By David Rogers. EUGENE, Ore. — An eyelash more than two seconds on July 6 is all that separated Blowing Rock’s Dan Schaffer from making the 12-man final round in the Men’s 1500m race of the 2023 Toyota USATF Outdoor Championships, at Hayward Field. Clocking 3:41.62 for the distance, Schaffer placed No. 15, only two seconds behind the No. 12 runner, Nike’s Cooper Teare and six seconds behind the top finisher in the prelims, Yared Nuguse (3:35.37), running for On Athletic Club.
Schaffer’s ZAP Endurance teammate Ryan Ford qualified to compete in two races the USATF outdoor national championships, in the 10,000 meters and 5,000 meters. He finished No. 15 in the 10,000m on Thursday night, running 29:28.13. Ford will be one of 24 athletes competing in the 5,000m race on Sunday, July 9.
“While these No. 15 finishes may not be what Dan and Ryan wanted, for both of them to get here in just their first year after college is pretty remarkable,” said ZAP Endurance head coach Pete Rea. “These are valuable experiences from which they will grow.”
