CARSON, Calif. –- It took him 5 years and many, many races but Tim Ramirez finally got it. And this one is a keeper.

In his final 800-meter race as a Cougar, Ramirez, a senior from Simi Valley, Calif., shattered the school record and on a rather impressive stage – the Adidas Track Classic at the Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif. Ramirez clocked a 1:46.89, finishing second behind U.S. champion Khadevis Robinson, who set the meet record at 1:45.23. As he did at Penn Relays last month, Ramirez used a strong kick down the stretch to overcome 5 other runners who all finished within .78 of a second behind Ramirez.

“Tim’s time, which was obviously very good, didn’t amaze me as much as his finish did,” said Cougar coach Kevin Reid. “Considering the venue and the field in which Tim was running, his performance was rather amazing. He has never run in a meet of this caliber and to be second to an Olympian is good stuff for Tim.”

In the process, Ramirez laid claim on the school record, besting Brandon Shaw’s former standard by more than a second. Ramirez once held the school 800 record, clocking a 1:48.88 as 2003 sophomore. However, the following year, Shaw came back to run a 1:48.07 at the 2004 Occidental Invitational to set a new record that stood just over 2 years.

Ramirez’s time, which bests Shaw’s standard by exactly 1.18 second, should withstand the test of time, much like Dennis Caldwell’s 1500 meter school record which stood 30 years until Ramirez broke it a week ago. Thus within a matter of 8 days, Ramirez has broken 2 prestigious distance records.

Ramirez closes out his college career this week at the NAIA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Fresno. There he will run only the open 1500 meters but he will anchor Azusa Pacific’s 4x800-meter relay which is a heavy favorite to win the race.

Following the NAIA Championships, Ramirez will move up to more difficult competition as he opens an international career. With the times of his 2 record-setting races, Ramirez has now qualified for June’s U.S. Championship Meet in both the 800 and 1500. Though a final decision has yet to be made, he is likely to run only the 800 at the national meet in Indianapolis.