Brooks Beasts' Josh Kerr pushes Nijel Amos in windy Big Friendly 4 800m Saturday night...

In perhaps the most low-key of the four Big Friendly meets staged by Portland Track, Great Britain's Josh Kerr (left/photo by Paul Merca) of the Seattle based Brooks Beasts dropped down in distance, losing out to Botswana's Nijel Amos of the Nike Oregon TC Elite over 800 meters at the Big Friendly 4 meet at Newberg High School Saturday night.

Amos, the 2012 Olympic silver medalist at this distance, went to the front coming off the break, going through 400 meters in 55.46, with Kerr, a former NCAA 1500m champ while at the University of New Mexico, tucked in behind him.

In the last 150, Kerr, who ran a world leading time in the 1500m of 3:34.53 on this track eight days earlier, tried to challenge Amos, but despite closing well down the stretch, ran out of real estate as Amos won in a modest 1:49.23 to Kerr's 1:49.29.

University of Washington volunteer coach Sam Prakel was third in 1:50:07, while Drew Windle of the Brooks Beasts was eighth in 1:52.31.

The men's 1500 saw Henry Wynne of the Brooks Beasts finish second to Eric Avila in 3:46.56 to Avila's winning time of 3:43.71. The University of Washington's Dustin Nading was third in 3:48.29, while 2016 US Olympian and former Emerald Ridge HS standout Hassan Mead was fifth in 3:48.88.

Washington alum Eleanor Fulton won the women's 1500 in 4:15.41, with Husky volunteer coach Alli Cash second in 4:17.00. Current Husky Allie Schadler was fourth in 4:17.32, while Husky hall of fame member Mel Lawrence was fifth in 4:25.48.

Windy conditions in the backstretch were a hindrance to many of the athletes in the field.

A replay of Big Friendly 4 is available below.



Complete results of Big Friendly 4 are available here.

NOTE: Portland Track contributed to this report.

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