Chanelle Price will get one big race between her final PIAA state meet and the Olympic Trials, and it won't be Nike Outdoor Nationals or USATF Junior Nationals. It'll be the prestigious Prefontaine Classic on Sunday June 8 at Hayward Field at the Univeristy of Oregon. The race is the Prefontaine-retirement of 800 meter legend Maria Mutolo.
Price finished her PIAA state meet record 2:02.90 on Saturday, May 24 – photo by Timothy O'Dowd, Irishrunner.com for PennTrackXC.com
Price was also named the USATF Athlete of the Week for the 2nd time during her senior year. Her 2:02.90 broke prep records held by two legends of the event, and achieved the "B" standard for the upcoming Olympic Trials. Price's first award was on January 29th after she set the US prep record for 500 meters at the New Balance Armory in New York City.
Prefontaine Classic Start List
Maria Mutola (Mozambique)
Nicole Teter
Hazel Clark-Riley
Alice Schmidt
Miho Sato (Japan)
Diane Cummins (Canada)
Chanelle Price
The officlal start lists are on www.preclassic.com
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Timothy O'Dowd's Gallery
And check out the 1500+ already posted: Friday | Saturday
Chanelle Price talked with PennTrackXC's Fran McLaughlin and Aaron Rich following her PIAA record run at the state championships on Saturday May 24.
By Fran McLaughlin
The answer certainly was not arrogant. Merely, it spoke of lofty expectations and tremendously high goals.
Shortly after her crowd-pleasing performance in winning the 800 meters at the PIAA Track and Field Championship at Shippensburg University, Chanelle Price was asked about breaking Kim Gallagher’s long standing record. The Easton star quickly rebuffed the reporter, saying that Joetta Clark held the mark.
Neither was wrong. The reporter was referring to the state-meet mark. Price’s mind squarely focused on something greater.
“My goal was set for two minutes or under,” said Price, whose clocking of 2:02.9 bettered both Gallagher’s state meet mark of 2:05.47, and Clark’s National Federation record of 2:04.50.
Still standing, though, is the national mark of 2:00.7 set by Gallagher of Upper Dublin, who went on to earn a silver medal (1:58.63) at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles and a Bronze (1:56.91) at Seoul in 1988.
“It should be a little bit, not easy of course, but with the competition I have against the professionals coming up in the next few weeks; I’m sure they will help me get that record,” said Price.
That competition against the pro ranks will commence at the prestigious Prefontaine Classic at Hayward field in Eugene, Oregon on June 8. Price has just been added to the 800 meter field that includes former world number one, Maria Mutola (Mozambique). They will be joined by 2008 U.S. indoor champion Nicole Teter, Miho Sato (Japan), Hazel Clark-Riley and Alice Schmidt, the second and third ranked U.S. runners a year ago, and 2007 Pan Am gold medalist Diane Cummins of Canada.
In 2001, high school sensation Alan Webb competed at the Prefontaine Classic against a field that included Hicham El Guerrouj, Kevin Sullivan and Bernard Lagat. If you remember, Webb placed sixth. More importantly his time of 3:53.24, smashed the national mark of 3:55.3 set by Jim Ryun in 1965.
Following what most likely was her last high school performance, Price took time to validate some memorabilia with an impromptu autograph session as her coaches tried to escort her through the crowd. She certainly didn’t seem to mind. It gave her an opportunity to say thank you and farewell to a place she will fondly remember.
“Every year I look forward to this race, more so because the crowd helps me out so much,” Price said. “I’m racing against the clock, and on both sides [of the stadium] they’re yelling my name, and it really helps. I love this meet and I’m going to miss it a lot.”
Hopefully those of you fortunate enough to be in attendance, held onto your ticket stub program or even hot dog wrapper; anything to prove that you were there.
She will be missed.
