Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney
Former Vestavia Hills track and field star Ethan Strand competes Monday night in the men's 1,500 meters final at the the U.S. Olympic track and field trials in Eugene, Ore. The event will be televised national on NBC with the final starting at approximately 7:47 p.m. CDT.
Former Vestavia Hills High school track and cross country standout Ethan Strand has competed against the best in the country in his age division since he was a youngster. It has led him to this: Monday night at about 7:47 pm CDT in Eugene, Oregon, Strand will run in the men's 1,500 meter finals at the U.S. Olympic track and field trials with an opportunity to earn a spot on Team USA for the Paris Olympics.
Strand, who now competes for the University of North Carolina, surged into Monday night's final with a third-place finish in his heat of the semifinals on Saturday. He finished ahead of established pros with a time of 3 minutes, 38.08 seconds, making him one of five collegiate runners to make the final. Needing a top-five finish to advance, Strand found himself in sixth place late in the distance but made a charge at the finish line to secure his opportunity.
Strand is a junior at UNC, where this spring he set a school record for the mile. He was the Alabama Gatorade cross country athlete of the year for 2020-21 during his senior year at Vestavia Hills.
You can view the full schedule for the track trials here.
