Jimmy O'Brien - National Champion Spotlight

For the first three laps of the NCAA III National Indoor Championship 800-meter race, Jimmy O'Brien was in trouble.

Or so it appeared.

Seven other middle-distance stars trapped the Ohio Northern sophomore on the inside of Lane 1 at the Rose Holman Sports and Recreation Center's indoor track in Indiana on March 10.

With one lap to go O'Brien was stuck in fourth place with two competitors directly in front of him, an opponent on his right shoulder and four runners on his tail squeezing him into a box.

"I was a little worried going into the last lap," ONU assistant track and field coach Jason Maus said. "I was afraid he wasn't going to get out of the box."

Maus and head track and field coach Brian Cole weren't afraid for long, though.

Seconds after the eight runners made the turn to begin the final 200-meter lap, Geoff Lambert of Wabash (Ind.), the opponent on O'Brien's right, bolted to the front. Lambert's bold move gave O'Brien just enough time to free himself from his Lane 1 trap.

"I got out ok. I was right behind the leader but I was definitely boxed and it just kind of stayed like that for three laps," O'Brien said. "Then right at the beginning of the fourth lap, Lambert passed me on my right side, I had an opening right then so I just followed him."
In an instant the 2007 Ohio Athletic Conference Indoor 800 Champion and ONU record-holder was sprinting down the back straightaway setting himself up for a kick. Off the final turn, O'Brien began running away from the pack. In the race's final 50 meters, O'Brien went from third to first, in the process claiming ONU men's track and field's first ever national title with a time of 1:53.48.

"We talked about staying patient and waiting for the door to open," said Maus, of the pre-race plan. "And that's exactly what he did. When he got out of that box we knew it was over.

Coming into the race, O'Brien was already a veteran of the NCAA III National Championships.

Last spring, he finished ninth in the 800 at the outdoor championships in Benedictine (Ill.), just missing All-American by .11 seconds.

"At [the outdoor championships] I didn't run to win it like I normally run my races," said O'Brien, adding that he was just happy to be in the national finals. "That motivated me a lot to run my race this time... just to go after it."

Cole saw a different O'Brien on Rose Holman's track this winter than the one he saw in Benedictine last spring.
"That was the difference between outdoors last year and indoors this year," Cole said. "Jimmy was running to win. It looked like an [ONU Friday Night Series] race."

Before capturing his NCAA Championship, O'Brien blazed through the 2006-07 indoor season in dominating fashion.

Adding to his 2005 Ohio High School Division II 800-meter state championship and his 2006 Ohio Athletic Conference title in the same event , O'Brien won the 800 at the Illinois Wesleyan Titan Open, the All-Ohio Championships and the OAC Championships this winter.

He edged out Mount Union senior Ryan Garro by less than .50 seconds in the latter two meets.

It's a testament to O'Brien's character that Garro, himself competing in the national championship distance-medley relay race, cheered his OAC rival on at Rose Holman.

"He has an incredible finish and it was not surprising to see him pull away from the whole field in the last 100 or so meters in the 800-meter final," Garro said. "I wish him the bust of luck in outdoor and I cannot wait to race against the national champion again."

This spring O'Brien must adjust to what comes with a national championship - a target on your back.

"He's not going to be a dark horse anymore," Maus said.

O'Brien must also contend with expectations.

In only his second year at ONU, O'Brien hasn't even completed half of his collegiate track career. Multiple national titles are not out of the question.

A few days after his exciting come-from-behind performance at Rose Holman, the 20-year old mechanical engineering major said his goals for the spring track season are simple.

"I had a great season," said O'Brien of his 2006-07 indoor campaign. "I guess I'll have to defend my title now."