A.J. Acosta defended his 1,500m title at the USA Junior Track & Field Championships, but he only managed it "by a chest hair," as Matt Centrowitz, who will join him on the Oregon team next year, pushed him right up to the finish line. Acosta's winning time in Saturday's final in Indianapolis, 3:49.53, was almost four seconds slower than 2006 and only .01 second faster than Centrowitz, timed in 3:49.54. Sam Borchers repeated in third, running 3:50.23.
"I took it to heart when Dwight Stones said on the Pac-10 telecast that I didn't have a kick," said Acosta. "I didn't want it to come down to a 100m sprint."
"I knew it would come down to the wire," said Centrowitz. "No one really likes to lose, but losing to one of my future teammates, I can't be too disappointed."
Posted by Parker Morse at 9:07 p.m. | Tags: Race Reports, 2007 USA Outdoor T&F Champs