Heyward and Southerland triumph in 2x2x400 relay to support wins from Amos, Ciattei and Price in commanding victory for OTC Elite in first head-to-head virtual track competition held only in United States during pandemic

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

The first head-to-head virtual track competition showcased solely on American soil during the Coronavirus pandemic took place Saturday with the Return of the Dual, as Oregon Track Club Elite prevailed by a 6-1 margin against Atlanta Track Club Elite following the conclusion of five head-to-head races 2,700 miles apart.

Oregon Track Club Elite competed at Hamlin Middle School in Springfield, with Atlanta Track Club Elite racing at Landmark Christian School in Fairburn, Ga.

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Jake Heyward of Wales and American Sabrina Southerland clinched the overall victory for Oregon Track Club Elite by clocking 3 minutes, 46.24 seconds in a mixed 2x2x400-meter relay to earn the final three points.

Avery Bartlett and Megan Malasarte, both Americans, had an opportunity to secure a come-from-behind win for Atlanta Track Club Elite with a relay victory and were even following the first two legs, but couldn’t maintain the momentum in the second half of the relay and clocked 3:51.29.

Atlanta Track Club Elite prevailed in only one race, when Sweden’s Yolanda Ngarambe clocking 3:20.97 in the women’s 1,200 when American Hanna Green had to withdraw from the competition for Oregon Track Club Elite as an injury precaution.

That cut the overall deficit to 3-1 and gave Atlanta Track Club Elite an opportunity to triumph in the overall dual scoring with a victory in the winner-take-all relay.

Oregon Track Club Elite swept both 600-meter races, with Botswana’s Nijel Amos clocking 1:17.84 to edge American Dylan Capwell of Atlanta Track Club Elite, who ran 1:18.93.

Chanelle Price ran 1:27.83 in the women’s 600 for Oregon Track Club Elite to knock off fellow American Rachael Walters for Atlanta Track Club Elite in 1:34.73.

Vincent Ciattei increased the advantage for Oregon Track Club Elite by securing victory in the men’s 1,200 in 2:53.66 over fellow American Abraham Alvarado of Atlanta Track Club Elite in 2:56.38.

Following virtual pole vault and multi-event competitions organized by World Athletics, along with the Impossible Games highlighting athletes competing June 11 in Norway and Kenya, the Return of the Dual was showcased virtually by TrackTown USA and Running City USA, with the athletes being filmed and timed simultaneously, despite the distance in between the host facilities in Georgia and Oregon.

The event was held with the goal of raising $10,400 for Atlanta Mission and Food for Lane County, the total representing the overall amount of meters covered by both teams during the competition.