Saturday's Bowerman Mile A 'Home Meet' For Cole Hocker, Cooper Teare

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

EUGENE -- While many of the world's top track and field athletes are traveling from points around the globe to be in Eugene for this weekend's Wanda Diamond League meet, Cooper Teare and Cole Hocker share the luxury of being within a five-minute jog of Hayward Field. 

That convenience comes into play this weekend at the Prefontaine Classic, in June when the USATF Outdoor Championships arrive, and in July if either of them earn a spot at the World Athletics Championships. 

Teare joked Friday that it almost seemed annoying to have to drive a couple miles downtown to partake in breakfast at the meet headquarters. 

"There's something to be said for sleeping in your own bed before a race," said Teare, who is making his first Diamond League appearance. "We had a workout here on Tuesday and don't have to switch anything up (the rest of the week). It's definitley home-field advantage.

"The ball's in our court when it comes to that. We want to make the most use of it as we can."

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Saturday's expected wet weather shouldn't be anything out of the ordinary, either. 

Teare won the 1,500 meters in 3:34.81 in the rain on May 6 at the Oregon Twilight meet and secured the World standard. 

Hocker, who made his first Olympic team last summer as a 20-year-old and finished sixth in the 1,500 meters final, has slightly more international experience than Teare.

"Last year I was trying to convince myself I belonged, even at the Trials I wasn't sure how I'd do there," Hocker said. "At the Olympics, I just didnt' want to get last (place)."

Sitting on the press conference dais with them Friday, Norway's Jakob Ingebrigtsen is the global icon and gold medalist that Teare and Hocker aspire to be. 

Teare made a social post this week that suggested tongue-in-cheek that he and Ingebrigtsen are "rivals."

Saturday's Bowerman Mile will test the validity of that assertion.

Ingebrigtsen got his first taste of the Pre Classic in 2017 when he ran the mile and clocked 3:58.07 as a 16-year-old. His prodigious talent has only grown from there. 

"The Bowerman Mile has always been special. That's how I felt about it the first time," Ingebrigtsen said. 

Colin Sahlman of Newbury Park will be in a similar position as Ingebrigtsen in 2017 as he steps up to face the professionals and tries to hold on for a fast mile time. Sahlman ran 3:58.81 for the full mile back in February and Saturday's opportunity could provide a chance to go after Alan Webb's legendary high school record from 2001. 

Sahlman ran 1:48.80 and took second behind Teare in the 800 at the USATF Distance Classic last week. 

"I was happy to run 1:48, just like I did earlier this season, so it shows I'm consistent, and big things coming into Prefontaine," Sahlman said. 

For Ingebrigtsen and other international stars -- Sweden's Mondo Duplantis, Jamaica's Elaine Thompson-Herah, Uganda's Joshua Cheptegai among them -- the Prefontaine Classic is a heat check seven weeks from the start of the World Championships. 

There is a little time, but not much, to fix anything that needs fixing before the big show. 

Saturday's schedule begins with the men's 1,500 meters on the track, while Tara Davis goes up against Ivana Vuleta of Serbia, the world indoor champion in a Diamond League women's long jump.

Para athletes will compete at the Pre Classic for the first time in 33 years, with a women's T63 100 meters and men's T-62 400 meters on the program.

Olympic bronze medalist Alison Dos Santos headlines the men's 400-meter hurdles with top American Rai Benjamin having pulled out.

The men's 5,000 includes Olympic medalists Moh Ahmed and Paul Chelimo. On Athletics Club's Geordie Beamish is also in the field and has demonstrated a dangerous kick this year. 

Thompson-Herah will return to the track where she ran 10.54 last August. American Sha'Carri Richardson and Britain's Dina Asher-Smith are part of the field. 

Olympic champion Jasmine Camacho-Quinn will race in the women's 100-meter hurdles against world record holder Keni Harrison. 

The women's 1,500 meters is loaded, with world indoor silver medalist Elle Purrier-St. Pierre facing Kenya's two-time Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon and Britain's Laura Muir, Canada's Gabriela DeBues-Stafford and Australia's Jessica Hull. 

Grenada's three-time Olympic medalist, Kirani James will face Americans Michael Cherry and Michael Norman in the 400 meters. 

World record holder Ryan Crouser will return to Hayward Field in the shot put to face Joe Kovacs and Tomas Walsh. 

Although Athing Mu has pulled out of the women's 800, Olympic silver medalist Keely Hodgkinson of Team GB, bronze medalist Raevyn Rogers and world indoor champion Ajee Wilson are in it. 

Emma Coburn will race the 3,000-meter steeplechase for the first time this season against Courtney Frerichs and Peruth Chemutai. 

High school star Shawnti Jackson of Wakefield NC, who won the 100, 200 and 400 at the North Carolina state meet last weekend, will take on pros Jenna Prandini, Mujinga Kambundi and 10-time Pre Classic participant and sprint legend Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce. 

Teen phenom Erriyon Knighton, the fourth-fastest man in the history of the 200, will race the 100 meters in the meet finale against a top-flight field with fellow Olympians Fred Kerley, Kenny Bednarek and Andre De Grasse.

Friday morning, the meet management announced it was moving three field events into this evening's program due to tomorrow's likelihood of significant rain. 

The men's pole vault, women's high jump and women's discus were all moved out of Saturday's schedule and will begin at 7 p.m. Pacific.