American Record: Mary Slaney, 3:57.12
2007 U.S. Champion: Treniere Clement, 4:07.04
2004 Olympic Trials Champion: Carrie Tollefson, 4:08.32
Top 5 Seed Marks
1.) Shannon Rowbury, 4:01.61
2.) Christin Wurth-Thomas, 4:04.88
3.) Erin Donohue, 4:05.55
4.) Treniere Clement, 4:05.68
5.) Amy Mortimer, 4:07.23
Chances are American record holder Mary Decker-Slaney will be in the stands watching the current generation of U.S. 1,500m runners compete for this year’s Trials title. Shannon Rowbury was injured all of the 2007 outdoor season, then came out of nowhere to win this year’s U.S. indoor title and then won at the Adidas Track Classic with her top time. The 24-year-old was running times in the 4:15 to 4:20 range even in 2006, but has a become a front-runner in a packed field. Rowbury holds the fourth best time in the world this year.
Christin Wurth-Thomas was the 2007 U.S. outdoor and indoor runner-up, and then Rowbury came along. She still has a great shot to make the U.S. Olympic team, running third at the Prefontaine Classic in 4:04.88 and second at the Adidas Track Classic.
Erin Donohue was third at the U.S. outdoor championships last year and was a four-time all-American at North Carolina. This year, she has finished fourth at the Prefontaine Classic and first in the 800m at the Adidas Track Classic. Donohue’s strengths don’t all lie on the track, however; she was a two-time runner-up at the National Scholastic Outdoor javelin.