Windle takes a bite of Big Apple and wins 800m at TrackTown Summer Series finale in New York...
NEW YORK—One of the biggest revelations of the 2017 track and field season in the United States has been the performance of Brooks Beasts team member Drew Windle (above in green/photo courtesy TrackTown USA).
In a span of six-plus weeks, Windle, a product of Division II Ashland University in Ohio, has lowered his personal best from 1:45.65 from 2016 to 1:45.02 in the pro section of the Georgia HS Meet of Champions in May to 1:44.95 at the US nationals, and now down to 1:44.63 in winning the 800 meters in the finals of the TrackTown USA Summer Series contested Thursday night at Icahn Stadium.
Windle, competing for general manager and WSU alum Bernard Lagat’s Portland Pulse team, found himself in eighth as the pace setter took the field through the first 400 meters in 49.47m, with training partner Cas Loxsom of the New York Empire up near the front and fellow Beast teammate Shaq Walker of the San Francisco Surge running just a step in front of Windle, as the pair went through the first 400 in just under 51 seconds.
Erik Sowinski took command through the second half of the race, but as he did at the USATF championships in Sacramento, Windle ran the fastest second 400 in 53.64 as he roared from behind to take the win in 1:44.63, 3/100ths of a second ahead of Sowinski.
Walker was sixth in 1:46.04, while Loxsom was eighth in 1:47.34.
Former Renton resident and Olympic finalist Devon Allen of the Philadelphia Force won the men’s 110 hurdles in a time of 13.36.
In a reversal of last week’s race in Palo Alto, Philadelphia’s Amanda Eccleston got a bit of revenge over Brooks Beast member Hannah Fields of San Francisco, as Eccleston won the women’s 1500 in 4:05.51 to Fields’ 4:05.76.
Camas resident Alexa Efraimson, who was third in Palo Alto last week, was also third behind San Francisco teammate Fields, as she ran 4:06.25.
Pasco native Marisa Howard, competing for the San Francisco Surge, broke 9 minutes for the first time in finishing third in the women’s 3000, as she ran 8:57.15. Stephanie Garcia of New York won the race in 8:52.74.
Seattle Pacific alum McKayla Fricker was seventh in the women’s 800 meters, running 2:04.33 for the San Francisco Surge, as Sanne Verstagen of New York won in 2:00.22.
In the final race of the evening, Tacoma’s Marcus Chambers ran the opening leg of New York’s co-ed 4 x 400 relay team that got second behind Portland in a near photo finish, as the Pulse won in 3:13.88 to the Empire’s 3:13.94.
However, the Empire’s second place finish was good enough to clinch the team title for New York as they scored 200.5 to Portland’s 196.5. Philadelphia was third with 189 points, while defending team champion San Francisco was fourth with 180 points.
WINGER FINISHES EIGHTH IN LAUSANNE DIAMOND LEAGUE JAVELIN
Vancouver native and seven-time national champion Kara Winger finished eighth in the javelin at the IAAF Diamond League stop in Lausanne, Switzerland Thursday night.
Winger threw a best of 194-2 (59.19m) on her first attempt of the day, but could not improve on any of her other five throws, fouling four consecutive times before throwing 191-3 (58.29m) in round 6.
Reigning Olympic champion Sara Kolak of Croatia won with the best throw in the world this season, throwing a national record 224-6 (68.43m).
NOTE: TrackTown USA and the IAAF Diamond League contributed to this report.
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