Tate emerging as a young star for U.S. track team
Chances are that even if you are remotely familiar with the USA’s powerhouse 4x400m relay, you might not know of Tavaris Tate. But learn the name. Judging by the blistering third leg the 19-year-old ran to help the U.S. team advance at the World Indoor Championships Saturday, he is a future star. Watch meet highlights at 6 p.m. ET on UniSports TV.
By Joe Battaglia, Universal Sports | Posted: Mar 13, 12:40a ET | Updated: Mar 13, 9:40p ET
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DOHA, Qatar - As Greg Nixon of the U.S. rounded the track on the first lap of the men’s 4x400m relay, he had a great view of Jamaica’s leadoff runner Edino Steele.
But, as an athlete, that’s not exactly one of the vistas you would pay extra for.
Team USA’s second leg, LeJerald Betters closed the gap to about even, but never opened a significant advantage of any kind.
That left things to the USA’s third leg, Tavaris Tate.
Right now if you’re asking yourself, “Who is Tavaris Tate?” it’s okay. You’re probably not alone.
Chances are that even if you are remotely familiar with the USA’s powerhouse 4x400m relay and names like LaShawn Merritt and Jeremy Wariner, you wouldn’t know of Tate.
But you better get acclimated.
Fast.
Tate, just a collegiate freshman and the youngest member of Team USA at age 19, took the baton from Betters and immediately exploded to the front. By the time he completed his leg, in 45.60 seconds, and handed off to anchor Kerron Clement, there was no doubt the U.S. would win its heat and advance to Sunday’s final at the IAAF World Indoor Championships.
“I knew we were in a crowd,” Tate said in assessing his performance. “LeJerald had given me a little step on the other teams. My main focus was to get Kerron the stick in the first spot, so I pushed myself out the first 200m, I relaxed my second 50 and gave it all I had in my last 150.”
Most runners of Tate’s age in the U.S. are currently in Fayetteville, Arkansas competing at the NCAA Indoor Championships. But because Mississippi State does not have an indoor program, Tate was able to compete at the USA Indoor Championships in Albuquerque last month. He finished fourth in the open 400m in 46.24, earning a spot in the U.S. relay pool for Worlds.
The rarity of the achievement isn’t lost on Tate, who remains humbled to find himself in this position.
“I’m 19 years old so it’s a big compliment for me,” Tate said. “I just thank the Lord for giving me the opportunity and ability to showcase the gift that he’s blessed me with. I look at this as a building stage of my profession.”
Tate is not a total stranger to international competition. Last year, he won silver in the 400m in 45.50 seconds and gold on the 4x400m at the Pan-Am Junior Championships in Port au Spain, Trinidad.
But the difference between Pan-Am Juniors and World Indoors is like Kansas and Oz, something Tate knew well coming here.
“I made the junior team last year in the open 400m and I anchored the 4x400m, where I split 44.8,” Tate said. “But coming into the World seniors, I knew I had to step my game up totally because I’m not running against kids no more. These are grown men. My training and work ethic had to be on par with everyone who’s on the track with me.”
Tate said since last year, he has put in more hours training to prepare for the step up in competition, and that being around college athletes - “Guys who really want it,” as he put it - has helped. But Tate is also still young enough to be motivated by paternal pressure.
“It’s mostly been my dad,” Tate said. “He’s not here and that’s basically why I’m running hard. I know if he was here, he would be on me the whole way.”
Despite his youth and relative inexperience, Tate has earned the respect of his older teammates, including Clement, who knows a thing or two about making a mark early in his career.
In 2005, when he too was 19-years-old, Clement shocked the world when, as a sophomore at Florida, he won the 400m at the NCAA Indoor Championships in 44.57, breaking Michael Johnson’s world record of 44.63.
“Tavaris is a part of the team and we’re together so I didn’t have a problem with it,” Clement said when asked what it was like getting the baton from a teenager. “I came up when I was young too. I think it’s a good thing to start young.”
Good for Tate, and certainly good for Team USA.