Aaron Lazar Aaron Lazar (born November 9, 1990) is an American middle distance runner who competed in the 800 meters for the U.S. at the 2015 World Championships in Athletics. In May 2019, he joined Nike's Oregon Track Club Elite in Eugene, Oregon. High school Lazar was born in Portland, Oregon, to Armenian parents. His father is a history teacher at Portland State University. Aaron attended Grant High School for his freshman, sophomore and junior years and graduated in 2009. He then moved to the Seattle area to attend Auburn Riverside High School, where he ran for coach Dave Slutz. He was coached by Richard Howley at Grant. Collegiate He attended Auburn University on a track and cross country scholarship, where he also played soccer. In 2013, his junior year, he earned All American status and qualified for the 800 meters at the 2013 World Championships in Moscow, where he finished 7th. He transferred to Oregon State University during his senior year of college. He was coached at Oregon State by Jim Barnett. Post-collegiate Lazar graduated from Oregon State University in 2015, and he signed a contract with adidas. That year, he won a silver medal at the 2015 Pan American Games and a gold medal at the 2015 World University Games. At the 2015 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, he placed first in the 800 meters and 5th overall in the 2014 IAAF Diamond League rankings. He ran his fastest 800 m time of the season at the 2014 Mt. SAC Relays, running a time of 1:46.81. On May 27, 2015, he set an 800m best of 1:45.79 in the semi-final of the 2015 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, breaking Matt Centrowitz's record of 1:45.95. On June 4, 2015, he took the silver medal in the 800 m final of the World University Games in Buffalo, New York, finishing behind his teammate Luke Watson and the winner Martyn Rooney. He ran the fastest 800 m time of the season at the Texas A&M Quad Meet in College Station, Texas. In September 2015, he received the Pac-12 Conference's Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year award. On June 7, 2016, Lazar finished third in the 800 meters at the 2016 United States Olympic Trials, missing a place on the US Olympic team by 0.05 seconds. On February 23, 2017, Lazar placed third in the 800 meters at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix at the Reggie Lewis Center. He placed third by running a personal best time of 1:45.76. He led a Nike-sponsored U.S. team that also included two other Oregon State alumni, Luke Watson and Robby Andrews. In September 2017, he was included in the World Championships team. In May 2018, he qualified for the 2018 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. References External links Category:1990 births Category:Living people Category:Sportspeople from Portland, Oregon Category:American male middle-distance runners Category:American people of Armenian descent Category:World Athletics Championships athletes for the United States Category:Auburn University alumni Category:Auburn Tigers men's track and field athletes Category:Oregon State Beavers men's track and field athletes Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2015 Pan American Games Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2016 Summer Olympics Category:Olympic track and field athletes of the United States Category:World Athletics Championships medalists Category:Pan American Games gold medalists for the United States Category:Pan American Games medalists in athletics (track and field) Category:World Athletics Championships winners Category:World Athletics Championships winners Category:American people of Turkish descent Category:Pan American Games competitors for the United States