Symmonds Wins Indoor National Title at 800 Meters

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- Former Willamette University track and field and cross country runner Nick Symmonds '06 (Boise, ID/Bishop Kelly HS) took first place in the men's 800-meter run at the U.S. Indoor Track and Field Championships on Sunday, Feb. 28. Symmonds, competing for the Oregon Track Club Elite, won the race in 1:48.10.

It was Symmonds' second U.S. national indoor title in the 800. He will represent the United States at the World Indoor Track and Field Championships in Doha, Qatar, March 12-14.

Duane Solomon, a former collegiate runner at the University of Southern California, led for much of the race, but was caught by Symmonds heading into the finish. Solomon took second place with a time of 1:48.41. Tyler Mulder of the Oregon Track Club Elite finished third in 1:48.53.

Symmonds, Mulder and other OTC Elite runners spent much of January and February training at about 6,000 feet elevation in the mountains above Albuequerque to prepare for the indoor meet. Symmonds indicated that he thought he training at altitude helped him achieve the come-from-behind win.

Since graduating from Willamette, Symmonds has been involved in national and international track and field events.

He competed for the U.S. in the 800-meter run at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. He reached the semifinals after winning his preliminary heat.

Symmonds won the 800 at the U.S. Olympic Trials in 2008 to advance to Beijing and also has two second place finishes in the 800 at the U.S. Track and Field Outdoor Championships. He reached the finals of the World Champonships in 2009.

At a student-athlete at Willamette, Symmonds won seven NCAA Division III National Championships, four in the 800-meter run and three in the 1,500-meter run. Symmonds majored in Chemistry (Biochemistry track) at Willamette.