QUERETARO, Mexico — Ole Miss track and field sophomore Cade Bethmann won a gold medal while representing Team USA at the NACAC U23 Championships, winning the men’s 1500-meter final in thrilling fashion on Sunday morning.
Bethmann, the SEC Cross Country Freshman of the Year and a First-Team All-American indoors this past season, used a late kick in what ended up being a slow and tactical final, clipping off a 56.04 on his final lap to win the gold medal at 4:02.84.
“The goal was to stay as comfortable as I could until the last 200 and then hit the button,” Bethmann said. “It was really hard to be patient and wait to kick, but when I finally made the move I finally got to separate myself from the race.”
This wraps up a superb sophomore season for Bethmann, who was an integral part of the first SEC title in program history on the Rebel men’s cross country team in the fall, in addition to career seasons on the track both indoors and outdoors.
“Having the opportunity to compete in a USA jersey is something that’s once in a lifetime, and to leave with a medal is really satisfying,” Bethmann said.
Bethmann is one of three Rebels within the next week in international competition. Farah Abdulkarim will represent his native Canada in the 10K at the World University Games in Italy on Tuesday, while Ylvi Traxler will run in the 5K for Austria at the European U23 Championships in Sweden on July 15. The following weekend, four Rebels — Joseph Benedetto, Tedreauna Britt, Jayda Eckford and Brandee Presley — will represent Team USA in five events at the Pan American U20 Outdoor Championships in Costa Rica on July 18-21.
Afterward, past and present Rebels will compete at the USATF Outdoor Championships in Des Moines, Iowa on July 25-28 to vie for spots on Team USA for the 2019 IAAF World Outdoor Championships — held this year in Doha, Qatar from Sept. 27 until Oct. 6.
For more information on Ole Miss Track & Field and Cross Country, follow the Rebels on Twitter (@OleMissTrack), Facebook and Instagram.
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