‘I wanted to win so bad.’ Boise State senior outlasts competition for national track title
Kristie Schoffield crossed the finish line and put her hand to her mouth. Even she was in disbelief.
The Boise State senior stuck to her race plan and it paid off in the form of a national championship in the women’s 800 meters Saturday at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.
Schoffield’s time of 2 minutes, 1.09 seconds was a Mountain West, Boise State and personal record.
“I’ve played that moment over and over and over in my head,” Schoffield told ESPN after the race. “It’s just another race, but at the same time I was just thinking: ‘This is it. This is the national championship right here.’ How many times have I thought about this in practice when I’m finishing a rep? At night before I go to bed? I wanted to win so bad.”
Schoffield ran much of the race in second place behind Baylor’s Aaliyah Miller, who started fast and took a significant lead over the rest of the field. But Schoffield didn’t waiver from her pace, passing Miller over the final 100 meters for the victory. Villanova’s McKenna Keegan (2:01.71) was second and Oklahoma State’s Gabija Galvydyte (2:01.76) took third.
“She did everything we had planned,” Boise State assistant coach Gavin O’Neal said in a news release. “I wanted her to get through the 400 (meters) in 58 or 59 seconds and the 600 (meters) in (1:29). Her closing speed is ridiculous, and you saw that today. As she was gearing up, other runners were starting to slow down. She executed perfectly.”
Schoffield is now the fourth woman in Boise State track and field history to win an individual national championship. She joins Eleni Kafourou (2009 indoor long jump), Emma Bates (2014 outdoor 10,000) and Allie Ostrander (2017-19 outdoor 3,000 steeplechase).
Just as ESPN approached Schoffield for an interview after the race, she spotted her mom in the crowd and ran over for a hug.
“She is my best friend,” Schoffield said. “She has been through all the highs and lows of my racing career and it was only right to share that moment with her.”
Schoffield, a native of Concord, New Hampshire, is the first woman outside the Power 5 to win the 800 since 2012.
“(Winning) was a speechless moment,” Schoffield said. “It is the culmination of the hard work I have put in and the countless hours people around me have worked.”
Borah grad becomes All-American
Nathan Green, a 2021 graduate of Borah High School, earned All-American honors in the men’s 1,500 meters Friday at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.
Green, who now runs for Washington, placed seventh in the event in 3:46.26 to become the first true freshman to score in a running event for the Huskies at the national meet since 1998.
