A phenomenal 2008 season saw Andrew Wheating place 2nd in both the NCAAs and Olympic Trials making him a household name to US track and field fans. The following year was full of ups and downs that saw Wheating claim a couple of national titles, but also battle through some injuries and illness. Any lingering doubts about his health or fitness were answered with a 1:46.36 800m in Seattle on Saturday.
“I can’t complain” Wheating told RunnerSpace.com. ” I was more nervous about this being my first race than anything else. I didn’t care about the time.” Though he didn’t care about the time, he broke his previous Dempsey Fieldhouse record of 1:47.03 from last year. This also ranks as the fastest 800m in the NCAA so far this year.
He said with a smile on his face, “I am just happy to come out to race. I dedicated this race to my friend, Kevin Pierce.” Kevin Pierce is a professional snowboarder from Wheating’s hometown that was severely injured in training for the Winter Olympic Games.
Previous NCAA leader Ryan Foster was in Seattle, but the showdown never happened with Coach Vin Lanana electing to run Wheating in a different heat. Penn State’s Foster had competition in the last 100 meters from a different Duck, Elijah Greer. Out front from the gun, Duane Solomon led them through the first 600 meters with Foster taking the lead in the last 50 meters. Greer kicked strong to the finish but didn’t have enough real estate to catch Foster.
The Wheating’s Race:
Post-race interview with Andrew Wheating:
Foster and Greer’s Heat:
 |
|
