Matt Centrowitz

Matthew Centrowitz Sr. (born January 28, 1955 ) is a two-time Olympic distance runner, a four-time United States champion, a collegiate All-American, a nationally renowned high school athlete, and a collegiate cross country and track coach.

Life and early career Centrowitz was born in New York, New York, the son of Theresa (Corrigan) and Sid Centrowitz. He attended Power Memorial Academy, where he won state championships in the half mile, one mile and two mile events and became the first New Yorker to break nine minutes in the two mile run (8:56.2). events. for one year, then transferred to the University of Oregon. In 1976, he broke Steve Prefontaine's 1500 m school record, running 3:36.7. He was on the Ducks' 1977 NCAA Cross Country Championship team and graduated from Oregon in 1978. He won a gold medal in the 5000 m run at the 1979 Pan-American Games in San Juan, Puerto Rico, In 1982, he set the American record in the 5000 m with a time of 13:12.91. Centrowitz has coached seven All-American runners. In 2001–02, his athletes captured nine Patriot League titles in track and field, earned seventeen All-League honors, two All-Region honors and one All-East award. In 2003–04, both the men's and women's cross country teams captured league titles, five of the six Athletes of the Meet, twenty First-Team All-League selections and nine Second-Team All-League selections. In 2004–05, the men's cross country team won its third straight Patriot League title.

Awards and honors Centrowitz was inducted into the University of Oregon Athletic Hall of Fame with the other members of the 1977 University of Oregon Cross Country team in 1998. In 2005, he was named Mid-Atlantic Regional Coach of the Year. and qualified for the Olympic Trials in 2012. Matt Jr competed for the University of Oregon (his father's alma mater) and competed professionally with the Bowerman Track Club. In 2011, Matt Jr. became the 2011 United States Champion in the 1500 metres and was the bronze medalist at 1500 metres in the 2011 World Championships. In 2016, he won the gold medal at the 2016 World Indoor Championships and then won the gold medal in the 1500 metres at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, becoming the first U.S. runner to win the event since 1908.