Hiltz wins a fourth straight US 1500 m title by 0.04; Nathan Green takes the men's
Slow finals at Icahn Stadium came down to the last lap: Hiltz 4:06.92 over Addy Wiley and Emily Mackay; Green 3:50.27 over Vincent Ciattei by 0.05.
Photograph: The women's mile at the 2019 USA Indoor Championships on Staten Island, Nikki Hiltz at left, by jenaragon94, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia CommonsNikki Hiltz won a fourth straight national outdoor 1500 m title on Saturday night in New York, three weeks after beating Faith Kipyegon over a mile in Eugene. The final went through 800 m in 2:20.79 and the bell in 3:08.13, and the last lap was a three-way fight. Hiltz won in 4:06.92, Addy Wiley was second in 4:06.96 and Emily Mackay, who ran the last 400 m in 58.69, third in 4:06.98. Six hundredths covered the medals. Rachel McArthur was fourth in 4:09.59.
The men's race was slower still: 67.67 at 400 m, 2:15.03 at 800 m and 2:58.63 at the bell, which USATF reckoned among the slowest winning times in the last 50 years. Nathan Green closed in 51.65 to win in 3:50.27, his first national title as a professional after two NCAA championships, and a sweep of the USATF golds this year. Vincent Ciattei was second, 0.05 back in 3:50.32, Rheinhardt Harrison third in 3:50.65, Gary Martin fourth in 3:50.74 and Liam Murphy fifth in 3:50.79.
In the steeplechases, Lexy Halladay defended her title in 9:12.54 from Gabbi Jennings, 9:17.42, and Madie Boreman, a personal best 9:17.68. Nathan Mountain, 23, nearly fell at the last barrier and still won his first national title in 8:13.81, with Carson Williams second in a lifetime best 8:13.88 and Duncan Hamilton third in 8:14.05.
Nobody ran fast and everybody ran scared. Championship 1500s are won by whoever is calmest at the bell, and Hiltz has now been calmest four years running.
Sources: USATF; NBC Sports; Marathon Handbook.
