Feb. 16, 2013

Recap

Chris O’Hare Breaking the NCAA Mile Record

Tulsa Senior Chris O’Hare:

On the last stretch of the race:

"I'd be an idiot to sit back and try to beat it in the last 50 of the race; no one ever does that.  I came here to take advantage of this incredible opportunity."

On setting the collegiate record:

"I knew it was going to go, whether it was Ryan (Hill), myself or Lawi (Lalang). I'm so happy. My coach and family keep me level. I'm very thankful for them. I didn't want to put any pressure on myself. 

His perspective on what it means to hold the record:

“It is a great honor to be associated with such great athletes that have held that record in the past, and the great athletes that will hold it in the future. I was grateful to run in such a high-profile meet, and I was ecstatic to get that time to set the collegiate record.”

On the competition:

“It is a great experience to run against such great athletes. I’m glad I had the honor and opportunity to run against them, and was happy I made the most of it.”

On the environment at The Armory:

"It (the Armory) is such a good place to run with a great atmosphere. I was just happy to be a part of it."

Tulsa Head Coach Steve Gulley:

On setting the record:

“I’m proud of Chris. We feel fortunate that he represented the University in such a high standard today. He went out today and ran the fastest collegiate mile in history, which is a hard thing to grasp.”