Donavan Brazier

Donavan Brazier
Personal information
Nationality American
Born (1997-04-15) April 15, 1997
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Sport
Sport Track
Event(s) 800 meters
College team Texas A&M
Turned pro 2016
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s) 800 meters: 1:43.55[1]
Updated on August 21, 2016.

Donavan Brazier (born April 15, 1997) is an American middle-distance runner. He holds the collegiate, American junior and American junior indoor records in men's 800 metres and won the NCAA outdoor championship in 2016.

Career

Youth

In 2014, his junior year at Kenowa Hills High School, Brazier won the 800 metres at the New Balance national scholastic championships in 1:48.61; his time was a new Michigan state record.[2][3] His times continued the drop in his senior year; he ran a 45.92 split on a 4 × 400 metres relay and improved his 800-meter best to 1:47.55, placing him fourth on the all-time national high school list.[2][4] Brazier ran 1:47.55 in June 2015 at 800 meters at Seattle Brooks PR. Brazier competed in the 800 meters at 2015 USA Junior Outdoor Track and Field Championships but was disqualified.[5] In summer 2015, Brazier attempted to earn an opportunity to represent United States on his first national team as a junior (U20) at 2015 Pan American Junior Athletics Championships to compete in the 800 m.[6]

Collegiate

After graduating from high school after the 2015 season Brazier went to Texas A&M University, where he was coached by former top runner Alleyne Francique and head coach Pat Henry.[3] He ran 1:45.92 in his collegiate debut race on January 16, 2016, breaking John Marshall's American junior indoor record by almost two seconds; the time was also a NACAC junior indoor record, and missed the American collegiate record by only 0.05 seconds.[4][note 1] He won the 2016 SEC indoor championship in 1:46.08, but failed to finish his heat at the NCAA indoor championships due to a back injury.[8][9]

Brazier returned to action outdoors, but needed several meets to return to top shape.[9] He placed third at the SEC outdoor championships in 1:46.19, half a second behind Mississippi State's Brandon McBride.[8] At the NCAA outdoor championships in Eugene Brazier won his semi-final in a personal best 1:45.07.[9] The final was a rematch between Brazier and McBride; McBride led for most of the way, but Brazier passed him with 150 meters to go and won in 1:43.55.[10] The time was a new collegiate record,[11] American Junior and NACAC junior record and world junior (U20) leader;[12] the previous American junior outdoor record was Jim Ryun's 1:44.3/1:44.9y, set exactly fifty years earlier on June 10, 1966.[13]

Professional

Brazier turned professional after his NCAA victory, signing an endorsement deal with Nike and forgoing his three remaining years of collegiate eligibility.[14][15] Brazier finished 19th in 800 meters at 2016 United States Olympic Trials (track and field) in 1:48.13.[16] Donavan Brazier reconnected with his coach from Texas A&M (Grenada´s top 400 m runner Alleyne Francique).[17]

Notes

  1. ↑ "American collegiate record" refers to the best collegiate indoor mark by an American athlete, Derek Peterson's 1:45.88; Brazier missed Paul Ereng's overall NCAA indoor record (1:44.84) by more than a second.[7]

References

  1. ↑ All-Athletics. "All-Athletics Profile of Donovan Brazier".
  2. 1 2 Hollobaugh, Jeff (May 27, 2015). "Brazier not done shocking the track world". RunMichigan.com. Retrieved June 22, 2016.
  3. 1 2 "Only the Start". SPIKES. January 26, 2016. Retrieved June 22, 2016.
  4. 1 2 Hollobaugh, Jeff (January 21, 2016). "Brazier's Big Breakthrough". Track & Field News. Retrieved June 22, 2016.
  5. ↑ "2015 USATF Junior Outdoor Championships in Eugene, Oregon". USATF. Retrieved November 29, 2016.
  6. ↑ "USATF Junior Outdoor Championships to select 2015 Pan Am Junior team". USATF. Retrieved November 29, 2016.
  7. ↑ "Collegiate Indoor Records—Men". Track & Field News. Retrieved June 22, 2016.
  8. 1 2 Tilastopaja profile for Donavan Brazier
  9. 1 2 3 Gretschel, Johanna (June 9, 2016). "Watch Donavan Brazier Run No. 2 All-Time 800m for U.S. Junior". MileSplit. Retrieved June 22, 2016.
  10. ↑ Dennehy, Cathal; Mulkeen, Jon (June 11, 2016). "Lawson and Brazier rewrite history at NCAA Championships". International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF). Retrieved June 22, 2016.
  11. ↑ "Collegiate Records—Men". Track and Field News. Retrieved November 29, 2016.
  12. ↑ "IAAF U20 OUTDOOR 2016 800 METRES MEN". IAAF. Retrieved November 29, 2016.
  13. ↑ "Watch: Texas A&M's Donavan Brazier breaks Jim Ryun's NCAA record". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved November 29, 2016.
  14. ↑ "Texas A&M freshman Donavan Brazier decides to pursue professional career". Texas A&M University. June 21, 2016. Retrieved June 22, 2016.
  15. ↑ "Donavan Brazier Signs Endorsement Agreement with Nike". Global Athletics & Marketing. June 28, 2016. Retrieved June 29, 2016.
  16. ↑ "2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials Results - Track & Field - 6/30/2016 to 7/10/2016 Eugene, Oregon". USATF. July 10, 2016. Retrieved November 29, 2016.
  17. ↑ "Donavan Brazier returns to college coach, Alleyne Francique". runblogrun. October 24, 2016. Retrieved November 29, 2016.
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