Former Oregon Ducks Cole Hocker, Cooper Teare deliver strong showings at Pre Classic
In their first-ever respective Diamond League races, former Oregon stars Cole Hocker and Cooper Teare were given the chance to test themselves against some of the best runners in the world.
They more than held their own in a stacked field.
Hocker placed fifth in 3 minutes, 50.97 seconds, and Teare took sixth in a personal-best time of 3:51.70 in the Bowerman Mile at Saturday’s Prefontaine Classic at Hayward Field in Eugene.
“We had all the big names out there, just a lot of firepower everywhere you looked in that field,” Hocker told Flotrack afterward. “I’d say I’m not super happy, but I’m also not disappointed. I think my fitness is there and I think I have a lot to gain.”
The race was dominated by Norwegian star Jakob Ingebrigtsen, who won gold at 1,500 meters in Rio and owns the Olympic and European records in that event. Ingebrigtsen won Saturday in a world-leading time of 3:49.76.
Hocker, who starred for the Ducks before opting to turn pro last September, placed sixth at 1,500 at the 2020 Rio Olympics and has quickly established himself as one of the top young distance runners in the world.
In the race’s final lap Saturday, he clung tight to Kenyan stars Timothy Cheruiyot and Abel Kipsang, who finished third and fourth, respectively. But he was unable to overtake them on the backstretch.
“I was just hoping that one of them would give and that didn’t happen — they just kind of stayed together,” Hocker said of Cheruiyot and Kipsang. “In the past, I’ve been able to stay right there on the rail until something opens up. I think I would just stay a little wider in retrospect.”
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Teare, another former Duck who turned pro last December after winning a 5,000-meter national title during his collegiate career in Eugene, said he felt that he “held (his) ground” against a world-class field, but lamented the fact that he was boxed in with 200 meters to go.
“I think almost every one of those guys that were in front of me was in the Olympic final, so that’s a little bit of a confidence booster,” Teare said. “I think there’s a lot more to go — we’ve got a lot more stuff to take care of before USA’s and World’s.”
One big name that was missing from the field Saturday was former Oregon star Matthew Centrowtiz.
The 2016 Olympic Champion at 1,500 meters, Centrowitz has been one of the top milers in the world for more than a decade. But he withdrew from the Pre Classic earlier this month and announced on Instagram on Thursday that recently underwent surgery to repair a meniscus injury.
Both Hocker and Teare will now set their sights on the USATF Outdoor Championships, which take place in Eugene June 23-26.
