Prefontaine Classic Performances Earn This Week's Performance of the Week Awards

Track and field fans voiced their choices in this week's DyeStat's Performance of the Week poll, while DyeStat's editors made their own selection.

Readers’ Choice: Jakob Ingebrigtsen

With 45.83 percent of the vote, Jakob Ingebrigtsen won our Readers’ Choice vote, beating Shelby Houlihan with her second-place tally of 23.44 percent.

Ingebrigtsen made headlines at the 2017 Prefontaine Classic when he broke four minutes in the International Mile for the first time. On that day he ran 3:58.07 and would go on to lower his personal best to 3:56.29 later in the year.

Ingebrigtsen, now 17 and a Nike sponsored athlete from Norway, came into the 2018 Prefontaine Classic with a big win at the Payton Jordan Invitational, having won the 1,500 meters over several Olympians in 3:39.06.

This time, Ingebrigtsen was entered in the prestigious Bowerman Mile, the same race in which Alan Webb ran 3:53.43 to break the U.S. high school record in 2001. Ingebrigtsen came into the race with Webb's mark in his sights.

Showing similar racing style to Webb in that historic race, Ingebrigtsen started out in last place through the first lap. Then on the second lap he passed one person, moving up to 16th place. He ran the opening 809 meters in 1:58.34.

It was in the third lap when the field began to string out. Timothy Cheruiyot ran a 56.78 to take the bell. Ingebrigtsen had moved up through the field, up to ninth, running 1,209 meters in 2:56.87.

From there it was a sprint to the finish. Cheruiyot pulled away from the field to win in 3:49.87. But in shades of Webb's 2001 race, it was Ingebrigtsen charging through the field. With 200 meters to go, Ingebrigtsen moved into fourth place. Then coming off the Bowerman curve, Ingebrigtsen began to catch reigning world 1,500-meter champion Elijah Manangoi.

In the end, Ingebrigtsen was unable to pass Manangoi, but he crossed the line in 3:52.28 to break the European U20 record. He has also passed over his older brother Filip Ingebrigtsen, the 2017 World 1,500-meter bronze medalist, to have the second-fastest mile in his family. Henrik Ingebrigtsen, also an older brother of Jakob's, ran 3:50.72 in 2014.

Watch Ingebrigtsen's race on USATF.TV.

Initial reports had Ingebrigtsen breaking the world age-17 best for the mile, however, Hamza Driouch of Qatar, formerly of Morocco, ran 3:50.90 in June 2012, when he was 17 years old. It should be noted that Driouch ran afoul of doping authorities due to issues with his biological passport. All results from Aug. 2, 2012, onward were vacated and he served a two-year ban.

Ingebrigtsen ran the fastest final lap of the entire field Saturday, closing the final 400 meters in 55.42. The next-fastest closer was race winner Cheruiyot, who ran 56.05.

Watch Ingebrigtsen's post-race interview on DyeStat.com.

Editors’ Choice: Shelby Houlihan

The DyeStat voters made a great choice in selecting Ingebrigtsen this week. However, the DyeStat editors want highlight another great performance from the Prefontaine Classic.

Shelby Houlihan entered the women's 1,500 with a personal best of 4:03.39, set two years ago at the Prefontaine Classic. She was not considered among the favorites, especially as fellow American Jenny Simpson was in the field.

As the race began, it was Simpson that took up position near the front of the field, slotting in behind the pace makers. Houlihan slotted herself into 10th position. And that was essentially where Houlihan remained until the bell, only moving up to ninth with 400 meters to go.

Similar to Ingebrigtsen's mile race, Houlihan closed hard over the final lap. Along the back straight she picked her way through the field. At 200 meters, Houlihan was sixth, just behind Brenda Martinez. With 100 meters to go, she was third.

Houlihan kicked down home straight, passing Simpson and Morocco's Rababe Arafi to take the lead and the win. Great Britain's Laura Muir got up for second just before the line.

Houlihan broke the tape in 3:59.06. That was not only a personal best, but a world-leading mark, surpassing Caster Semenya's 3:59.92 from the Doha Diamond League meeting.

Watch Houlihan's race on USATF.TV.

And similar to Ingebrigtsen, Houlihan was the fastest closer of the race, running the final 400 meters in 59.86. Muir ran the second-fastest final lap in 1:00.62.

For Houlihan, it was a four-second personal best. It also checked off the first of her three running time goals, which include running under 2:00 for 800 meters, 4:00 for 1,500 meters and 15:00 for 5,000 meters. Houlihan has run 2:01.12 for 800 meters and 15:00.37 for 5,000 meters.

Watch Houlihan's post-race interview on DyeStat.com.