Karissa Schweizer Nearly Goes Under Four Minutes In 1,500; Raevyn Rogers Wins 800; Weini Kelati Regroups For 5,000-Meter Win; Yared Nuguse Gains World Standard In 1,500; Brandon McBride (800) and Patrick Tiernan (5,000) Win

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

There is so much happening in the prime window of the Portland Track Festival, it can make your head spin. 

Pros with world standards and pros without. College runners who were at the NCAA Division 1 Championships the day prior and those that need one more competitive fix to mend a broken season. High school kids hanging on past the state meet and club runners eager to race their most important meet of the year.

When Sadie Engelhardt came to the meet in 2019, as a sixth grader, she broke five minutes in the mile (4:57.45). 

On Saturday, as a ninth grader, the California state meet champion ran 4:11.79 for the sixth-fastest 1,500 in prep history. It also broke Jordan Hasay's all-time California best (4:14.50 from the 2008 Olympic Trials).

INTERVIEWS | RESULTS | PHOTOS by Zeth Peterka

"When I was a sixth-grader running in the high school meet, I thought that was crazy," Engelhardt said. "This is a whole 'nother level and I'm so happy to be here."

Another prep phenom, Kate Peters from Lake Oswego, ran a personal best  4:17.80. 

Way up at the front of the event, Bowerman Track Club star Karissa Schweizer showed her range and versatility by running away from a loaded field to win in 4:00.75 just two weeks after winning the USATF 10,000-meter title. 

"I thought I had (a sub-four time). Just like the last time I ran four-flat I thought I could get it, so I'm definitely eyeing that barrier," Schweizer said. 

She will compete for a second berth on the U.S. team in the 5,000 meters in two weeks at the USATF Outdoor Championships, but breaking through the four-minute barrier is also a goal this season. 

Weini Kelati shrugged off the disappointment of a fifth-place finish in the 10,000-meter championship and sped to a winning time of 14:57.07, which secured for her the World Athletics standard. If she can make the top three at the coming national championships, she will earn a spot on her first U.S. team. 

Eight years ago, the first time she came to Eugene, she competed at the World Junior Championhips for her home country of Eritrea. 

Raevyn Rogers ran a confidence-boosting time of 1:58.90 to win the 800 meters, also collecting a World standard. 

Sabrina Southerland of the Oregon Track Club Elite ran 1:59.69 for second and Canada's Madeleine Kelly was third in 1:59.71. 

Patrick Tiernan of Puma Elite Running broke the meet record in the 5,000 meters by running 13:19.14. 

In the 1,500 meters, Yared Nuguse nailed down a World Championships qualifying time, just barely, with  3:34.98. Nuguse made the U.S. team last summer at the Trials but was unable to compete at the Olympics due to an injury. 

Saturday's result showed that he's on the right track. 

"It's been so long since I raced and I wanted to come back, get out there, have fun, do what I can do, and get ready for USAs," Nuguse said. 

In the 800, another former NCAA champion, Brandon McBride, ran 1:45.22 for the win. It was his third race in the past month as he prepares for the Canadian national championships. 

Caleb Lakeman of Tualatin ran a personal best time of 3:47.67 in the 1,500 meters before leaving the track to attend his high school graduation at the Moda Center. Lakeman will be one of a handful of Oregon boys that will compete at the Brooks PR Invitational on Wednesday. 

Benjamin Balazs from Sunset OR, forced to miss the state championships due to COVID, won the boys elite mile in 4:08.82, edging Central Catholic's Wes Shipsey. Balazs also won the 2,000-meter steeplechase on Friday in a meet record 5:52.06. 

In Friday night's action, Wesley Kiptoo won the men's 10,000 meters in 28:19.87. In the crowd behind him, high school junior Tyrone Gorze of Crater OR ran the sixth-fastest time by a prep, 29:29.92. 

Daiano Ocampo won the women's 10,000 in 32:52.19 during a rainstorm.