Nathan Green wins first USA national title by a Washington Husky in the 1500 meters...
NEW YORK--Rufus Kiser in 1929. Izaic Yorks in 2018. Joe Waskom in 2023.
All three University of Washington runners finished second in either the mile or the 1500 at the USA outdoor national championships. That was the highest finish by a Husky in the national championship race.
Until today.
Washington alum Nathan Green (Paul Merca file photo) became the first Husky to win the USA national title in the 1500 meters, using tactical savvy to win the race on the penultimate day of the Toyota USATF Outdoor Championships at Icahn Stadium on Randall's Island in New York Saturday.
After a clean start, the field ran a brutally slow 68 second first 400, and an equally slow second 400, going through the 800 in 2:15.
Green positioned himself well, putting himself into second at the 800, with fellow alum Joe Waskom in fourth, current Husky Reuben Reina in sixth, new Brooks Beasts signee Gary Martin in eighth, and Washington alum Luke Houser in twelfth.
As they hit the bell, Green and Martin were side by side, having dropped a high 56 second third 400, with pre race favorite and former Eugene resident Vincent Ciattei lurking in third.
Green took a page from former Washington volunteer coach and 2016 Olympic champion Matthew Centrowitz by going to the front as they headed down the backstretch.
He and Ciattei separated themselves from the rest of the pack with Green holding the advantage as they came off the final turn.
Despite a late charge over the last 50 meters, Green had enough to hold off Ciattei and win his first USA outdoor title in a time of 3:50.27, with Ciattei second at 3:50.32.
Green finished the race with a final 300 meters of 38.09.
Martin finished fourth in 3:50.74, with Houser sixth in 3:50.87.
Reina finished ninth in 3:50.99, while Waskom was 13th in 3:51.99.
Green, who added the USA outdoor title to the indoor crown he won in February, told reporters in the mixed zone, "It means a lot to come back to a tactical race. It shows me that I still have it. It's been a while since I've touched real speed work."
"This is one of my fastest closes ever," he said noting that it was the fastest since he won the 2023 NCAA 1500m title in Austin, Texas.
Green answered in the affirmative when asked if he thought that the 1500 would run slower than the miles that he's raced in recent weeks in Europe, which included his 3:48.05 clocking last week in London, where he finished fifth behind Josh Kerr of the Brooks Beasts' world record 3:42.66.
Courtesy of NBC Sports, here is video of the race (may be geoblocked in certain countries):
In her first national championships since taking 2025 off from maternity leave, Pasco native Marisa Howard finished ninth in the 3000 steeplechase.
Howard, a Paris Olympian two years ago, was in the lead group before clipping a barrier in the backstretch, where she was in the top four just after the fourth lap. Howard finished in a time of 9:42.78.
BYU alum Lexy Halladay-Lowry won the event in a time of 9:12.54.
Parker Stokes of the Brooks Beasts ran a season best 8:19.36 to finish fifth in the men's 3000 steeplechase. Virginia alum Nathan Mountain won the national title with a time of 8:13.81.
Washington alum Chandler Ault finished seventh in the men's javelin with a throw of 227-3 (69.26m). Curtis Thompson won yet another US title with a toss of 287-4 (87.59m).
In the final of the women's 1500, Teagan Schein-Becker of the Brooks Beasts finished eleventh in 4:12.82, as Nikki Hiltz won yet another national title in 4:06.92.
Washington State alum CJ Allen finished second in his heat of the 400 hurdles, running a comfortable 49.18 to advance to Sunday's final. His time was the fifth fastest on the day.
To conclude the Toyota USATF Outdoor Championships on Sunday, new Brooks Beast and 2024 US Olympian Juliette Whittaker goes for her first USA national title at 800 meters.
On the field, Washington's Jimmy Rhoads, who did not score for the Huskies at the NCAA championships last month, looks to rebound in the men's pole vault.
Former WSU Cougar Parker Duskin steps on the track for the first time in the first round of the men's 110 hurdles at 1:03 pm Pacific. Duskin, who ran for Arizona this season, will need to place in the top two in his heat, or be one of the three fastest time qualifiers to advance to the finals at 2:55 pm Pacific to close out the meet.
Washington alum Kayley DeLay runs in the final of the women's 5000 meters at 1:41 pm Pacific along with her Brooks Beasts teammate Allie Buchalski. Buchalski is coming back after finishing third in the 10000 Thursday night.
Former Washington volunteer assistant coach Sam Prakel, who shockingly didn't make the final of the men's 1500, looks to redeem himself in the final of the men's 5000 meters. He'll be joined by Washington alum Acer Iverson in the 23-man field.
CJ Allen, who easily advanced Saturday, goes in the finals of the men's 400 hurdles at 2:03 pm Pacific.
The Toyota USATF Outdoor Championships will be streamed and televised on a combination of Peacock ($), USATF.tv ($), NBCSN, and NBC.
OVERSEAS RESULTS...
Washington's Sofia Cosculluela, the reigning NCAA heptathlon champion, finished second in the Spanish national heptathlon championships that concluded Saturday in Málaga, Spain.
On Friday, she won the 100 hurdles in 13.39, then finished seventh in the high jump with a clearance of 5-5 (1.65m). In the shot put, Cosculluela threw 40-11.5 (12.48m), then finished day one with a time of 24.33 in the 200m to finish with a first day score of 3503 points, 250 points behind María Vicente.
Cosculluela started Saturday with a second place finish in the long jump, going 20-3.5 (6.18m), then won the javelin with a throw of 156-4 (47.66m).
She finished her day with a 2:22.07 clocking to finish with a two day score of 6019 points, as María Vicente won with 6174 points.
In Albi, France, Washington senior Julia David-Smith finished third in the women's 5000 at the French national championships Saturday.
David-Smith ran 15:48.65, as Anaelle Guillonnet won in 15:46.60.
In Dublin, Ireland, Washington incoming freshman Saoirse Fitzgerald finished second in her first round heat of the women's 800 at the Irish senior championships Saturday.
Fitzgerald, who is tuning up for the World Athletics Under-20 championships in Eugene in two weeks, ran 2:07.17 to advance to Sunday's finals.
Meanwhile, Washington alum Sophie O'Sullivan won her heat of the women's 1500, running 4:22.54 to also advance to Sunday's finals.
Washington alum Brian Fay will run in the top section of men's 5000 meters on Sunday.
NOTE: USA Track & Field, the Spanish Athletics Federation (RFEA), Athletics Ireland, and the French Athletics Federation (FFA) contributed to this report.
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