DES MOINES, Iowa -- Entering the 15-16 year old 800m final on Wednesday at the AAU Junior Olympic Games, Jonathan Simms' plan was simple.
He was going to put the race on its head.
Right away.
Everything was running smoothly through the first 400 meters at Drake Stadium, at least until Stefon DoDoo had something to say about it.
From there, the last circuit turned into an epic AAU duel, with Simms swinging around the final curve and moving past Dodoo, the pair challenging each other in the final strides, the concluding moment a tour-de-force.
"I knew it would be a race," Simms said. "I knew it was going to be on."
Simms clocked a winning time of 1:51.69, outlasting DoDoo's 1:51.77 and Heath Grant's 1:53.31.
"I didn't come out here with any expectations," Simms said. "I just wanted to get out here, since I made the nationals, come out here, run my best, see if I could get the win."
It was only Simms' fourth 800m of the 2023 season, but it also marked his return to the distance after last winning an AAU title in 2021 in Houston.
In fact, until taking the half-mile off last year, Simms, a fast-tracking superstar and rising junior at Allen High School near Dallas, Texas, had won five straight 800m titles.
In the interim, he became one of the country's top quarter-milers, posting a U.S. No. 3 time of 45.90 on the season.
Simms, however, sees more of the 800m in his future.
Following his trip to the podium, he commented on the race, his performance, his future in the 800m and much more.
"I see the 800m as easily my best race," he said. "So, all I had and was looking for was in my heart. It's also a good workout for the 400m. It gets you ready to finish strong, the workouts, the races."
