CHARLESTON, Ill. - Balancing a full time job with a post-collegiate love of running, former Eastern Illinois standout Dan Strackeljahn will head to the USATF National Championships to compete in the 1500m on Thursday, June 25.

At Eastern Illinois Strackeljahn was the 2007 OVC Male Athlete of the Year for track while earning several first and second team All-OVC honors during his career as a middle distance and cross country runner for the Panthers. He has continued to train and run competitively since graduation at EIU while balancing a full-time teaching job at Minooka High School.

Strackeljahn earned his invitation to the USATF Nationals in late May with a third place finish at the Indiana Invaders High Performance Series. He ran a personal best of 3:42.67 in the race which was far below the qualifying standard of 3:45.00. He will enter the championship meet ranked 25th in the nation in the 1500m event.

As part of his training Strackeljahn continued to run the mile and 1500m and as part of that training he posted a 3:59.77 time in the mile at the Music City Distance Carnival.

The prelims for the 1500m will take place on June 25 in Eugene, Oregon. The top performers in the USATF Nationals will go on to represent Team USA in Berlin, Germany this August at the IAAF World Championships. It will be the first major international track and field event in the Berlin Olympic Stadium since the 1936 Olympic Games.

Also of note, Eastern Illinois assistant track and field coach JaRod Tobler will compete in the long jump. Tobler is currently ranked sixth in the United States in the event with a mark of 8.16 meters. Last summer Tobler narrowly missed qualifying for the US Olympic Team in the long jump.

USATF Nationals Website