Ben Blankenship, former University of Minnesota runner, reaches final in U.S. 1,500-meter run

DES MOINES – Now that he's 30, Ben Blankenship said he feels more like "an actual grownup." The Stillwater native and former Gopher has a slightly new 'do, too, chopping significant length off his signature ponytail.

On the track, though, he didn't look any different Friday. The 2016 Olympian cruised in the first round of the men's 1,500 meters at the U.S. championships, winning in 3 minutes, 43.07 seconds at Drake Stadium. That put him into Sunday's 12-person final, where the top three will go on to represent the U.S. at the world championships in Qatar this fall.

Blankenship skipped the indoor competition season last winter, leaving him fresher physically and mentally for the outdoor season. He will learn Sunday whether it was the right choice, but he likes his chances.

"It's been a really interesting year, not doing indoor," said Blankenship, who finished eighth in the 1,500 at the Rio Olympics. "To be honest, I've always looked at the indoor season as a good time to get your [world championships qualifying standard], check off that box. But it always makes me really anxious, and by the time I get to the outdoor season, I'm already kind of nerved out.

"Not doing that — and coming into these [championships] a little fresher — I feel better. I started a little bit late, but I feel pretty good."

Blankenship already has the qualifying standard for the world meet, finishing seventh in the Bowerman Mile at the Prefontaine Classic in June in a personal-best time of 3:52.51. He competed in some meets in Europe in May and June, then returned to the U.S. Blankenship won the 1,500 at the Sunset Tour in California in his final warmup for nationals.

Though the Olympics represented a major accomplishment, he still is striving to make the U.S. team for the world outdoor championships for the first time. In 2015, Blankenship finished fourth at the national championships by .02 seconds, just missing the top-three finish that would have sent him to the world meet.

"I think about that a lot, and I still stand by what I did," said Blankenship, who wouldn't rule out another daring move in Sunday's final. "I still love the idea of doing something like that, so I've got to mull over my decisions and see what Sunday brings."

Blankenship did race at the world indoor championships last year, finishing second at the U.S. indoor nationals and fifth at the world meet. A member of Oregon Track Club Elite, his training partners include another former Gopher, Hassan Mead, who also made the 2016 Olympic team and will race Sunday in the 5,000.

In Friday's first round, Blankenship settled into third place early in his heat. He moved up to second at about the 700-meter mark, then took the lead at 1,100 meters and held on to win with the fourth-fastest time of the first round.

Down the stretch, he kept looking over his shoulder. On Sunday, Blankenship hopes to experience the view from the podium. "I just wanted to get through [to the final]," he said. "Sunday should be fun."