June 29, 2012
For immediate release
Former Oklahoma State standout misses trip to men’s 1,500 final
German Fernandez’s Olympic bid ended Friday night in the men’s 1,500-meter semifinals at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials in Eugene, Ore., with his 3-minute, 43.78-second effort not quite fast enough to advance to the finals.
The Sacramento Running Association salutes his efforts.
Fernandez, who lives in Orangevale, posted the 11th-fastest time of the 24 runners in the semifinals. But he wasn’t one of the 12 runners advancing to the final because the top five runners in each heat advanced, with the next two spots determined by time.
William Leer won the first heat in 3:51:27, with the next four finishers in that heat also advancing. Matthew Centrowitz won the second and much-faster heat in 3:41.90, with Fernandez 11th. The last qualifier on time ran 3:42.77, one second faster than Fernandez.
Fernandez, who won an NCAA individual 1,500-meter title while at Oklahoma State after running for Riverbank, Ca. High School, had qualified for the semifinals with a 3:41.33 effort on Thursday night.
Former UC Davis standout Kim Conley, a member of the Sacramento Running Association’s Elite Team, remains the only local runner who has made the U.S. Olympic team during the Trials.
Conley delivered a stirring performance in the women’s 5,000 meters on Thursday night, roaring down the stretch to win a photo finish for third place and just beat the Olympic ‘A’ standard of 15:20 with a 15:19.79 effort.
The Sacramento Running Association is a non-profit organization dedicated to finding ways to encourage people of all ages and abilities to run. The SRA is committed to developing new, quality running events that appeal to a broad variety of runners.
SRA events include the California International Marathon, which celebrates its 30th anniversary on Dec. 2. More than 4,000 runners have already registered for the race.
Other SRA events include the Lake Natoma Four Bridges Half Marathon, The Super Bowl Sunday 10k Run and the Credit Union SACTOWN Ten-Mile Run.
SRA beneficiaries include the American River Parkway, youth fitness programs, local running venues and aspiring young runners.