Brooks Beasts' Josh Kerr runs fastest 1500m on US soil in winning Stumptown Twilight...

PORTLAND--Shortly before the start of the fast section of the men's 1500, Brooks Beasts coach Danny Mackey talked briefly to publisher Paul Merca on the infield at Griswold Stadium on the campus of Lewis & Clark College about Josh Kerr (photo by Paul Merca), and said, "I'm nervous about this."

So after all that, Kerr proceeded to run the fastest 1500 meters ever run on American soil, as the Scottish native ran 3:31.55 to take the victory, and set a meet and stadium record to highlight Thursday night's Stumptown Twilight meet, which was set up as a last chance meet for those looking to hit the Olympic Games or the US Olympic Trials qualifying standards.

With pacesetter Craig Nowak doing the early work, Kerr went through 300 in 40.84, then clicked off laps of 57.50, 56.10, and 57.11 to win by four seconds over Rob Napolitano's 3:35.63.

Kerr's time is currently the second fastest time in the world so far this season, and will make the British Olympic Trials even more interesting, with three athletes under the Olympic Games standard of 3:35.00 this season alone.

One of the biggest breakthroughs came in the second section of the 1500, as Bellarmine Prep HS grad and current Oregon Duck Jack Yearian scored a US Olympic Trials qualifying mark, in finishing second to New Mexico's Abdirizak Ibrahim.

Yearian, who ran in last week's NCAA West Preliminary Round for the Ducks, but did not advance to next week's national championship meet at Hayward Field, led for most of the race before he was nipped close to the finish line by Ibrahim, who won the heat in 3:37.19.

In yet another race that came down to the wire, Nia Akins of the Brooks Beasts could not hold off the charge of Oklahoma State alum Sinclaire Johnson of the Nike Bowerman TC in the women's 800, as Johnson won in 2:00.16 to Akins' 2:00.31.

Pasco HS alum Marisa Howard led for most of the race, but was passed by Australian Amy Cashin on the final lap, as Cashin won the women's 3000 steeplechase in an Olympic Games standard time of 9:28.60, with Howard second in 9:37.79.

Washington State alum Caroline Austin got her Olympic Trials qualifier with a sixth place finish in the steeple in 9:46.06.

Complete results of the Stumptown Twilight are available here.

NOTE: The Portland Track Festival contributed to this report.

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