Andrews hopes fast 1,500 brings win, 'A' standard

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

Robby Andrews has more on his mind Sunday than scoring points for the San Francisco Surge at Mt. Hood Community College, east of Portland.

The new U.S. 1,500-meter champion needs to run 3:36.00 or faster in order to take his place on the national team that will compete Aug. 4-13 at the IAAF World Championships in London.

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Andrews is looking forward to an optimal domestic opportunity to check an important box. Lopez Lomong is expected to rabbit the 1,500 and come through 1,200 meters in 2:52.

"I admittedly do not travel very well, even in the United States," Andrews said. "So to be able to hang out in Portland for the last five days or so instead of having to fly nine or 10 hours over to Europe and get a race there ... I'm very happy that everything is going to be as controlled as possible."

Portland has been good to Andrews in the past. Two years ago, Andrews ran 3:35.82 at the Portland Summer Twilight to ensure a spot at the 2015 World Championships (his first senior national team).

This year, Andrews is encouraged by a fast lineup that includes Pat Casey and Johnny Gregorek representing New York, Kyle Merber and Cristian Soratos of Portland, Craig Engels and Ben Blankenship of Philadelphia, and his San Francisco teammate, Colby Alexander.

"It's going to be competitive," Andrews said. "I use that as the driving force to get the standard rather than (thinking of) splits and time. It's an awesome field and I'll race it the best I can, but I'm confident more than one of us will get under 3:36."

The team scored pro meet concept is still finding its way as it attempts to take root and generate a following. Building upon Thursday's meet at Stanford, teams representing four cities will contest alternate events. 

Andrews, who has recently served as an assistant coach at Princeton, said his own feeling for a competitive team track has been stoked by the Ivy League's Heptagonal Championships, where some of the oldest and most prestigious colleges in the U.S. exercise old rivalries.

"Some could argue that Heps is too intense," Andrews said. "But the best thing about Heps that I like the most is the respect that all the student-athletes have for each other and I think that's the underlying theme here, is that everyone respects each other. (In the TTSS) you have Olympic champions, first-time qualifiers (for the U.S.) team, and everyone's respecting each other and the fans appreciate a good competition."

Andrews squashed any thought that there is animosity between him and Olympic 1,500-meter champion Matthew Centrowitz after an exchange of feisty tweets this week.

"Matthew knows he's the Olympic champion and knows that I have nothing but respect for him and his family, and I know that it's reciprocated," Andrews said. "But it felt good to win. I've been finishing second to him the past few years and I'm a competitive guy."

Andrews further said that Centrowitz's historic performance in Rio last summer was "nothing short of groundbreaking."

The hammer competition that was held Thursday at Stanford will be replaced by the shot put Sunday, but it will retain a format that combines the male and female teammates' distances. 

It's an idea that is welcome to Olympic champion Michelle Carter, who is paired with Ryan Whiting (for Philadelphia). 

"I always feel like we should have a mixed throws competition, because I want to beat some of the boys!" Carter said. "With (the men) in the mix, it gives me another target to go after. I want to see how close I can get to them (in distance), if not beat one of them, and then I have bragging rights forever."

Mt. Hood Community College technically is in Gresham, Ore. -- the municipality that gave its Key to the City to Ryan Crouser after he won the men's shot put gold medal last summer in Rio de Janiero. Crouser is entered in the Lausanne Diamond League meet July 6, the same day as the Track Town Summer Series finale in New York City. 

Barbara Pierre (San Francisco) and Destiny Carter (Philadelphia) lead the entrants in the women's 100 meters. They both reached the semifinals of the USATF Championships. 

Mike Rodgers, sixth at the USATF Championships, leads the field in the men's 100 meters. He represents New York.

The men's 800 meters features something of a rematch between the racers who finished third and fourth at Sacramento. Drew Windle finished with a strong kick to make his first U.S. team and grab third place away from Erik Sowinski. Windle runs for Portland, Sowinski for San Francisco. 

Each city has one team member in the women's high jump. Liz Patterson (Portland) was second in Sacramento and made her first U.S. team. She'll jump against Inika McPherson of San Francisco (third in Sacramento), Chaunte Lowe (Philadelphia) and Amina Smith (New York).

Phyllis Francis (Philadelphia), an Olympic gold medalist on the 4x400 relay, is the top entrant in the women's 400 meters. Francis finished second to Quanera Hayes at the USATF Championships. The field includes Francis' sister and teammate, Claudia Francis, as well as Daina Harper (New York) and Elexis Guster (Portland).