Donavan Brazier, second from left, wins the men’s 800 meters ahead of Isaiah Harris, left, who finished second, at the U.S. Track and Field Championships Sunday in Sacramento, Calif.
AP
Lewiston’s Isaiah Harris knew his feet would take him places.
Sunday, after a blistering personal best of 1:44.53 in the 800-meter run at the USATF 2017 National Championships, Harris learned his feet are going to keep him running all the way to London and the World Championships.
Harris’ time was good for second place Sunday behind Donavan Brazier (1:44.14), and a berth on Team USA at this summer’s World Championships in London.
Harris’ previous best in his signature event was 1:45.12 on April 22 at the Virginia Challenge, the second event on Penn State’s outdoor schedule this past spring. Harris is a sophomore on the Nittany Lions’ team he recently helped earn a Big 10 track and field title. He graduated from Lewiston High School in 2015.
Harris qualified for Sunday’s final with solid races in both the preliminary and semifinal rounds Thursday and Friday, but neither of those races was nearly as fast as Sunday’s final.
Harris, as usual, was off the pace a bit on the first lap Sunday, turning in 51.87 on the first lap. That was still closer to the lead (fourth) than he’d been after one lap in his previous two races.
Harris’ strength is his closing speed, however, and he showed that off again Sunday, pushing former NCAA champion Brazier down the final stretch. Brazier’s winning margin was only .39 seconds.
Harris and Brazier, who runs for Nike, will be joined by third-place finisher Drew Windle, another pro who runs for Brooks. Erik Sowinski, another Nike runner, led after a first-lap 51.31, but faded to fourth at the end.
Harris plans to return home briefly before joining his new teammates to prepare for the World Championships, being held this year in London Aug. 4-13. The 800-meter run preliminary heats are slated for 7:45 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 5
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