Jacobs graduate Evan Jager overcomes injuries, will compete with Team USA at World Track and Field Championships

Normally, Evan Jager finishing second in a men’s 3,000-meter steeplechase race at the U.S. Track and Field Championships might bring up questions or concerns.

For most of a decade, Jager ruled U.S. steeplechase. He owns the U.S. record (8:00.45) and the next eight fastest times by American runners.

But after four frustrating, injury-filled years, Jager did not mind taking second behind defending champion Hillary Bor, who finished in 8:15.76. As runner-up in 8:17.29, Jager was part of Team USA, which will compete in the World Track and Field Championships in Eugene, Oregon from July 15-24.

And, perhaps most importantly, Jager, a 2007 Jacobs graduate, felt more like himself.

“I really started feeling good, like my old self, three or four weeks ago,” Jager said. “It’s been an incredibly long journey. Thankfully, everything came together two weeks before the U.S. championships this year. I was still decently fit. I ran a good indoor 5K this winter, but I still didn’t feel like my old self running until three or four weeks ago.

“This injury has worn on me a ton, mentally and emotionally, and physically. It just feels really good to feel good running again.”

Jager burst onto the steeplechase scene in 2012 when his distance coach Jerry Schumacher and hurdles coach Pascal Dobert unleashed their new project to the world. He won the U.S. championship that year and finished sixth in the London Olympic Games.

Jager quickly became known as a world contender in the event so long dominated by runners from Africa and Europe, particularly Kenya. He finished sixth in the 2015 Worlds, took a silver medal in the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in 2016 and was third in the 2017 Worlds.

But 2018 was not kind to Jager. First he tore an iliacus muscle (a hip flexor) in his left hip. He continued racing, which developed into a bigger problem with his left foot.

Jager suffered an impact fracture in the foot, but was misdiagnosed and continued running and the injury developed into a stress fracture that forced him out of the entire 2019 running season.

The COVID-19 pandemic wiped out the 2020 running season and pushed the Tokyo Olympics back one year, but Jager suffered a left calf injury and was unable to run in the U.S. Olympic Trials to qualify.

So when Jager, a Bowerman Track Club member, ran at Eugene, it essentially was his first steeplechase competition in four years.

“I started running maybe August or September last year, very slowly, very little mileage and I built back to normal mileage incredibly slow,” Jager said. “Pretty much as soon as I started running outside, the calf felt fine. I felt like I was all healed from that injury.

“But I still had foot pain from the initial injury in 2018, I’ve been dealing with that for the last four years. I have felt that almost every day since up until the last five or six weeks.”

Jager, who lives in Portland with his wife Sofia, was thrilled to make Team USA again and looks forward to running at Worlds in basically a home meet. He admits his expectations are lower than previous world competitions.

“The previous couple World champs I ran at, in 2015 and 2017, and the Olympics in 2016, I knew I was one of the favorites going in and was definitely shooting for a medal,” Jager said. “It was like medal or bust. This time around I feel like I’m getting my feet under me in my event again. I’m gaining fitness and catching up to the highest level of steepling again. I don’t feel like I’m on top of the world right now so I’m definitely going into this one a little bit different than I did previously.

“I’m not expecting to medal. I have to go in and feel things out and try to run my best. I’m not going to be taking the lead and trying to run away from everyone in the race. I’m going to be doing what’s best for me on that day to place as high as I can.”

Jager sees making the steeplechase final as a reachable goal. The qualifying heats will run at 5:15 p.m. Friday, July 15, the championships’ opening day. The finals are set for 5:45 p.m. on Monday, July 18.

“I feel like the depth in the steeplechase has definitely risen these last couple years,” he said. “There’s a lot of guys running really fast times. It will still be hard to make the final. That’s the first goal. I would like to do that and I’ll be pretty disappointed if I don’t make the final.”

After an encouraging performance at the U.S. Trials, the Worlds could provide another big step in Jager’s comeback.

“That’s how I feel about things right now,” Jager said. “I’m not looking past the U.S. (next year) in Eugene. I’m looking forward to that and not looking beyond that at all.

“But that was one of my first thoughts after the U.S. champs, feeling like I’m fully healthy again and getting second and making the team and hitting the standard, after not steepling for basically four years, and not feeling like myself for 99% of that time, I feel like it’s really, really good momentum for me going forward. It got me excited for how I can build on that and keep making progress for next year as long as I can stay healthy.”