Symmonds Wins USA 800-Meter Title for Third Year in a Row

By Robert McKinney, Athletics Communications Director, (503) 370-6110

DES MOINES, IOWA -- Former Willamette University runner Nick Symmonds '06 recorded his third consecutive outdoor national championship in the men's 800-meter run with a time of 1:45.98 in the finals of the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships on Sunday, June 27. Symmonds previously won USA outdoor titles in the 800 at the 2008 Olympic Trials and the 2009 Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

In Sunday's championship race at Drake Stadium, Symmonds, who runs for Oregon Track Club Elite, used a strong kick to overtake the field and win the title. He won by more than one second.

Duane Solomon of Saucony, a former runner at the University of Southern California, recorded a time of 1:47.16 to take second place in a close battle for the next three spots. Jacob Hernandez of Nike was third at 1:47.23 and Tyler Mulder of OTC Elite was fourth at 1:47.27.

Symmonds won a total of seven NCAA Division III national championships in track and field while running for Willamette. His NCAA titles included four championships in the 800-meter run and three championships in the 1,500-meter run.

Prior to winning his three USA titles in the outdoor 800-meter run, Symmonds was the USA runner-up in the event in 2006 and 2007. He also has won two USA indoor titles in the 800 (2007, 2010) to go along with one indoor runner-up finish (2008).

At the international level, Symmonds took sixth place in the finals of the 800-meter run at the World Championships in 2009 and reached the semifinals at the World Championships in 2007. He advanced to the semifinals of the 800 at the Beijing Olympics in 2008.