Patrick Casey advanced to the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championship finals of the 1,500-meter run. Casey finished second in his heat with a time of 3:49.05, which gives him a 10th seed headed into the final race on Saturday, June 11, at Drake Stadium in Des Moines, Iowa.
“The race went great,” said Casey. “I went out pretty conservatively and made a big move toward the end but I didn't let up and felt really smooth out there. This gives me a lot of confidence headed into finals.”
Casey started off in the middle of the pack on Thursday and fell to second-to-last place up until the final 600 meters of the race. With about 200 meters before the final lap, the Laurel, Mont. native pushed to the front of the group and led until Matthew Centrowitz of Oregon took the lead with 100 meters remaining. Centrowitz finished in 3:48.67.
“The good news is that he has a spot in Saturday's final,” said head coach Dale Kennedy. “His heat was slower than the second so he really had to work hard to finish in the top-five, which he did. He's a competitor and he really has a chance in this.”
Casey will compete again on Saturday as a 10th seed. The race is slated for a 11:30 a.m. start. Live results and video streaming will be available.
