Jager takes eighth at World Juniors
July 11, 2008 | Men's Track & Field
University of Wisconsin sophomore-to-be Evan Jager shined on the world stage Thursday, claiming an eighth-place finish in the 1,500 meters at the IAAF World Junior Track and Field Championships.
Jager, who was the U.S.'s lone representative in the 1,500, clocked in at 3 minutes, 49.59 seconds in the finals to finish just over two seconds off the winning pace of 3:37.40 turned in by Imad Touil of Algeria. The finish matched the seed Jager carried into the finals after posting the No. 8 overall time in Tuesday's preliminaries.
Attempting a move with 400 meters remaining in the final, Jager was blocked by runners on either side of him trying to make similar quick strike from their fourth-place position. As a result, Jager was knocked off stride for a couple of steps.
Jager's performance comes on the heels of the national junior title the Algonquin, Ill., native claimed in the 1,500 at the USA Junior Outdoor Track and Field Championships in June.
In his first collegiate season, Jager earned a pair of All-America honors with an eighth-place finish in the 1,500 at the NCAA Outdoor Championships and as part of the Badgers' distance medley relay squad that claimed third place at the NCAA Indoor Championships. That DMR quartet also claimed the U.S. indoor title in the distance medley at the USA Indoor Championships.
Individually, Jager also was runner-up in the mile at the Big Ten Indoor Championships and took fourth in the 1,500 at the league's outdoor meet this season.
