Matt Centrowitz: Maryland Native to Run for Gold in Rio

Jul 10, 2016; Eugene, OR, USA; Matthew Centrowitz celebrates after winning the 1,500m in 3:34.09 during the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials at Hayward Field. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /

Matt Centrowitz, Jr., former Broadneck High School and University of Oregon track star, will be headed to his second consecutive Olympics to compete in the 1500-meter run.

At the USA Olympic Trials this past weekend in Eugene, Oregon, Centrowitz came from behind with a closing quarter of 53.95 to win in 3:34.09. The time broke a 36-year-old record of Steve Scott in 1980, who posted a 3:35.15 in the year the USA boycotted the Moscow Olympics. Scott did finish 10^th and 5^th in the next two Olympics.

This will be the second Games for Centrowitz, as he placed 4^th in the 2012 meet. His father, Matt Centrowitz, Sr., also twice competed in the Olympics. He serves currently as the cross country and track and field coach at American University.

No stranger to international competition, the younger Centrowitz won the United States Track and Field Championship in the 1500-meter run last summer. Competing therefore in August of 2015 in Beijing, China at the IAAF World Championships, Centrowitz finished 8^th in the finals in 3:36.13. As an illustration of the tight nature of the competition at this elite level, that was less than two seconds off the winning time.

Centrowitz previously won the U.S. national track championship in 2011, outkicking Bernard Lagat for the title. In the world championships that year in South Korea he placed third. Two years later in the world meet in Moscow, Centrowitz won the silver medal.

The younger Centrowitz has won just about everything but an international gold medal. He has been a national champion and a NCAA champion as well in his three years at Oregon before turning pro. He competes for a Nike sponsored club called the “Nike Oregon Project” that is coached by the legendary marathoner Alberto Salazar.

At Broadneck High School (in Anne Arundel County near Annapolis), Matt Centrowitz had an incredible senior track season. He set the all-time Maryland state record in the 1600 in 4:04.09 in what was the best race I have ever seen in my years of coaching and watching MD state championships. He also set a mile record at the Penn Relays that season.

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Matt’s older sister Lauren was a very fine runner as well. Competing for Broadneck she also won multiple state championships and later ran at Stanford University.

There is no doubt that Matt Centrowitz is in top form and peaking at the right time. His primary competition for gold is likely the Kenyan Asbel Kiprop, who won the 2015 IAAF title in 3:34.40.

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