OTC Elite Sets Multiple Personal Bests in Portland

Chanelle Price (left) and Sabrina Southerland (center) celebrate with teammate Vince Ciattei (right) after he achieved the Olympic Standard in the men’s 1500 at the 2021 Portland Track Festival. Photo by Jake Willard

By Curtis Anderson | June 1, 2021

EUGENE, ORE. - With a flurry of personal bests, several Oregon Track Club Elite athletes turned in impressive performances at the Portland Track Festival on May 29 at Lewis & Clark College. 

Former University of Oregon standout Sabrina Southerland led the way with a second-place finish of 1:58.82 in the 800 meters. It was her first time under 2 minutes in the two-lap race, a personal best by nearly 2 seconds, and easily under the Olympic standard of 1:59.50.  

Chanelle Price also hit the Olympic standard in the 800m with a fourth-place showing of 1:59.12, her fastest time at that distance since clocking her PR of 1:59.10 six years ago. 

Not to be outdone, Jake Heyward broke a 31-year-old Welsh national record in the 1,500m with a third-place performance of 3:33.99. It was a personal best for the 22-year-old Heyward and his time was safely under the Olympic standard of 3:35.00. 

Jake Heyward on his way to breaking the Welsh national record at the 2021 Portland Track Festival. Photo by Jake Willard

Two of his teammates, Vince Ciattei and Will Paulson, also ran lifetime bests in the 1,500m. Ciattei got under the Olympic standard in sixth place at 3:34.57, while Paulson was eighth in 3:35.42. 

Two veterans of the 2016 Rio Olympics at 5,000m - Patrick Tiernan and Hassan Mead - competed in a second 1,500m heat. Tiernan clocked a lifetime best of 3:38.64, while Mead finished at 3:41.73. 

"It was a really good showing for the team," OTC Elite coach Mark Rowland said. "We appear to be on track for peaking at the right time of the season." 

Meanwhile, Hanna Green headed overseas for some tune-up races in the 800m. The 2019 World Championships qualifier placed eighth in the Diamond League meeting in Doha (2:02.71) on May 28 and was fourth in Montreuil, France with a time of 2:00.96 on June 1. 

Tiernan and Paulson are both scheduled to compete at the Stumptown Twilight Meet at Lewis & Clark College on June 3. Tiernan is entered in the 5,000m and Paulson is in the 1,500m. 

In addition, four OTC Elite athletes are expected to compete in the Music City Track Carnival in Nashville on June 5-6. Southerland and Price are entered in the women's 800m, while Ciattei is in the men's 800m, and Paulson will run the 1,500m.