1500m Star Cole Hocker Turns Professional, Signs With Nike

After a season in which he won three NCAA titles and a US title and finished sixth in the Olympic 1500-meter final, star American miler Cole Hocker announced on Monday that he has forfeited the remainder of his NCAA eligibility and signed a professional contract with Nike. Hocker will be represented by agent Ray Flynn.

The 20-year-old Hocker, the 2018 Foot Locker Cross Country champion as a high schooler, burst onto the scene in 2021 during his second season at the University of Oregon. Indoors, he ran 3:50.55 for the mile — #2 all-time by a collegian — and won NCAA titles in the mile and 3000 meters in the span of an hour, setting a meet record of 3:53.71 in the former. Hocker was even better outdoors, winning the NCAA outdoor title at 1500 meters on his home track in Eugene. Sixteen days later, he returned to Hayward Field and won the US 1500-meter title in a memorable duel with 2016 Olympic champion Matthew Centrowitz. Then, in his first Olympics, Hocker ran personal bests in the semifinal (3:33.87) and final (3:31.40) to finish sixth overall.

posted Saturday September 18th
by Let’s Run