Club clash set in Pre Classic men’s 1500m
With team bragging rights on the line, the men’s 1500m at The Prefontaine Classic will feature a showdown between the three professional training groups based in Oregon, Oregon Track Club Elite, Bowerman Track Club, and the Union Athletics Club. Each club will also compete in front of their own specialty fan sections on Saturday May 28.
Lining up for Oregon Track Club Elite is Vince Ciattei and Will Paulson. Ciattei was a finalist in the 1500m finals at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials last summer and finished fifth at the USATF Indoor Championships in February. He captured his first national title last month, winning the USATF Road Mile in 4:04. Paulson has gotten off to a hot start in 2022. The Canadian opened his season with a 3:33.97 at the Bryan Clay Invitational, running well below the world championship qualifying standard of 3:35.00. The Eugene-based runners will have their fan section, as well as the home-town crowd behind them at the Pre.
The newly named Union Athletics Club will also have two athletes in the field. The 2019 USA 1500m Champion Craig Engels will return to the Pre Classic this year. Widely known for his fun-loving attitude, the UAC runner will look to get back on track in 2022 after finishing fourth at the Olympic Trials last year. Fans will also get to see a familiar face in Charlie Hunter. The University of Oregon graduate won the NCAA indoor title over 800m and finished third at the outdoor nationals in 2021. Hunter would ultimately make it to the 800m semi-finals at the Olympic games in Tokyo.
Three runners from the Portland-based Bowerman Track Club will compete on May 28th as well. Olympic 1500m qualifier Amos Bartelsmeyer will make his Pre Classic debut. He will be joined by the world indoor 3,000m bronze medalist Marc Scott, and the newest member of the Bowerman Track Club, Thomas Ratcliffe.
Hobbs Kessler is also featured. In 2021 he broke Alan Webb’s US high school record in the 1500m, clocking 3:34.36 at the Portland Track Festival. Rounding out the lineup are University of Oregon alum Sam Prakel, 2016 Olympian Robby Andrews, Tinman Elite’s Drew Hunter, Neil Gourley, Samuel Tanner, and Jonas Raess.
The men’s 1500m will take place on Saturday, May 28th. Buy your tickets at PreClassic.com.