Lewiston native Isaiah Harris advanced to the men’s 800-meter finals by finishing second in the second semifinal heat at the U.S. Olympic track and field trials Saturday in Eugene, Ore.

Harris, the 2018 NCAA national champion who now runs professionally for Nike, finished his semifinal heat with a time of 1 minute, 46.16 seconds.

Harris stayed in the back of the pack for the first 400 meters of the race. After completing the first lap in about 51 seconds, Harris made his move to the front.

Harris is accustomed to starting from the back, and his move the front Saturday was quick and seemed effortless as he moved to the front four. On the back straightaway, Harris took off to the front of the group while looking to the side to keep tabs on the competition. Bryce Hoppel (1:46.00) finished first, then Harris, who just barely beat Isaiah Jewett (1:46.18) across the finish line.

Harris will race in the 800 final on Monday at 8:28 p.m. If he finishes in the top three, he will qualify for next month’s Tokyo Olympics.

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