Photo courtesy UNC Athletic Communications
Ethan Strand competes for the University of North Carolina during the NCAA Championships. Photo courtesy UNC Athletic Communications.
Vestavia Hills native Ethan Strand competed in the men’s 1,500-meter final Monday evening in the U.S. Olympic track and field trials.
Strand finished 12th in the race, running it in 3 minutes, 39.08 seconds, in Eugene, Oregon.
Cole Hocker won the event with a trials record time of 3:30.59. Yared Nuguse and Hobbs Kessler finished second and third to qualify for the U.S. Olympic team in Paris later this summer.
Strand started strong, but was unable to maintain his pace down the stretch. He rose as high as fifth place through 800 meters.
Strand starred in cross-country and track and field at Vestavia Hills High, winning Alabama Gatorade Cross Country Player of the Year twice.
His father, Scott, is co-owner of the Trak Shak running store in Homewood. His mother, Lori, coached cross-country and track at Samford.
Strand, a junior at UNC, reached the finals by advancing through a preliminary heat and semifinal heat. He finished third in the semifinals Saturday, ahead of established pros with a time of 3:38.08, making him one of five collegiate runners to make the final.
Needing a top-five finish to advance, Strand found himself in sixth place late in the distance but made a charge at the finish line to secure his opportunity.
