Miller, Bahamas relay team set pace in Olympic 1,600 relay

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LONDON – Ramon Miller and the Bahamas 1,600-meter relay team are on to the final round of the Summer Olympics after tying the United States for the best time in the qualifying heats.

The Bahamas and U.S. each ran a time of 2:58.87 with the Bahamas earning the official first-place spot in the heat.

Miller, a Dickinson State graduate, ran the lead leg of the relay out of lane eight and set the pace. He edged Jamaica’s Dane Hyatt with a time of 45.78 seconds, well below his season and personal bests.

He handed off to Demetrius Pinder, who had a big burst with a 43.7-second split to move the Bahamas well ahead in the second leg. Michael Mathieu kept that lead, barely, in the third leg with a 44.78 split. Veteran Chris Brown finished off the relay with a 44.58-second split.

The U.S. was lagging behind early in the relay but pulled even with the Bahamas late thanks to solid splits by Tony McQuay (43.65) and Bryshon Nellum (44.37).

The final is set for 2:20 p.m. MDT Friday.

Miller is the last of three Dickinson State alumni competing for the Bahamas at the Olympics.

Derrick Atkins finished 12th in the 100 meters and Trevor Barry competed in the high jump but did not make it out of the qualifying round.

Tags: summer olympics, ramon miller, dsu blue hawks, track and field, 4x400 relay, 1, 600 relay, sports, olympics, bahamas, updates