Green Wins National Track Athlete Of The Week
April 28, 2025 | Track & Field
SEATTLE – After his Penn Relays heroics powered the Huskies to their first two Men's Championship Wheels in program history, senior Nathan Green has been named USTFCCCA National Men's Track & Field Athlete of the Week.
The Boise, Idaho miler made a statement with his Husky teammates that "Mile City" can travel. Competing at the legendary Penn Relays at Franklin Field in Philadelphia, the Huskies captured the Distance Medley Relay Championship of America on Friday, Apr. 25, and then on Saturday, Apr. 26, they took home the 4xMile Championship of America, hoisting the famous Wheel trophies on consecutive days.
The UW women had first broken through in 2024 with a victory in the women's 4x800m Championship of America, which was the first ever Penn Relays win for Washington, men or women. The men didn't wait much longer to get their first championship wins.
In Friday's DMR, Ronan McMahon-Staggs ran the opening 1200-meter leg in 2:57.70, then handed to Bodi Ligons for the 400-meters, who posted the second-fastest split in the field of 46.08. Kyle Reinheimer then had the fastest 800m split in the field in 1:46.29, passing to Green for the 1,600m anchor. Green took the baton in third place but had moved up to second going into the final lap and he pulled away down the homestretch to win by more than a second, splitting a time of 3:55.15.
UW finished in 9:25.22 ahead of rival Oregon in second in 9:26.38, and also defeating Virginia, which won the NCAA Indoor title in the DMR.
Saturday's 4xMile turned into a tactical affair as hard rain made for less than ideal conditions to chase record times. McMahon-Staggs again led off, then Martin Barco carried followed by Rhys Hammond. Green's anchor carry was tactical once again between four of the most decorated and fastest milers the NCAA has ever seen.
Ethan Strand, the NCAA mile record-holder, carried for North Carolina. Gary Martin, the No. 2 miler in NCAA history behind Strand, carried for Virginia, and Liam Murphy, the NCAA 1,500m Record-holder, carried for Villanova. Green outkicked all of them on the final lap. He made the first decisive move, which Strand countered with a surge to retake the lead, but Green sustained his kick longer and moved past Strand again down the homestretch for the victory. All told the Huskies ran 16:24.61.
Green said post-race, "Doing this today is a cherry on top. We came here to just compete really hard and be our best selves, and that's what we were. I knew that the guys were going got put me in the right position to get up there and compete hard … I didn't know where I'd be in that top four, but I knew it was going to be me, Ethan, Liam, and Gary. We knew it was going to come down to us four, so with the first lap being slow it let me come back in, settle for a second, and I just tried to move up accordingly and use tactics I knew are advantageous for myself."
The Boise, Idaho miler made a statement with his Husky teammates that "Mile City" can travel. Competing at the legendary Penn Relays at Franklin Field in Philadelphia, the Huskies captured the Distance Medley Relay Championship of America on Friday, Apr. 25, and then on Saturday, Apr. 26, they took home the 4xMile Championship of America, hoisting the famous Wheel trophies on consecutive days.
The UW women had first broken through in 2024 with a victory in the women's 4x800m Championship of America, which was the first ever Penn Relays win for Washington, men or women. The men didn't wait much longer to get their first championship wins.
In Friday's DMR, Ronan McMahon-Staggs ran the opening 1200-meter leg in 2:57.70, then handed to Bodi Ligons for the 400-meters, who posted the second-fastest split in the field of 46.08. Kyle Reinheimer then had the fastest 800m split in the field in 1:46.29, passing to Green for the 1,600m anchor. Green took the baton in third place but had moved up to second going into the final lap and he pulled away down the homestretch to win by more than a second, splitting a time of 3:55.15.
UW finished in 9:25.22 ahead of rival Oregon in second in 9:26.38, and also defeating Virginia, which won the NCAA Indoor title in the DMR.
Washington takes the #PennRelays college men's distance medley in 9:25.22 over Oregon (9:25.38) and Texas A&M (9:35.84). @UWTrack pic.twitter.com/vrKhT2QLR4
— Penn Relays (@pennrelays) April 25, 2025
Saturday's 4xMile turned into a tactical affair as hard rain made for less than ideal conditions to chase record times. McMahon-Staggs again led off, then Martin Barco carried followed by Rhys Hammond. Green's anchor carry was tactical once again between four of the most decorated and fastest milers the NCAA has ever seen.
Ethan Strand, the NCAA mile record-holder, carried for North Carolina. Gary Martin, the No. 2 miler in NCAA history behind Strand, carried for Virginia, and Liam Murphy, the NCAA 1,500m Record-holder, carried for Villanova. Green outkicked all of them on the final lap. He made the first decisive move, which Strand countered with a surge to retake the lead, but Green sustained his kick longer and moved past Strand again down the homestretch for the victory. All told the Huskies ran 16:24.61.
What. A. Race. ??
— FloTrack (@FloTrack) April 26, 2025
The Huskies narrowly edged out Villanova, UNC, and Virginia to claim victory in the 4xMile at the #PennRelays with a time of 16:24.61! ????
Coverage presented by @on_running pic.twitter.com/RU6hT7IScW
Green said post-race, "Doing this today is a cherry on top. We came here to just compete really hard and be our best selves, and that's what we were. I knew that the guys were going got put me in the right position to get up there and compete hard … I didn't know where I'd be in that top four, but I knew it was going to be me, Ethan, Liam, and Gary. We knew it was going to come down to us four, so with the first lap being slow it let me come back in, settle for a second, and I just tried to move up accordingly and use tactics I knew are advantageous for myself."
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