Nathan Green and Joe Waskom have practically lived at Hayward Field in Eugene this month.
As two of Washington’s three national champions in the mile since 2022, Green and Waskom ran in both the NCAA Outdoor semifinal and final on June 5 and 7 at Hayward. Waskom won the title, the Huskies’ fifth consecutive between indoor and outdoor.
Their decorated collegiate seasons earned them an invite to the US Olympic Trials, also at Hayward, alongside Luke Houser, the third national champion. Green, Waskom, and Houser advanced out of the first round of heats comfortably – Houser qualified at No. 2, Green at No. 4, and Waskom at No. 14.
In the semifinals on June 22, Houser could not find the same form and finished No. 16, but Green qualified at No. 4 and Waskom grabbed the final automatic qualifying spot in No. 12, setting up for Monday’s Olympic Trials final.
Green’s semifinal time also set a school record, as he ran a blazing 3:34.49 in a fast heat that included the No. 2 runner in the world, Yared Nuguse.
The final was even faster, as Nuguse took an early lead to control the race from the front. No. 15 in the world Hobbs Kessler sat on Nuguse’s shoulder through three laps as the pack stayed mostly together. With a lap to go, kick specialist Cole Hocker made his move, flying to the front and making it a two-man race between he and Nuguse.
Green and Waskom, running from closer to the back of the pack, had strong kicks of their own to try to get into position for the third and final spot, but Kessler and Vincent Ciattei separated from the rest of the field to make that a two-man race as well.
When the dust settled, Hocker finished in 3:30.59, the fastest time in US Olympic Trials history. Nuguse was just behind in 3:30.86. Kessler edged out Ciattei for the final spot on Team USA in 3:31.53, shutting the Huskies out of the Olympic team in the fastest Trials race ever.
Green finished at No. 5 in 3:32.20, a two-second personal best after his 3:34.49 record in the semis. Waskom was No. 7 in 3:33.74, also well below Green’s semifinal record, tying the in-season collegiate record. Green moved to No. 7 on the all-dates NCAA list, which includes times run by a college athlete regardless of time of year.
The Huskies still have a number of chances at the Olympic team when the Trials resume on Thursday. Nine current and former Huskies are set to compete on either Thursday or Friday, with finals scheduled for Sunday if any of them are to advance.