Matt Centrowitz
Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Nationality | American | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Born | New York, New York | January 28, 1955|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Alma mater | University of Oregon | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sport | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Country | United States of America | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sport | Track and Field | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Event | 5,000 meters | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Coached by | Bill Dellinger | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Matthew Centrowitz Sr.(born January 28, 1955[1]) is a two-time Olympic distance runner, a four-time United States champion, a collegiate All-American, a nationally renowned high school athlete, and a collegiate cross country and track coach.[2]
Life and early career
[edit]Centrowitz was born inNew York, New York,the son of Theresa (Corrigan) and Sid Centrowitz.[1]His father wasJewishand his mother was anIrishimmigrant.[3]He attendedPower Memorial Academy,where he won state championships in the half mile, one mile and two mile events and became the first New Yorker to break nine minutes in the two mile run (8:56.2).[2]In 1973 (his senior year), he was ranked as the country's number one high school mile runner.[2]He has the fourth best all-time high school 1500 m time of 3:43.4 and still holds the state record in the 1500 m and mile (4:02.7)[4]events.[2]
He attended Manhattan College in New York[5]for one year, then transferred to theUniversity of Oregon.In 1976, he brokeSteve Prefontaine's 1500 m school record, running 3:36.7. He was on the Ducks' 1977 NCAA Cross Country Championship team and graduated from Oregon in 1978.[2]
International competition
[edit]Centrowitz was a member of the US Olympic Team in 1976, competing in the 1500 m.[2]He qualified for the 1980 U.S. Olympic team but did not compete due to the U.S. Olympic Committee'sboycott of the 1980 Summer Olympicsin Moscow, Russia. He was one of 461 athletes to receive aCongressional Gold Medalinstead.[6] He won a gold medal in the 5000 m run at the 1979 Pan-American Games in San Juan, Puerto Rico,[2]and followed that with four United States national championships in the 5000 m run from 1979–82.[7]In 1982, he set the American record in the 5000 m with a time of 13:12.91.[2]
Coaching
[edit]He was the track coach for the Reebok Enclave, in charge of training distance runners who tried out for the 1996 and 2000 U.S. Olympic Team. He has coached three Olympians:David Strang,John Trautman andJen Rhines;and 1993 U.S. 1500 m Champion Bill Burke. Centrowitz is a member of theU.S. Olympic Development Committee.[2]
Centrowitz began his coaching career as an assistant track coach atSt. John's University (New York).He restarted the track program atAmerican Universityin 1999, becoming the cross-country and track coach.[8]Centrowitz has coached seven All-American runners. In 2001–02, his athletes captured ninePatriot Leaguetitles in track and field, earned seventeen All-League honors, two All-Region honors and one All-East award. In 2003–04, both the men's and women's cross country teams captured league titles, five of the six Athletes of the Meet, twenty First-Team All-League selections and nine Second-Team All-League selections. In 2004–05, the men's cross country team won its third straight Patriot League title.[2]
In July, 2018, he was named Cross Country and Track and Field Director at Manhattan College.[9]
Awards and honors
[edit]Centrowitz was inducted into the University of Oregon Athletic Hall of Fame with the other members of the 1977 University of Oregon Cross Country team in 1998.[10]In 2005, he was named Mid-Atlantic Regional Coach of the Year.[2]
Personal life
[edit]Matt Centrowitz and his wife Beverly had three children while living inAnnapolis, Maryland.Two of his children, daughter Lauren and sonMatthew Jr.are also accomplished distance runners. Lauren competed forStanford University[11]and qualified for theOlympic Trialsin 2012.[12]Matt Jr competed for theUniversity of Oregon(his father's alma mater)[13]and now competes professionally with theBowerman Track Club.[14]In 2011, Matt Jr. became the 2011 United States Champion in the1500 metres[15]and was the bronze medalist at1500 metresin the 2011 World Championships.[16]In 2016, he won the gold medal at the2016 World Indoor Championships[17]and then wonthe gold medal in the 1500 metresat the2016 Summer OlympicsinRio de Janeiro,becoming the firstU.S. runner to win the event since 1908.
References
[edit]- ^ab"Matt Centrowitz".Olympics at Sports-Reference.Archived fromthe originalon April 17, 2020.
- ^abcdefghijk"Refreshing to..."AU Eagles.
- ^"LetsRun Exclusive: Read Chapter Two of Matt Centrowitz's New Book" Like Father, Like Son "".LetsRun.RetrievedApril 24,2023.
- ^"Last One on the Books - the Complete Story Behind Centro's State Record Mile".
- ^"Washington City Paper".washingtoncitypaper.RetrievedFebruary 19,2016.
- ^Caroccioli, Tom; Caroccioli, Jerry (May 2008).Boycott: Stolen Dreams of the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games.Highland Park, IL: New Chapter Press. pp. 243–253.ISBN978-0942257403.
- ^"USA Track & Field".USA Track & Field. Archived fromthe originalon October 4, 2008.
- ^"Q&A with Matt Centrowitz".Momentum Media.
- ^"Matt Centrowitz Named Director of XC, Track and Field - Manhattan College".Manhattan College.RetrievedNovember 4,2018.
- ^"1977 Cross Country Team".GoDucks.RetrievedSeptember 29,2008.
- ^"Track & Field: Lauren Centrowitz".Archived fromthe originalon November 7, 2012.RetrievedNovember 9,2021.
- ^"USA Track & Field - Status of Entries".USA Track & Field.
- ^"Matthew Centrowitz".goducks.
- ^"Matthew Centrowitz Oregon Project Bio".Archived fromthe originalon September 16, 2016.RetrievedJune 15,2016.
- ^"USATF - Events - 2011 USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships".USA Track & Field.
- ^"Timetable & Results:Men's 1500 Meter - Final".Archived fromthe originalon January 22, 2012.RetrievedNovember 9,2021.
- ^"Matt Centrowitz Wins Gold in Oregon".March 21, 2016.
- 1955 births
- Living people
- American male middle-distance runners
- American male long-distance runners
- American people of Irish descent
- American people of Jewish descent
- Athletes (track and field) at the 1976 Summer Olympics
- Olympic track and field athletes for the United States
- University of Oregon alumni
- Sportspeople from Annapolis, Maryland
- Sportspeople from the Bronx
- Oregon Ducks men's track and field athletes
- Congressional Gold Medal recipients
- St. John's Red Storm track and field coaches
- American Eagles track and field coaches
- American Eagles cross country coaches
- Athletes (track and field) at the 1979 Pan American Games
- Medalists at the 1979 Pan American Games
- Pan American Games gold medalists for the United States in athletics (track and field)
- Track and field athletes from New York City