Wednesday, July 1, 2015 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
5
Sisters grad runs at U.S. Nationals
By Charlie Kanzig
Correspondent
In 2009, 13-year-old
Brandon Pollard ran the 800
meters at the Hershey’s Track
and Field National meet in
Pennsylvania. Fast forward
just six years and this runner,
still a teenager, is running in
the USA Junior Track and
Field Championships in an
effort to qualify for the Pan-
American Games.
He finished fifth in the
1,500 meters in sweltering
heat, earning a spot as an
alternate for the American
team set to compete in
Calgary, Alberta, late this
summer.
After a stellar freshman
season at Gonzaga University
in Spokane under the tutelage
of Pat Tyson, a former team-
mate of Steve Prefontaine at
the University of Oregon,
Pollard felt he had more races
in him. Tyson had suggested
the idea earlier in season and
Pollard felt “it was just some-
thing I needed to do.”
The fact that is was on the
Hayward Field track where a
year earlier Pollard won the
4A state title for 800 meters
certainly sweetened the deal.
“I was really hoping for a
solid experience at Hayward,
which has never failed me
in the past,” he said, “but I
never expected a top-five fin-
ish when I signed up for the
race.”
The field included other
college freshman as well as
some high school stars such
as Grant Fisher who is one
of two high school milers
this year who dipped below
4 minutes in the mile, but
Pollard was not daunted.
“To be on the starting line
with those guys wasn’t as
thrilling as I thought it would
be,” he said. “Yeah, it was
cool, but I knew I was one of
them.”
Indeed, Pollard did belong,
considering the times he ran
for the Bulldogs in 2015. He
set a school record in the 800
meters (1:49) and a personal
best of 3:48 for 1,500 meters.
“I felt great in the post-
season and knew that I had
the speed to out-kick most of
the guys in the race if the pace
went out slow,” he said.
The 1,500 final took place
just after 5 p.m. on Saturday
when the air temperature was
a stifling 97 degrees, which
contributed to the pedestrian
pace for the first two laps.
With 600 meters to go every-
one accelerated and the race
was on in a tightly bunched
pack. Pollard kept contact
and closed out the final 200
meters strongly on his way
to fifth place. Unofficially he
was clocked around 1:55 for
the final 800 meters, which is
faster than he ran to win the
800-meter title last year when
he was in high school.
Blake Haney, a fresh-
man at Oregon, prevailed in
3:58.16, followed by Andrew
Hunter (3:58.48), Fisher
(3:58.77), Logan Wetzel
(3:59.36) and Pollard, who
crossed the line in 3:59.47.
It means a ton that
the people that developed
me and pushed me early
on are still involved
with my progress.
— Brandon Pollard
“As for now, I am the
first alternate for the Pan-
American Games in Canada
on July 31, so if anyone drops
out I will have the opportu-
nity to wear the USA jersey,”
said Pollard.
His experience at Hayward
was made extra special as
photo by harry pollard
Brandon Pollard kicks into the final lap of his 1,500-meter race.
three of his former coaches,
including Kris Kristovich and
Dennis Dempsey, traveled
over the mountains to watch
him compete.
“Having some of my for-
mer coaches there made it sort
of a reunion race for me,” he
said. “It means a ton that the
people that developed me and
pushed me early on are still
involved with my progress.”
In a Nugget article writ-
ten after his Hershey’s expe-
rience in 2009, Pollard said
his dream would be to run for
the University of Oregon, and
though he landed at another
Division 1 school, he feels it
is a perfect fit for him.
“Gonzaga’s program is
developing rapidly under Pat
Tyson and I am excited to
be a part of where things are
headed,” he said. “I am con-
fident that Pat can bring [me]
to where [I] become the run-
ner I have always dreamt of
being.”
Kristovich, who had a
hand in mentoring and coach-
ing Pollard through his mid-
dle school years and beyond
is excited to see the young
man developing into an elite
runner.
“Having worked with
Brandon all the way from
the Hershey meet days to
this national meet has been
more than rewarding,” he
said. “Brandon is a coach’s
dream.”
Pollard is the son of Don
and Shannon Pollard of
Sisters.