On May 24, 2003, a freshman from Willamette University won an impressive 1500 / 800 double at the D3 outdoor championships, taking down in the process two seniors who were who where both fresh (1500 2nd placer, Bak, would unsuccessfully double back in the 5000 later in the day).
Nick Symmonds would end up finishing college undefeated in the 800m, and win a total of 7 NCAA outdoor titles between the 8 and 15.
Later, he would go on to make many World and Olympic teams, including placing 5th in the 800 at the London 2012 games (considered by many to be one of the greatest races of all time), and in 2013, he earned a silver medal at the word championships.
Through his athletic career, Symmonds was an activist, an athlete advocate, author, and entrepreneur. After retiring from professional track, he has continued his creative approach to promotion of sports and fitness through a YouTube channel that has garnered over 1 million subscribers.
Thank you, Nick Symmonds, for the memories, and for leaving the sport a little better than you found it.