Chanelle Price Approaches 2 Flat With Help Of Male Teammates In 800 Meters

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

(Photos by Tim Healy)

The Friendly series of track events produced by Portland Track/Tracklandia concluded Friday under drizzly skies with temperatures in the upper 60s at Newberg High, about 20 miles southwest of Portland. 

In a men's 800-meter race that marked Matthew Centrowitz of the Nike Bowerman Track Club putting in his first full effort outdoors, it was Josh Kerr of the Brooks Beasts who flew away to victory, running 1:46.69. 

Brooks teammates Drew Windle (1:49.63) and Henry Wynne (1:49.99) were second and third. Centrowitz, four years and one day after his historic Olympic gold medal in the 1,500 meters, was fourth in 1:50.62. 

RESULTS | WEBCAST REPLAY

That was one of six races that closed out the Friendly series of pop-up meets that served athletes from training groups for Nike (Pete Julian's group and Oregon Track Club Elite), the Brooks Beasts, Oiselle's Little Wing and a handful of others. 

Former Oregon Duck Sam Prakel, an adidas athlete, won the men's 1,500 meters in 3:39.05. It was his first win in four tries at the Friendly series.

"It feels pretty good. The fourth time was the charm," Prakel told Tracklandia announcer Jeff Merrill after the race. "I was happy to come away with the win. Vince (Ciattei) gave me a good fight down the homestretch. I had to push almost all the way to the line."

Ciattei was second in 3:39.22 and OTC teammate Will Paulson was third in 3:39.95.

Unattached Portland resident Eleanor Fulton, a former Washington All-American, won a race for the second straight meet. She ran unopposed for much of the women's 5,000 meters and ran a personal-best time of 15:40.64. Haley Herberg and Allie Buchalski also dipped under 16 minutes, placing second and third out of four finishers. 

In the women's 800 meters, Sadi Henderson of Oiselle sprinted past Nia Akins of Brooks and Susan Ejore (unattached) off the final curve and secured victory in 2:03.20.

In the final event of the night, OTC Elite's Chanelle Price was paced by two male temmates — Ciattei and Paulson — and time trialed 2:00.12. That's the fastest performance by a U.S. woman this summer. 

Ben Blankenship trimmed six seconds off his winning time in the 3,000 meters at the fourth Friendly meet Aug. 8, in part because there was less wind, and he broke away from challenger Joe Berriatua of Tinman Elite over the final 800 on the way to 7:50.13. Thomas Anderson (unattached) caught Berriatua for second with 7:55.99. Berriatua was third in 7:58.82 and Hassan Mead of OTC Elite was fourth in 8:00.91.

Note: On Friday's live webcast, streamed on YouTube, Pat Tiernan revealed that he has joined the OTC Elite group in Eugene. Tiernan moved West with his fiancee' Angel Piccirillo, who is joining Oiselle's Bend-based Little Wing team.