Sophomore 800 studs McGorty & Cooper battle in 800 prelims

Both finishes of the boys 800 meter prelims came down to photo finishes, but the second heat was especially exciting considering the race featured arguably the nation's top two underclassmen half milers in Cameron Cooper of Oak Park (MI) and Brandon McGorty of Chantilly (VA).

McGorty, the younger brother of Foot Locker Nationals runner-up and New Balance Nationals two mile champion from two years ago in Sean McGorty, had shocked many indoors when he finished runner-up in the New Balance Nationals 800 from the slow section in a personal best time of 1:51.50. He had been slowed by injury earlier in the spring and only started racing the 800 again until the Virginia State Meet in early June.

Meanwhile, another middle distance sophomore star in Cooper comes from one of the top track & field programs in the country at Oak Park High School, which is also known and competes under the banner of Motor City Track Club when out of the sanctioned high school season. Cooper turned in a fine distance double at the Michigan State Meet with a 4:17 1600 PR and 1:55 800, but really turned heads when he chopped the 800 PR off by three seconds to win the emerging elite division at New Balance Nationals in 1:52.06. The fastest time among sophomores in the nation this spring at 800 meters.

So it was only fitting that in heat two of the boys 800 meter prelims at the World Youth Trials that the last straightaway found the country's fastest sophomore indoors racing against the country's fastest sophomore outdoors for first place and moving onto the next round. McGorty, who started out much slower in dead last through the first 200 meters, had much energy to use up in the end to win the heat in a time of 1:54.70. Cooper finished just behind him with the fourth fastest time overall at 1:54.76.

Both will certainly have other competitors in the finals tomorrow competing for the two potential World Youth spots, but it would be exciting to see the two rising juniors both go 1-2 and gain valuable experience competing on the international stage.