Texas A&M freshman Donavan Brazier blew past the field in the 800m NCAA D1 Track & Field championship final Friday, coming from behind to break a 50-year-old NCAA record and take the national title at the distance.
Brazier ran away from the field at the end to finish in 1:43.55, beating Jim Ryun's record of 1:44.3, a record set in 1966.
The race was super fast from the beginning – but Brazier, who often runs in front, ran most of the race behind 2014 NCAA champion Brandon McBride of Mississippi State. But coming out of the final turn, Brazier passed McBride and made a final kick to win the race going away.
"McBride being in the race I knew it'd be a fast race," Brazier said, but also said, "if I put my shoulders down and drive, I knew I'd be just fine."
Brazier said he felt some pressure as a highly-touted freshman coming out of high school, especially after a disappointing indoor season saw him miss the indoor national championship battling some back pain. And, he noted, many people in online forums assumed his career was over before it ever really got going.
"I guess they were wrong," Brazier said.
Records were made to be broken.
Donavan Brazier is the new #NCAATF 800m record holder and Champion. pic.twitter.com/XvOKICqGkY
— TrackTown USA (@GoTrackTownUSA) June 11, 2016
One running website called Brazier's race, "one of the finest performances in history by an American junior."
Ryun took to Twitter to congratulate Brazier for breaking his record – 50 years to the day after Ryun set it.
Super. Congratulations. Job well done! #NCAATF https://t.co/lU3zMbpf2r
— Jim Ryun (@jimryun) June 11, 2016
Brazier said he doesn't know yet whether he will compete this year in the Olympic Trials, or go to the World U20 Championships in Poland.
Brazier became just the fifth freshman ever, and the first since 1988 to win the 800m NCAA title.
