500 meters (Jenny Simpson/4:05.40) and the women's 400 meter hurdles (LaShinda Demus/52.47, an American record).

Also on Thursday, former Duck Galen Rupp advanced to the finals of the men's 5,000 meters by finishing fifth in his semifinal in 13:34.91.

Click here for a photo album of Thursday's action, courtesy of Phil Johnson.

Here are the recaps of the men's 1,500 meters and 4x400 meter relay, plus quotes from Centrowitz and Berry, courtesy of the USATF:

Men's 1500m Semifinals
Matthew Centrowitz (Arnold, Md.) led the first 600m of his 1500m semifinal heat, but then faded to the back of the pack. However, if anyone thought he had simply gone out too hard, they were wrong. At 1,000m, Centrowitz began a drive back toward the front of the pack. With 400m to go, he slipped through a small gap and passed on the inside; taking a lead he would not relinquish and winning his heat in a time of 3:46.66.

In the second heat, Leo Manzano (Austin, Texas) started conservatively in the back of the pack and began to move up during the last lap. With 40 meters to go Manzano was suddenly forced to let up his pace due to a left hamstring issue. He faded in the end to cross the finish line in  3:47.98 and miss advancing to the final.

Matthew Centrowitz (Arnold, Md.), Men's 1500m Semifinals
"Being in the front I really didn't feel much. The only time it got real physical was with 500m to go and I came on the inside and had to give a little nudge, but other than that it wasn't crazy for me.

"Whatever happens in finals is going to be a great experience for the future. Winning the semi wasn't really in my plans, it was more like focusing trying to get top three and qualify.

"Once I found myself in the lead I figured I may as well finish it up and it felt great."  

Men's 4x400m Relay
Led by Mike Berry's (Eugene, Ore.) sterling 43.83 split on the third leg, Team USA posted a world leading time of 2:58.82 to lead qualifying into Sunday night's final. Running out of lane six, Team USA exchanged the baton first when Greg Nixon (Long Beach, Calif.) handed off to Jamaal Torrance (Raleigh, N.C.). South Africa broke to the stagger first before Torrance gave Team USA a lead with 220 meters left that it maintained throughout the race. LaShawn Merritt (Suffolk, Va.), coming off a silver medal in the 400m on Wednesday, ran the anchor leg for Team USA to win the heat.

Mike Berry, third leg with 43.83 split
"I wanted to come out hard for the first 60 meters, relax through the backstretch, then go hard the last 175."

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Greg Walker

Associate Director, Media Relations

University of Oregon

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