The men of the Bowerman Track Club weren’t about to run a tactical 3k on Friday night in Portland. When they came through in 2:00 at the 800m, we knew this wasn’t business as usual at the USATF Championships.

While most all championship distance races are run like molasses until the last few laps, the crew of Evan Jager, Ryan Hill, Lopez Lomong, and Andrew Bayer threw out convention and started hammering from the gun, a move that would define the race. Just Garrett Heath was the only non-Bowerman athlete willing to go with the jaw-dropping tempo, which saw the five men split 4:03 through 1600m. 

Lomong ended up just being a pacer in a race that looked more like a Diamond League bout than a championship fight.

In the end, it would be Hill who would hang on best off the wicked pace, as the 25-year-old took the crown in a 7:38.60 PR. Paul Chelimo was the massive surprise in 2nd in 7:39.00, as he ran more than a 5 second PR to nab a spot on his first World Championship team. In a race as wild as this one was, Chelimo’s upset runner-up finish seemed fitting. 

The 25-year-old Chelimo shot out of a jet pack in the last lap to split a dizzying 26.85, kicking like a madman to grab a spot on the Worlds starting line.   

Galen Rupp was never a factor, which isn’t hugely surprising since he ran a marathon just 27 days ago. The wicked tempo left the 29-year-old Olympic silver medalist struggling throughout the race, and he would end up 8th in 7:48.34.

The Oregon Project threw a slight bit of shade on the teamwork that their Bowerman rivals employed, which led to this incredible exchange:

.@OregonPJT WERE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED!?! pic.twitter.com/GysIjB8A0k

— BowermanTC (@BowermanTC) March 12, 2016

I like my track with a little attitude. Nice work all around. 

Ryan Hill and Paul Chelimo! That's your team! A lightning quick 7:38!! The fast pace took its toll on Rupp pic.twitter.com/Xzi94g1FBI

— FloTrack (@FloTrack) March 12, 2016

Here was Hill's reaction

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The women's race saw Shannon Rowbury repeat on her national title by making a hard move with 800m remaining in the race. With a blazing 61-second final 400m, Rowbury created a sizable gap against the field and ran away with yet another national title. 

.@ShannonRowbury takes #USATFindoors 3k crown in 8:55! 61 last 400! @abbey_dags 2nd pic.twitter.com/QjcDUFaUut

— FloTrack (@FloTrack) March 12, 2016

The Nike Oregon Project athlete ran 8:55 to claim the victory by two seconds over Abbey D'Agostino who closed in 8:57. Rowbury said the day before the USATF Indoor Championships that she was aiming to use the meet to look past the doping scandals in track and field, and as her performance showed, she was able to successfully put it out of her mind with a victory in her home of Portland. 

Rowbury spoke out against the recent doping scandals in the women's 1500m in an interview with FloTrack earlier this week, where she stated that she had no idea where she stood in the final results of the 2012 Olympic final results. 

“Even still, when I’m asked if I was in the Olympics, I tell people ‘yes I was in two’ and then they ask how I placed, and I don’t even know what to say,” she said.

After the race, Rowbury said she felt ready to return for the 1500m on Saturday, but the decision would have to be left for the coaches to decide.

"I feel like I just did a hard 400m today but I don't know if the coaches would be up for it [1500m] given that Worlds is so close," Rowbury told the media after her race. "In any other scenario I would be doing the 1500 for sure, but I just have to go talk to coach and see what they say."

FULL RESULTS