By Don Williams | AVALANCHE-JOURNAL

In early June, Gil Roberts said he couldn’t possibly be more well-prepared to seriously contend at nationals. At the time, he was speaking in the context of the then-upcoming NCAA outdoor track and field meet.

Instead, his words turned out to be prophetic for the U.S. outdoor championships. If the 6-foot-2, 180-pound Texas Tech sophomore someday becomes a familiar name in the track world, Saturday might be looked upon as the day he announced his arrival.

Roberts’ second-place finish in a field dotted with Olympic medalists vaulted him onto the U.S. team for the IAAF World Championships in mid-August in Berlin.

“I felt real strong,” he said shortly after the race from Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore. “I lost, but I believe I still ran a great race. I just need to work on my technique at the end of the race so that I don’t break down (in form). Hopefully, I can stand up and stay tall at the end of my race from now on.”

Roberts ran 44.93 seconds, consistent with the high 44-second times he turned in throughout the spring. Defending Olympic champion LaShawn Merritt won in 44.50. Among those Roberts beat were Kerron Clement and David Neville, members of the U.S. gold medal-winning 1,600-meter relay last year in Beijing; Lionel Larry, a top-three finisher in previous NCAA and U.S. outdoor meets; and Darold Williamson, who anchored the Olympic gold medal 1,600 relay in 2004.

Clement is the world record holder in the indoor 400 and was the silver medal 400-meter hurdler last year in Beijing. Neville also was last year’s Olympic bronze medalist in the 400.

Roberts said he felt no butterflies about facing them.

“I definitely think I was more excited than anything,” he said. “Running in a situation like that is more fun for me than pressure. In a situation like that, I mean, I’m in against world champions. I’m expected to lose. I just wanted to perform to the best of my ability, so that’s what I did, and I ended up making the team.”

Tech coach Wes Kittley said he and Tech assistant Dion Miller advised Roberts to run his usual race: Relax, but go out hard and push the pace. He led for much of the way before Merritt overtook him at the top of the stretch.

“We thought, ‘Make them fearful of him and run his race,’ ” Kittley said. “He doesn’t fade. He’s a big bull. He’s strong coming home. When he’s healthy, he’s tough. Some of (the other runners) went out a little slow on him and couldn’t catch him.”

Texan Jeremy Wariner, as two-time defending world champion in the 400, was exempt from qualifying in Eugene and will be on the team for the 400.

Kittley was hoping Roberts could just make the U.S. team, because of the invaluable experience of competing against international competition. Finishing in the top six, which would have put him in a pool of runners for the 1,600 relay, was an unofficial goal going in, according to Kittley.

By finishing second, Roberts is guaranteed to compete in the 400 in Berlin and could be an option for at least one of the three rounds of the relay.

“We’re sure hoping. He’s sure earned that right,” Kittley said of Roberts’ chance to compete in two events.

Roberts went to Eugene as a question mark, after a quadriceps problem forced him out of the semifinals at the NCAA meet in Fayetteville, Ark., which was a familiar theme. Roberts missed several races his freshman year, nagged by injuries to one hamstring and then the other.

The balky quadriceps apparently was a one-day thing that cropped up at the worst time. In Eugene, Roberts ran three 400s in three days and turned in faster times each day.

“You’ve got three rounds here. You’re running against the pros,” Kittley said. “I’m just so proud of how he handled each (race) and got faster and faster. To handle that pressure, being a sophomore in college, I’m so proud of him.

“Gil has a history of being hurt, and he cramped up at (the NCAA outdoor meet), but Coach Miller has done a fabulous job all year of getting him ready to this point.”

The four-day U.S. championships ended Sunday, when two other Red Raiders competed. Ozie Okolie finished 16th in the women’s hammer, throwing 186 feet, 11 inches. Harrison Benjamin was 20th in the men’s shot put (58-81/2).