Josh Kerr of the Brooks Beasts makes statement in winning Bowerman Mile at Nike Pre Classic...
EUGENE--While it's still early in the professional season, Josh Kerr (Matthew Quine photo/Wanda Diamond League) of the Seattle based Brooks Beasts may have made a statement about his fitness as the reigning world champion at 1500 meters set a new British national record in winning the Bowerman Mile at the Nike Prefontaine Classic Saturday afternoon at Hayward Field on the University of Oregon campus.
The Prefontaine Classic was the fifth stop on the Wanda Diamond League tour and the only stop in North America.
In the afternoon's final race on a cool and cloudy day, Kerr was content to stay away from traffic early on, letting pacer Abraham Alvarado dictate the race tempo, as Norway's Jakob Ingebrigtsen, the defending Olympic champion tucked in a few strides behind Alvarado.
Just past the kilometer mark, Kerr took command of the race, going to the front earlier than normal and holding the lead all the way to the finish, running a final time of 3:45.34, a new British national record, and a 3.53 second personal best from his previous best of 3:48.87.
Ingebrigtsen finished second in a time of 3:45.60 in his season debut.
Kerr's winning time lowered the British national record of 3:46.32 set by Steve Cram in 1985.
To appreciate the depth of the field, the first nine across the line were all under 3:50.
After the race, Kerr said, "I wanted to win and I knew it would take something along those lines to go out and win. So, technically, yes, but I wasn't focused on the time and trying to find comfort in that first 800. I was able to find that and then press through the field and with 600 to go, I thought, 'you know, what, why not, why not take it on and press and scare myself a little bit'".
In her outdoor season debut, former Pullman resident Katie Moon, who had been experiencing issues with her Achilles tendon, finished second with a clearance of 14-10.25 (4.53m), as Emily Grove won with a best of 15-2.25 (4.63m).
Washington State alum CJ Allen was third in the 400 hurdles in 48.99.
In the race, which opened up the television window of the Pre Classic, Allen was in second behind Roshawn Clarke of Jamaica, the fourth place finisher at last year's world championships. Clarke hit a hurdle, but on the outside, both Gerald Drummond of Costa Rica and Rasmus Magi of Estonia made a charge on the outside, with Drummond winning in 48.56, and Magi second in 48.85.
Nia Akins of the Brooks Beasts finished fourth in the women's 800, running a season best of 1:57.98, as Great Britain's Keely Hodgkinson won in a world leading time of 1:55.78.
In the women's 3000 steeplechase, former Seattle Pacific and Oregon State standout Kaylee Mitchell made her Wanda Diamond League debut, finishing eighth in a personal best 9:21.00, ducking under the Olympic standard.
Uganda's Peruth Chemutai ran the fastest time in the world this season in winning the race at 8:55.09.
NOTE: The Wanda Diamond League contributed to this report.
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