Davis clocks fastest 1500-meter time by American this year – news-gazette.com
-
- 71
LOS ANGELES — On Friday night, track and field’s World Championships opened in Eugene, Ore.
Around the same time, Jon Davis demonstrated he is one of the fastest milers in the world.
The former Illini standout runner and Oakwood native won the 1,500 meters in three minutes, 33.81 seconds, the fastest time by an American this year, in a meet in Los Angeles. Davis ranks 10th in the world this year, including indoor times. His 1,500 time on Friday is equivalent to a 3:50.92 mile.
Davis unexpectedly finished second in last month’s USA Championships, also at Hayward Field in Eugene, and the top three customarily make Team USA.
However, he lacked the necessary time (3:35) and world ranking (90th) to qualify for the first World Championships ever held in the U.S.
Silver lining for Davis is he should have the standard for the 2023 World Championships at Budapest, Hungary, if he makes the U.S. team.
Davis, 24, recently thought his running career was over, accepting a job as an auditor. However, now he has positioned himself to continue as a pro if he can secure a shoe contract.
“Open to anything,” he said last month. “We’re going to explore options and just go through the process.”
Friday night’s race was part of the Sound Running Sunset Tour, a series organized by Under Armour at Occidental College.
A pacesetter, Quamel Price, towed the field through the first 700 meters in 1:39.87. Davis was next in 1:40.10.
However, Davis was on his own soon thereafter, never relinquishing the lead. He ran his final 800 meters in 1:53.81 and last 400 in 56.06.
Davis defeated a distinguished field. Charlie Hunter, an Australian who won an NCAA indoor 800 for Oregon, was second in 3:34.32. Kenya’s Festus Lagat was third in 3:34.65, Drew Hunter fourth in 3:34.76 and Sam Prakel fifth in 3:34.92.
Davis climbed to 12th on the all-time collegiate list that includes meets after the NCAA Championships. No. 6 on that list, at 3:33.05, is Marko Koers of Illinois. Koers, who was seventh at the 1996 Olympics, ran in three Olympics for the Netherlands and won three NCAA titles.
Oregon and Illinois are the only two schools with two runners in the all-time top 12. Davis ranks No. 6 among U.S.-born runners.
Davis won one Big Ten title — the outdoor 1,500 meters at Champaign last year — and was sixth in last month’s NCAA Outdoor Championships.
He prefaced his 3:33.81 with a succession of fast times in prelims: Big Ten indoor mile (3:58.72, second); NCAA indoor mile (3:57.04, first); Big Ten 1,500 (3:44.22, first); NCAA 1,500 (3:37.39, first); USA 1,500 (3:39.02, fifth).
Now, after a fast final, he has captured the attention of the world.
LOS ANGELES — On Friday night, track and field’s World Championships opened in Eugene, Ore.
Around the same time, Jon Davis demonstrated he is one of the fastest milers in the world.
The former Illini standout runner and Oakwood native won the 1,500 meters in three minutes, 33.81 seconds, the fastest time by an American this year, in a meet in Los Angeles. Davis ranks 10th in the world this year, including indoor times. His 1,500 time on Friday is equivalent to a 3:50.92 mile.
Davis unexpectedly finished second in last month’s USA Champ…….
LOS ANGELES — On Friday night, track and field’s World Championships opened in Eugene, Ore.
Around the same time, Jon Davis demonstrated he is one of the fastest milers in the world.
The former Illini standout runner and Oakwood native won the 1,500 meters in three minutes, 33.81 seconds, the fastest time by an American this year, in a meet in Los Angeles. Davis ranks 10th in the world this year, including indoor times. His 1,500 time on Friday is equivalent to a 3:50.92 mile.
Davis unexpectedly finished second in last month’s USA Champ…….