Sant Price, Hurts-Klecker, Edawards race to podium finishes
Overall, my experience in Albuquerque at the USA Indoor Championships was incredibly fulfilling, but like any championship meet, I felt a variety of emotions leading up to and throughout the weekend. After a relatively disappointing race at Millrose the weekend before, I flew back from NYC to Seattle feeling physically and mentally exhausted. I had a few days of very light training while I recharged and tried to take a mental break from running. As the weekend approached, the urge to compete slowly returned. One reason for this was that I was looking forward to racing in championship style races. So many races as a pro are time trials with pacers, so going to a meet where the main focus is your place and not time felt exciting. Also, I was excited to double in the 3000m and 1500m. I don’t get to double at meets as a pro, so it seemed like a unique opportunity. I loved running multiple events in high school and college, so I just channeled that same mindset at USAs. Finally, I flew to Albuquerque feeling confident in my abilities despite struggling at Millrose. I knew I had put in some great training, and was eager to have another shot at displaying the fitness I had worked on building. First up on Friday afternoon was the 3000m. The race turned into a tactical affair as our first two 1k splits were 2:54 and 2:51. The race started to wind up, and I made sure to hold a good position near the front ready to cover any moves. At 300m to go I took the lead and held it until starting my kick at the bell lap. I powered toward the finish and broke the tape at the line. I was elated. I enjoyed the win for the next hour or so as I cooled down and went through drug testing but quickly shifted my focus to getting recovered for the 1500m the next day. I woke up Saturday morning feeling good and went about my typical race day routine. I felt at ease as I walked to the track and warmed up for the 1500m. It was a cool experience being introduced as the US 3000m champ before the race, but I began to feel the pressure to perform. The 1500m played out differently than the 3000m with the pace being a little quicker from the start. I started in the back and stayed patient before moving up with about 600m to go. I covered all the moves and was in a good position with a lap to go, but I just couldn’t find the kick that I needed to catch Thompson. I crossed the line in 2nd and was happy with a solid finish. After going through the mixed zone, I was informed that Thompson had been DQ’d and the results showed my name in 1st place. I didn’t know how to react to this and took some time to process what had happened. I felt like Thompson had outraced me on the day, so it felt weird being named the US champ in the 1500m. I decided to focus on the positives and celebrated my 3000m win from Friday while talking to my coach, parents, and fiance about the whole experience. I am very fortunate to have a great support system and am grateful to the communities in Washington and Ohio for cheering me on. I am excited to carry this momentum into the outdoor season with the goal of qualifying for the World Championships in Budapest.
I showed up in Albuquerque as a collegiate three years ago hoping to win a NCAA national title and the whole meet was cancelled because of COVID. So it was surreal to be back in Albuquerque as a pro three years later qualified to compete in a US national championship. And to win it—absolutely crazy! This win is the culmination of years of hard work and yet it still somehow feels like the beginning which is such a blessing. It's also just another page in what has been a story year so far for the Brooks Beasts. So I’m really looking forward to more racing in the outdoor season!