Tretez runs a huge PR of 1:47.13 to finish 6th at the IAAF World Junior Championships in Eugene.
IU Press Release
EUGENE, Ore. – Tre’tez Kinnaird capped off a memorable freshman season with a sixth-place finish in the 800m at the IAAF World Junior Championships Sunday at Hayward Field.
Kinnaird, who came in as just the third USA runner to qualify for the final in the last nine World Championships, crossed the finish line in a personal best of 1:47.13. His time is the second fastest time in IU school history, trailing only Olympian Jim Spivey.
“I think it was an incredible performance and really concludes a great season,” IU head coach Ron Helmer said. “For him to be in a race that went out as fast as it did and still keep his composure and run well says a lot about him. I think the experience he gained at USA and World Juniors is going to be priceless moving forward and I’m really proud of him.”
Alfred Kipketer from Kenya went out in 49.42 for the first 400m and won the gold medal in a time of 1:43.95.
Kinnaird was part of the IU distance medley relay team in the indoor track and field season that set an IU school record and ran the fifth fastest collegiate mark of all-time. That team went on to earn All-America honors with a third-place finish at the NCAA Indoor Championships.
After the NCAA outdoor season, in which he finished in second-place at the Big Ten Championships, Kinnaird won the USA Junior Championship in the 800m to qualify for the World Junior Championships.
