Air Force Academy
NCAA Championships
Zach Perkins Takes Second at 1500 Meters
6/12/2015 12:00:00 AM | Track and Field
EUGENE, Ore. - Zach Perkins capped Air Force's 2014-15 season with a runner-up finish in the 1500-meter run this afternoon (June 12) at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Championships. With his second-place finish at Historic Hayward Field, Perkins earned first-team All-America accolades for the second time of his career.
The race was a tightly packed contest from the start. Perkins, who started in the 12th position on the far outside of the group, ran a 46.85 for the first 300 meters and quickly moved into the top-four. The pace slowed dramatically on the second lap, as the entire field ran at a 1:10-pace to the 700-meter mark The speed picked up slightly over the next 300 meters (1:05), but the pack remained close and Perkins found himself boxed in the middle of the field. Clocking a 51.93 on the final lap, Perkins swung to the outside and picked his way through the field. With a final push in at the line, the recently commissioned second lieutenant crossed the finish line in 3:55.08 to take second.
Oklahoma State's Chad Noelle won the national title with a time of 3:54.96, while Perkins finished just 0.12 seconds behind. Oregon's Blake Haney was only 0.04 seconds behind that to take third (3:55.12), while New Mexico's Peter Callahan and Villanova's Jordan Williamsz rounded out the top five, finishing fourth (3:55.22) and fifth (3:55.36), respectively.
Perkins, who matched his placement from the 2013 championships, concluded a stellar collegiate career that included two first-team All-America awards, two runner-up finishes at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, three Mountain West titles (in three different events) and the Academy's all-time record in the 1500-meter run.
With two All-America awards, Perkins is tied for the second-most by a track athlete in Academy history.
Players Mentioned
