Cooper Lutkenhaus, 17, wins the US 800 m title in 1:43.48 with a 25.32 last 200 m
On the final day in New York, Lutkenhaus completed an indoor-outdoor sweep; Vincent Ciattei and Emily Mackay won the 5000 m titles in sprint finishes.
Photograph: Vincent Ciattei racing for Virginia Tech at the 2018 NCAA Outdoor Championships at Hayward Field, by jenaragon94, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia CommonsCooper Lutkenhaus won the men's 800 m at the USATF Outdoor Championships on Sunday in 1:43.48. He is 17, a high school senior from Texas, the youngest man in the field by four years, and he was second in this race last year at 16. He is also the reigning US and world indoor champion, so Sunday completed a sweep of the national 800 m titles in one year.
Sean Dolan led through 400 m with Lutkenhaus third in 52.26. He moved with 200 m to go, as he said he planned to, and ran the last 200 m in 25.32. Wes Ferguson passed Hobbs Kessler on the straight for second in 1:44.55, with Kessler third in 1:45.00, Christian Jackson fourth in 1:45.05 and Andrew Casey fifth in 1:45.32. The margin of victory, 1.07 seconds, was the biggest in the event for 12 years.
Nia Akins won a third women's 800 m title in 1:59.25. She was eighth at the bell after 59.20 and ran the last 100 m in 14.06. Addy Wiley took her second silver of the week in 1:59.40, Meghan Hunter was third in 1:59.67 and Roisin Willis fourth in 1:59.68.
Both 5000 m finals were decided on the last lap. Vincent Ciattei was 15th at 3 km, in 8:42.85, closed in 54.36 and won his first national title in 13:46.75 from Cooper Teare, 13:46.88, and Sam Prakel, 13:46.93. Emily Mackay ran a 61.90 last lap to win in 14:55.82 from Shelby Houlihan, 14:57.88, and Parker Valby, 15:06.25, who had led most of the way. Melissa Jefferson-Wooden won the 200 m in 21.69.
Lutkenhaus goes home to start his senior year of high school. The men he beat go to Budapest.
Sources: USATF; News Tribune (Field Level Media); NBC Sports.
