Jantzen Oshier wins second straight Arcadia title.
Photo by Louis Lopez
Already the national leader in the event and the defending champion, the Trabuco Hills senior won in a personal best of 4:06.81.
Oshier, whose previous best was 4:07.78 set just two weeks earlier, said recent 800 training helped him down the stretch to edge Torrey Pines senior Matt Carpowich (4:07.15). Carpowich appeared primed to make a pass in the final 75 meters, but Oshier found another gear to win going away. The rest of the field was well back.
"I could definitely feel (Carpowich) on my right and the crowd was going crazy, so I just had to push," Oshier said.
Oshier went 1:52 to win a local 800 dual meet on Wednesday.
"My coach told me to stop worrying bout numbers and just run," Oshier said.
Asked if he could possibly challenge the magic four-minute mile barrier and Oshier said: "Anyone can talk about breaking it, but it's all talk until you get it done."
As a freshman, Oshier came to his first Arcadia Invitational and was blown away by the competition and ambiance.
"I remember thinking how cool it would be to win here once," he said. "I never once imagined I'd have the opportunity to win here twice."
