Hiltz advances to 1,500 final - Santa Cruz Sentinel

U.S. OLYMPIC TRACK AND FIELD TEAM TRIALS

Hiltz advances to 1,500 final

Aptos native can make Olympic team with top-three finish

From left, Heather MacLean, Elle St. Pierre, Sinclaire Johnson and Nikki Hiltz compete in the women’s 1,500-meter semifinal on Day 8 of the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Track & Field Trials at Hayward Field on Friday evening in Eugene, Ore. CHRISTIAN PETERSEN — GETTY IMAGES

Aptos native Nikki Hiltz after winning Heat 1 of the women’s 1,500-meter semifinals during the U.S. Track and Field Olympic Team Trials Friday evening in Eugene, Ore. GEORGE WALKER IV — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

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By Jim Seimas

jseimas@santacruzsentinel.com

Aptos native Nikki Hiltz, a 29-year-old, nonbinary runner who is sponsored by lululemon, will compete under the national spotlight again on Sunday with a berth on the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Team at stake.

Hiltz turned in a beautifully crafted 1,500-meter race on Friday evening to secure a spot in the final at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Eugene, Oregon.

Hiltz finished in 4 minutes, 1.40 seconds to place first in Heat 1 of the semifinals. They have now made a final in the 1,500 in seven straight U.S. championships.

“Just that in itself is such a win,” said Hiltz, in a post-race interview with reporters. “I’m just happy with how I race. That’s an accomplishment right there.”

Hiltz has focused on the process and running their best race more than they have their placing and outcome. Hiltz has gone so far as to not to not use the “O” word, as in Olympics. Doing that has allowed Hiltz to run freely and thoroughly enjoy the competition.

The 1,500 final takes place Sunday at 5:09 p.m. The top tree finishers make Team U.S.A.

“Today was really good practice,” Hiltz said. “The bell is going to ring on Sunday and there’s going to be five people there. And then it’s just fun and exciting.”

Hiltz surged from fourth into the lead in the second to last turn of the semifinals and turned on the afterburners down the home stretch.

Nike’s Sinclaire Johnson took second in 4:01.68 in Heat 1 and New Balance’s Heather MacLean took third in 4:02.09.

The nonbinary runner said they were trying for the win, hoping to leave nothing for chance.

“With 200 to go I felt great. And I didn’t want to get caught up with any tripping, so I just went for it,” said the Aptos High alumna, who went on to shine at University of Oregon before capping their collegiate career at University of Arkansas.

New Balance’s Cory McGee (4:02.09) and Elle St. Pierre (4:02.14) also advanced from Heat 1 to the final.

New Balance’s Emily Mackay (4:02.46), Nike’s Elise Cranny (4:02.56), Nike’s Helen Schlachtenhaufen (4:02.68), Northern Arizona’s Maggi Congdon (4:02.79), adidas’ Addy Wiley (4:02.92), New Balance’s Dani Jones (4:04.45), and Nike’s Christina Aragon (4:05.36) advanced from Heat 2.

“You need speed and strength, and belief, more than anything,” Hiltz said. “No one on that start is better than anyone else. We all do the training, we all put in the work. You need a little bit of luck, too, so all of it, stars aligning.

“I believe I’m in a good place. I just have to execute.”

Hiltz has executed plenty in recent months. They posted a victory in the 1,500 at the USATF Indoor Championships in Albuquerque, N.M., in February despite not feeling well, and finished with a bronze at the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Glasgow, Scotland, in March.