Evan Jager opened his season with a win at the Bryan Clay Invitational last week in California.
Jager took a narrow win over Isaac Kimeli of Belgium in the men’s 5000m, holding on down the home stretch to break the tape in 13:24.77, just in front of Kimeli in 13:24.92. Suguru Osako of the Nike Oregon Project was third in 13:29.11. This was Jager’s third race of the year, having finished fifth at the USATF Cross Country Championships and clocked a 3:58 mile indoors.
Earlier this week, Jager announced his first steeplechase outing of the season will come at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, which takes place on May 26 in Hayward Field. The Olympic silver medalist will take on his conqueror in Rio, Kenya’s Conseslus Kipruto, who will go to Eugene fresh from victory at the Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast this month. Morocco’s Soufiane El Bakkali, 22, the silver medalist at last year’s World Outdoor Championships, is also in the field.