OTC Elite's Heyward makes Pre Classic debut

Jake Heyward runs in the historic Bowerman Mile at the 2021 Prefontaine Classic. Photo by Jake Willard

By Curtis Anderson | August 23, 2021

EUGENE, Ore. - It has been a breakout season for Oregon Track Club Elite's Jake Heyward. 

Over the past six weeks, the 22-year-old Welshman has reached the finals of the 1,500 meters at the Tokyo Olympics, made his debut on the Diamond League circuit, and set personal bests in the 800m, 1,500m and mile. 

His most recent achievement came in the famed Bowerman Mile at the Prefontaine Classic at Hayward Field. Heyward placed sixth overall with a PR of 3:52.15. 

Norway's Jakob Ingebrigtsen, the newly crowned Olympic champion, won the mile in a time of 3:47.24, the fastest time ever run on U.S. soil, and one of nine meet records set at Pre. There were also eight Hayward Field records, three Diamond League records, two American records, and seven world-leading performances. 

Earlier this summer, Heyward placed third in the 1,500m at the British Championships to earn his spot on the Olympic team. He went on to clock lifetime bests of 3:32.82 in the 1,500m in the Olympic semifinals, and 1:46.47 in the 800m. 

Three other OTC Elite athletes competed at Pre. 

Chanelle Price, who turned 31 the day after the Pre Classic, was the designated "rabbit" for the 1,500m. She paced Kenya's Faith Kipyegon to a meet-record time of 3:53.23. It was Price's seventh overall appearance at Pre, dating back to her memorable debut in 2008 as a 17-year-old phenom.  

Sabrina Southerland on her way to running 2:01.87 in the Pre Classic women’s 800m. Photo by Jake Willard

Sabrina Southerland, 25, placed ninth in the 800m with a time of 2:01.87 in her first Pre Classic. The 2018 NCAA indoor champion for Oregon set PRs in both the 800m (1:58.77) and 1,500m (4:10.55) this season. She is ranked No. 8 among Americans in the 800m in 2021. 

Vince Ciattei, 26, finished ninth in the International mile (4:00.45) in his first appearance at Pre. Ciattei, a 1,500m finalist at the U.S. Olympic Trials, set PRs in three events this year: 800m (1:46.82), 1,500m (3:34.57) and mile (3:55.28). The former Virginia Tech standout also was busy on the roads as he won the Fleet Feet Liberty Mile in Pittsburgh, took second at the Sir Walter Miler in Raleigh, N.C., and placed third at the Guardian Mile in Cleveland. 

While most of the OTC Elite athletes have shut it down for the rest of the season, both Heyward and Price are planning to continue racing in Europe.