Sports

Published: Friday, Jun. 26, 2009

U.S. Track & Field Championships: Hasay 20th in 1,500 first round

She fails to make the final at race in Oregon

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This was all about experience.

Competing in her second senior national meet in less than a year, Jordan Hasay was up against a handful of professional and college runners at the U.S. Track and Field Championships. But that type of experience comes with a price.

Though leading up to Thursday’s prelims of the women’s 1,500 meters in Eugene, Ore. Hasay said she had few expectations, she didn’t have the type of finish she would have liked or is accustomed to. The recent Mission Prep graduate placed 20th in the field of 23.

Hasay finished in 4 minutes, 19.61 seconds and needed to have knocked off three seconds to qualify for one of the 12 spots in Saturday’s final. She was 10th in her heat behind soon-to-be University of Oregon teammate Alex Kosinsky (4:18.87).

“It was all good racing experience for me,” Hasay said in a phone interview. “I have a lot of years ahead of me. I look forward going off to (the University of Oregon) and hopefully running well there.”

Christin Wurth won the first heat in 4:11.84 with Shannon Rowbury wining Hasay’s heat in 4:15.19.

A surprising occurrence took place in Hasay’s heat.

The time qualification was set during the first heat at 4:18.39, but it didn’t appear that was much of a concern. A slow pace ensued keeping everybody grouped near the front.

“It was hard and that was the bummer since we went so slow,” Hasay said. “We were all bunched up. “I was disappointed because I thought we would go fast since we knew what we had to run if we wanted the automatic time qualification. We had to beat the first heat. Nobody wanted to go so it ended up being down to a kick.”

Hasay, electing to try and get up near the front but not take the lead, was in the thick of the mob. There was a problem though, as she couldn’t get inside and was forced to run in Lane 2.

“I’m one of the younger and less experienced runners,” Hasay said. “Last year in Olympic Trials I took the lead and didn’t know what I was thinking. It’s hard for me because it’s intimidating.

“I don’t want to be seen as the 17- year-old who is just taking lead. I don’t feel comfortable doing that at this point but trying to press it up front.”

She endured the slow pace and kept her position for most of the time. Hasay began to fade to the back midway through but she picked up her kick before starting the final lap.

But she wasn’t the only one with intentions of speeding things up. With less than a lap to go, the leaders bolted ahead and left Hasay behind. Rowbury won the heat followed by Erin Donohue (4:15.63).

In Hasay’s own words, the race was a three-lap jog and a 300-meter sprint.

Hasay, the only high school runner in the senior race, might not have concluded her weekend just yet. She is likely to decide tonight if she will run in Saturday’s junior 1,500-meter prelims.

She said that after Thursday’s race she’s not too tired and feels up to running again.