istance runner Dan Strackeljahn, a former standout at Eastern, will compete in the 1500-meter run today at the USA Track and Field Nationals at historic Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore.

Strackeljahn, who was named the 2007 OVC Male Track Athlete of the Year, earned a spot at the USATF Nationals with a third place finish in the 1500-meter at the Indiana Invaders High Performance Series meet in late May. He finished the race in a personal-best time of 3:42.67, ranking him 25th in the nation.

After a successful cross-country and track career at Eastern, where he earned numerous All-OVC honors, Strackeljahn embarked on a teaching career at Minooka High School. He has continued to run competitively while balancing the full-time job. At the Music City Distance Carnival, he broke the four-minute mile mark with a time of 3:59.77.

Eastern assistant track and field coach JaRod Tobler, who last summer narrowly missed qualifying for the U.S. Olympic Team, is also competing today in Eugene in the long jump. With his best jump of 8.16 meters, he is currently ranked sixth in the nation in the event.

The top performers from the USATF Nationals will be invited to represent Team USA in Berlin this August at the IAAF World Championships, which will be the first major international track and field event in the Berlin Olympic Stadium since the 1936 Olympic Games.

Jeff Jurinek can be reached at 581-7943 or at [email protected].