Ajee’ Wilson continued her 800-meter dominance on the indoor boards, and Boris Berian, a fast-food worker only two years ago, broke through for his first national title on Saturday at the USA Track & Field Indoor Championships in Portland, Oregon.
In the women’s 800, the 21-year-old Wilson went straight to the lead and never looked back, pulling away from Phoebe Wright and Laura Roesler late in the race to win her third U.S. title in four years in 2:00.87. Roesler was second in 2:02.44.
“The plan was to get out hard, and if someone was going to fight for the lead, just tuck in behind,” Wilson said. “I found myself in the lead, so I took it from there.”
Wilson, who won her first U.S. indoor title in 2013 as an 18-year-old, will be competing at the IAAF World Indoor Championships next weekend in Portland for the second time in her young career. At the 2014 event in Sopot, Poland, she failed to advance to the final after finishing third in her preliminary heat. Wilson’s goal this week: “Hopefully medal,” she said. “Make it to the final first, and then medal.”
In the race for second behind Wilson, Roesler surged past Wright on the final straightaway to continue her rebound from an injury-riddled 2015 season. Roesler, a 13-time All American while at the University of Oregon, is hoping to regain top form in time for the U.S. Olympic Trials in July, in Eugene, Oregon.
“It’s nice to know I’m coming through healthy and back feeling like I belong,” she said. “I’m mixing it up with the top people, and that’s what I need to do come mid-summer.”
In the men’s 800-meter race, Boris Berian took the lead after 150 meters and looked fully in command en route to a 1:47.19 victory.
Berian’s victory is only the latest chapter in a remarkable underdog story for the unsponsored half-miler. Only two years ago, Berian was serving french fries at a McDonald’s in Colorado Springs, Colorado, but after moving to California to join the Big Bear Track Club, he established himself last year as one of the country’s elite middle-distance runners.
“The hard work has paid off,” Berian said after winning his first U.S. title. “I definitely couldn’t be more excited right now.”
Erik Sowinski, who finished second in 1:47.62, received a special invitation to compete alongside Berian at next week’s world championships. Sowinski did not meet the competition’s 1:46.50 qualification standard during the qualifying window that ended March 7, but because fewer than 18 international athletes have hit that standard, the IAAF decided to fill the field with other runners.
“I don’t know how that process works,” Sowinski said, “but hopefully I made a case out there today.”
Indeed he did. Shortly after Sowinski’s second-place finish, he confirmed on Twitter that he is “excited to be invited to represent the U.S. again” at the world championships, which begin on Thursday.
