BOISE, Idaho β Nathan Green, a former Borah High School standout and three-time Idaho Gatorade Runner of the Year, captured a NCAA national title on Friday in the 1,500-meter race with a blazing time of 3:42.78.
Hot on the heels of claiming a Pac-12 Championship for the Washington Huskies with a time of 3:42.22, Green claimed the throne again at the 2023 NCAA outdoor track and field championships in Austin, alongside his teammate Joe Waskom who finished second.
"(The title) definitely one I've been chasing for a while," Green told KTVB Sports Director Jay Tust on Sunday. "This is only my second year in the NCAA but this has definitely been a big goal that me and my coaches have been working on for a while."
Waskom was going for back-to-back NCAA championships, but the Boise native carried the momentum from running the top time at NCAA Prelim quarterfinals (3:38.13) through Friday's win. The two Huskies shared a few moments celebrating their one-two finish and congratulating one another:
"It's not easy to do," Green told Tust.
Luke Houser, a Washington junior, also ran in Friday's 1,500-meter final, giving the Huskies three of the eight runners. Following the national-championship effort, Green talked to ESPN about running against his teammates and the competition level of the Pac-12 Champion squad.
"It's very special β don't get me wrong β I'm so happy and so blessed to do this, but they've never made us feel any different in the team," Green said in an interview with ESPN. "We're all one unit, I'm just proud to be a part of that number."
During the fall of his senior year at Borah High, Green committed to Washington after considering offers from Boise State, Northern Arizona and Oklahoma State. In June 2019, Green became just the third male athlete from Idaho to win Gatorade Player of the Year honors in both cross country and track and field in the same year. Green won the cross country honor twice.
At the Idaho state track and field championships in May 2019, Green won 5A titles in both the 1,600 meters and the 3,200 meters.
Watch more Sports:
See KTVB sports coverage in our YouTube playlist:
Download the KTVB mobile app to get breaking news, weather and important stories at your fingertips.