Cross Country
Prakel, Sam
Sam Prakel
- Title:
- Volunteer Assistant, Distances
A five-time All-American, U.S. Olympic Trials competitor, and the 2018 Pac-12 Champion at 1,500-meters, Sam Prakel enters his fourth season as a volunteer assistant coach for the Huskies in 2022-23. An Oregon product, Prakel assists his college coaches, Andy and Maurica Powell, with the Washington distance runners.
Continuing to be trained by Powell, Prakel showed his talent in his best race to date as a pro, when he ran a mile PR of 3:50.94 in March of 2019, becoming the No. 5 all-time American indoor miler. He made the 2022 USATF 1,500-meter final, the fifth year in a row he made the U.S. final.
Prakel was a three-time NCAA Outdoor finalist at 1,500-meters and two-time NCAA Indoor finalist in the mile. He was a career-best third in the NCAA mile final as a senior in 2018 and sixth in the NCAA 1,500m final. His best NCAA 1,500m finish was fifth as a sophomore in 2016.
He won his first Pac-12 title as a senior, finishing in 3:40.20 for the win at Stanford. His 1,500m collegiate PR of 3:36.84 ranked No. 6 in Oregon history and his mile PR of 3:56.89 ranked third in Oregon history.
At the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials Prakel was 18th in the semifinals. A year later, he reached the 1,500m final at USA’s, finishing seventh.
Prakel also excelled in the classroom, winning the NCAA Elite 90 Award for indoor track in 2016, given to the athlete with the highest GPA at the meet. He was the 2017 Pac-12 Cross Country Scholar-Athlete of the Year and a First Team Academic All-American in 2016.
Prakel is a native of Versailles, Ohio.
Continuing to be trained by Powell, Prakel showed his talent in his best race to date as a pro, when he ran a mile PR of 3:50.94 in March of 2019, becoming the No. 5 all-time American indoor miler. He made the 2022 USATF 1,500-meter final, the fifth year in a row he made the U.S. final.
Prakel was a three-time NCAA Outdoor finalist at 1,500-meters and two-time NCAA Indoor finalist in the mile. He was a career-best third in the NCAA mile final as a senior in 2018 and sixth in the NCAA 1,500m final. His best NCAA 1,500m finish was fifth as a sophomore in 2016.
He won his first Pac-12 title as a senior, finishing in 3:40.20 for the win at Stanford. His 1,500m collegiate PR of 3:36.84 ranked No. 6 in Oregon history and his mile PR of 3:56.89 ranked third in Oregon history.
At the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials Prakel was 18th in the semifinals. A year later, he reached the 1,500m final at USA’s, finishing seventh.
Prakel also excelled in the classroom, winning the NCAA Elite 90 Award for indoor track in 2016, given to the athlete with the highest GPA at the meet. He was the 2017 Pac-12 Cross Country Scholar-Athlete of the Year and a First Team Academic All-American in 2016.
Prakel is a native of Versailles, Ohio.
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