By Gus Morris
Sheila Reid of Nike OTC Elite won the women’s 1,500 meters with a 4-minute, 10.40-second run at the Oregon Twilight on Friday night at Hayward Field.
But a key story from the race was actually who followed Reid.
In her first meet at Hayward as a Duck, Oregon freshman phenom Katie Rainsberger finished in a personal best of 4:11.53 for third place behind Washington junior Amy-Eloise Neale, who finished second in a personal best of 4:11.02. The two times rank third and first, respectively, in college this outdoor season.
“I think we both wanted to come out and run a hard 1,500 from the gun,” Rainsberger said. “It was an honest pace, so that was great.”
While neither actually won the event, both said they accomplished what they set out to do in the race: improve for the upcoming Pac-12 and NCAA championships.
“It was a great opportunity to go out at a fast pace and see where my training is at right now,” Rainsberger said. “It also is exciting because I know how much I still have left to do. If I’m able to run a two-second, three-second PR, then what can I do in four or five weeks?”
Neale echoed that sentiment and said that her performance served as a “confidence booster” going into the most important part of the season.
Friday’s 1,500 also marked the eighth time that Rainsberger and Neale competed against each other this year. They’ve faced each other in cross country, indoor and now outdoor, and they seem to bring the best out of each other. The two have recorded top-10 finishes every time they’ve competed in the same field.
Neale said that she “loves” racing against Rainsberger.
“It’s awesome to know when you’re next to someone in a race that they’re so good and if you hang with them you’re going to have a great time because she is so reliable,” Neale said.
Their battles began in fall, when the two dueled for dominance in cross country. Neale won the Pac-12 title, with Rainsberger finishing fifth, and then Rainsberger bested Neale at the NCAA championships, finishing fourth to Neale’s eighth.They continued to go after each other during the indoor season, where Rainsberger won the NCAA title in the 1,500, 0.80 ahead of Neale.
Friday was the third time the two have met in the outdoor season and the second time that Neale has beaten Rainsberger.
Rainsberger held a lead for three laps on Friday, but on the second lap, Neale upped her pace and pulled into second behind Rainsberger. As the two rounded the Bowerman Curve, Reid unleashed her kick and pulled ahead of the pack. Neale used her kick late and jumped in front of Rainsberger with less than 50 yards to go.
“She has a wicked kick,” Rainsberger said.
Both feel as though Friday’s race helped them improve on certain areas as they prepare for the Pac-12 championships May 13-14. . Rainsberger was happy with her performance on Friday but still feels like there’s room to improve.
“I mean, it’s a PR at this point in the season, and I don’t think I’m in peak race shape,” Rainsberger said. “I’m working on speed. But I’m also trying to keep different aspects, so to come out and run 4:11 is great. But I’m definitely not satisfied.”
