HILTZ, KESSLER SPRINT TO 3000M TITLES AT USATF INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPSBy David Monti, @d9monti(c) 2025 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved, used with permission.
STATEN ISLAND (22-Feb) — Nikki Hiltz (lululemon) and Hobbs Kessler (adidas) narrowly won their 3000m titles on the first day of the 2025 USATF Indoor Championships at the Ocean Breeze Athletics Complex. Both Hiltz, 30, and Kessler, 21, had to call on their superior sprint speed in order to prevail today, winning by a combined margin of just 17/100ths of a second. For both athletes –who do their best running in the 1500m– today’s victories were their first at 3000m at a national championships.
SHELBY HOULIHAN RETURNS
Just 400 meters into the women’s 3000m, Shelby Houlihan went to the lead in her first national indoor championships in five years. Houlihan, 32, just returned to action after a four-year doping suspension which began in December of 2020. Unsponsored and wearing a plain black uniform, Houlihan said that she felt good running again on a big stage.
“Honestly, not as much nerves as I thought,” she told a group of reporters. “I just felt ready and psyched.”
Houlihan proceeded to completely control the race. She kept the pace relatively slow, 3:07.4 through 1000 meters and 6:07.2 through 2000m. That was perfect for Hiltz who has a fast finish.
“It was awesome when it wasn’t fast,” a smiling Hiltz told reporters after the race. “I was like, let’s go, you know?”
Hiltz trailed Houlihan closely along with Whittni Morgan (adidas), Katelyn Tuohy (adidas), Olivia Markezich (On Athletics Club), and Emily Mackay (New Balance Boston). In the final kilometer, Houlihan started to squeeze down the pace, going from about 34 seconds per lap, to the 33’s, then to 30.5 for the penultimate lap. Hiltz was ready for what would come next, even though they weren’t totally confident with their finishing speed at this point in the year.
“Honestly, I think I might be in better 3-K shape than mile shape right now,” Hiltz admitted. “Honestly, it’s hard to be sharp at this time of year with the way I train.”
But Hiltz, a former Arkansas Razorback, had plenty of snap in their legs, and pulled past Houlihan in the homestretch on the strength of a 29.3-second final lap. Hiltz clocked 8:48.28 to Houlihan’s 8:48.43, winning their first-ever 3000m indoor title. Morgan was a close third in 8:48.56 and likely qualified for the World Athletics Indoor Championships because Hiltz said that those championships –scheduled for Nanjing, China, in late March– were too close to the opening meet of the new Grand Slam Track series which opens on April 4 in Kingston, Jamaica.
“I’m not going to go this year,” Hiltz explained. “Grand Slam Track is just a little too close. This is purely to try to win two championship races. The U.S. is so deep and strong right now. It’s our decision not to go, but ultimately it just made sense to stay put this time.”
Houlihan was clearly pleased with her race.
“I’m happy with second,” Houlihan said. “The biggest goal was to make the world team and I still have four weeks to continue sharpening up and getting ready for worlds. Obviously I wanted to win, but it was awesome that last 50 meters (and) I didn’t quite have it.”
KESSLER JUST NIPS JACOBS
The men’s race was run in a similar fashion. Olympic steeplechaser Matt Wilkinson (Under Armour) went to the front early and established a solid pace. He led for 11 straight laps, holding the pace at about 31 seconds per lap (about a 7:45 finish time). With three laps to go, Dylan Jacobs (On Athletics Club) took the lead, and the pace dropped to 28 seconds per lap. Soon, three athletes were away: Jacobs, Kessler, and Sam Gilman. Gilman had run for the Air Force Academy in college and now represents New Balance.
“It was pretty dicey,” Kessler said after the race. “Dylan’s a really good runner which everyone knew before.”
At the bell, Kessler tried to get around Jacobs, but was held off.
“I knew what was coming,” Jacobs told Race Results Weekly. “He tried to pass… and I held him off. I think it’s hard to pass the last lap of an indoor track.”
Kessler decided to save his energy for one last lunge for victory in the homestretch. Coming around Jacobs on the outside he sprinted furiously to get around the former Notre Dame star. But Jacobs would not give up, and fought Kessler all the way to the line. The two crashed through the tape, Kessler tumbled to the track, and meet officials gave Kessler the win by just 2/100ths of a second, 7:38.00 to 7:38.02 (Kessler’s time was a championships record). Gilman took third in 7:38.64.
“On another day he would have had it,” Kessler said of Jacobs. “I was just lucky I had that .02. It made for a really exciting race.”
Kessler now has to reboot for tomorrow’s 1500m where he is also the favorite for victory. He said he would be ready.
“I do this all the time,” he said. “I’m not unfamiliar to run hard two days in a row.”
FAVORITES ADVANCE IN 800M QUALIFYING
The first round of the women’s 800m saw tight racing as the athletes knew that only the heat winners were guaranteed spots in the final. In the first of four heats, Addy Wiley (adidas) led for the first three laps, and was still in the lead coming into the homestretch. But she quickly tied up, and Valery Tobias (Brooks Beasts) saw an opening and sprinted ahead on the inside for the win in 2:00.64. Sammy Watson (adidas) also passed Wiley, finished second, and advanced on time in 2:00.83. Both women set indoor personal bests.
“Anything can open up at any moment, so I was just trying to look for the opening,” Tobias told reporters. “I’m trying to stay focused, just trying to trust my training and my strength.”
The second heat saw an exciting homestretch battle between Sage Hurta-Klecker and Krissy Gear. Gear, the 2023 USATF steeplechase champion, gave Hurta-Klecker an incredible fight, nearly passing the 1:57.53 800m runner on the outside. The two women broke the tape at precisely the same moment with official times of 2:00.56. It was a rare dead heat.
“I’m happy with it,” said Gear. “I’m really pleased to end up with a big ‘Q.’”
But moments later, Gear was disqualified for “stepping on the line multiple times,” an official told Race Results Weekly (USATF rule 163.5(e). That made Hurta-Klecker the winner, and second place Rachel Gearing (Atlanta Track Club) did not run fast enough to advance on time (2:03.48).
Kaela Edwards (adidas) won the third heat easily in 2:00.44, and McKenna Keegan (Nike) took second in 2:00.82 and advanced on time. Nia Akins (Hoka), the 2024 USA Olympic Trials 800m champion, won the fourth and final heat in 2:01.36. She was the only athlete to advance from that heat.
Qualifying for the men’s 800m final was a little more forgiving with the three heat winners plus the next three-fastest losers advancing. Not surprisingly, USA indoor 800m record holder Josh Hoey (adidas) won the first heat from gun to tape, comfortably beating Brannon Kidder (Brooks Beasts), 1:46.59 to 1:47.21.
“Just kind of went to the front, tried to control the race a little bit,” Hoey said. “Excited for tomorrow; feeling good.”
Former NCAA D-II star at Nebraska-Kearney, Wes Ferguson (Unattached), won the second heat with an explosive move with about 120 meters to go. He blasted past leaders Jonah Koech (Under Armour) and Isaiah Harris (Brooks Beasts) and posted the fastest time of the day, 1:45.34, a personal best. Both Koech (1:46.34) and Isaiah Harris (1:46.46) advanced on time.
“Only one race coming into the meet, I knew I was fit,” said Ferguson, wearing a vintage Nike Oregon Track Club Elite singlet (he is currently unsponsored). “Tired of waiting around and I just went for it.”
Brandon Miller (Brooks Beasts) won the third and final heat with relative ease, drafting Jonah Hoey and pulling away from his rival on the backstretch of the final lap. Miller ran 1:45.58, and Shane Cohen (Nike) rolled up Hoey in the homestretch to take second in 1:46.48, fast enough to advance.
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The 2025 USATF Indoor Championships conclude tomorrow, and there will be finals in both the 800m and 1500m. Hiltz, Houlihan and Kessler will all be running in the 1500m.
