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University of Michigan junior-to-be Nick Willis, running for New Zealand, missed qualifying for the Olympic 1,500-meter finals by .19 seconds.

"I was obviously disappointed," said the 21-year-old, whose 3:41:46 in the Aug. 23 semifinal fell just shy of the 3:41:27 turned in by Kamal Boulahfane of Algeria. "But I gave it my best and am proud with my showing. "The Olympic experience has been great," Willis said

The young Kiwi, whose first race was at age four, barefoot on the grass in Lower Hutt, New Zealand, has been a prodigy, well, forever. Willis set a national under-age-20 mile record of 4:01.32 at 17, and became the youngest New Zealander ever to run a sub-4-minute mile last year.

He returns to U-M this fall as a three-time track and two-time cross country All American, four-time Big 10 champion and 3,000-meter school record holder (7:44.90). During the 2003 Penn Relays, Willis's 1,200-meter split of 2:49.7 keyed the Wolverines' distance medley relay to a collegiate-record 9:27.7

His current mile best is 3:53:51. In the 1500 meters Willis has run a 3:32.68.

Now that he has competed in the Olympics against Hicham El Guerrouj, it's back to Ann Arbor to train under coach Ron Warhurst with the likes of Tim Broe, Kevin Sullivan and Canadian flash Nate Brannen.

For a 21-year-old, that's a lot. And a lot more waits. MR