EUGENE — Sinclaire Johnson doesn’t really remember anything specific about the last lap in the 1,500 meters on Saturday, but that’s normal for her.
Johnson’s mind is entirely in the moment when she’s racing. There was a crowd at Hayward Field and runners behind her vying for her spot, but all she sees is whatever’s ahead. As she headed into the backstretch in the final lap, that was Cory McGee. When McGee made a move, Johnson was ready.
This was always Johnson’s plan — stay within the top three throughout the race and unleash her last gear. When she hit the homestretch, the only thing between her and a win was the ribbon at the finish line.
Arms raised in triumph, Johnson split the ribbon with a first-place time of 4 minutes, 3.29 seconds. But her arms weren’t raised for long. They quickly found McGee and Johnson’s other competitors for an embrace.
McGee took second in 4:04.52, while Elle St. Pierre crossed third.
“The level of competition wouldn’t be where it’s at if it weren’t for Ellie or Cory,” Johnson said. “Having them to push me and make me better and to be able to celebrate together, we’re all trying to make the team out there, feels pretty good.”
Johnson went through a year full of change, having switched teams to Union Athletics Club in Portland and gone through the recovery process following a stress fracture in her hip. Now a USA Track & Field champion, Johnson feels she belongs at the sport’s top level.
“Half the battle is just feeling like you belong there,” Johnson said. “I feel like I won that battle within my head. I was just ready to go.”
Just missing out on a top-three finish with a time of 4:05.40 was Karissa Schweizer, who runs for Bowerman Track Club in Portland. But even if Schweizer finished in the top three, she wouldn’t have accepted a bid to compete in the 1,500 at the World Athletics Championships next month.
Schweizer’s focus is on the 10,000, where she already earned a world championships qualifying spot during the Prefontaine Classic last month. Racing in the 1,500 was a last-minute decision, she said, because she never really gets the opportunity to compete in the event. Schweizer also is in the field for Sunday’s 5,000 meters.
This experience will go toward her training for the 10,000, Schweizer said. Working on her speed and the quick turnover time in the 1,500 factored into her decision to race.
“Getting on that team was going to be a really hard challenge and I was excited for it” Schweizer said. “To be able to be that close to it, I’m hungry for more.”
The race served as a bit of a homecoming for Nikki Hiltz, who competed at the University of Oregon before transferring to the University of Arkansas before the 2015 season. Hiltz ultimately finished in 10th place with a time of 4:10.97. While Hayward field looks different, Eugene remains the same, they said.
“The magic of Hayward is still there,” Hiltz said. “The fans are there, the people that love it, it’s cool coming back.”
The past month has been eventful for Hiltz, whose partnership with Lululemon was announced on Thursday. June is usually the biggest month for track and field as a whole, Hiltz said, but it’s also Pride Month.
Hiltz, who is transgender and non-binary, said competing in June means the world to them, especially when fellow athletes come to them to share stories, thank them for the work they do as an advocate and give them strength.
“I just met someone who cut their hair for the first time and they said they’ve never felt more like themselves,” Hiltz said. “Meeting people like that and in the community only helps me perform better.”
— Luke Norton; lnorton@oregonian.com
