EUGENE (AP) - Oregon track fans got the finish they wanted Monday night in the men’s 800-meter final.

The grandstands roared as loudly as they have throughout the games as three Oregonians raced to the finish line ahead of the pack and earned their tickets to Beijing.

Nick Symmonds, formerly of Willamette University and now a runner with the Oregon Track Club won the race in a time of 1 minute, 44.10 seconds.

Andrew Wheating of the University of Oregon was second in 1:45.3 and Christian Smith, also with the Oregon Track Club, was third in 1:45.47.

The preliminary heats in the 800 had been among the highlights of the games and the final did not disappoint.

Khadevis Robinson, a four-time national champion, ran out to the lead after the first lap.

Lopez Lomong was the first runner to make a move on Robinson, pulling up to his shoulder with 300 yards to go.

But Symmonds still held back, waiting until the final corner of the race to make his decisive move.

In the mad dash to the finish Wheating pulled through the pack for second while Smith dove forward at the line to clinch third.

Monday’s other highlight was the performance of Bernard Lagat.

Lagat said he took every word seriously when he recited the oath that made him a U.S. citizen. Maybe that’s why the smile was so wide when he finally became an U.S. Olympian, as well.

Lagat won the grueling 5,000-meter race Monday night at U.S. Olympic trials, taking the next step on a journey that began in the sands of his native Kenya and reached its high point on a college track in Eugene.

Make that one high point. The Beijing Olympics are coming next.

“This is a dream come true,’’ Lagat said. “This is very special running tonight. Now, I’m part of the USA going to Beijing. I’m very excited.’’

Having secured his trip with a time of 13 minutes, 27.47 seconds, he’ll also compete later this week in the 1,500 meters — his better race. And when he heads to China in August, he hopes to win the gold medal that has eluded him in two previous Olympic trips.

He hopes to win it for America, the country he adopted four years ago.

“The best thing that could happen for me is winning the gold for the United States,’’ Lagat said in an interview this spring. “Being an American is not something I’m going to take lightly. When I took that oath, I meant every piece of it.’’

No American has won the 5,000 since 1964, and no U.S. runner has ever won the 5,000 and the 1,500. Lagat has not yet decided if he’ll go for the double or concentrate on the 1,500, where he has won silver (Athens) and bronze (Sydney) but has yet to stand on the top step of the podium.

He became the first runner to win both last year at the world championships in Osaka.

He ran the final lap in 58 seconds flat, sprinting from fourth to first, with plenty of room to spare. He beat Matt Tegenkamp by more than 2 seconds, then turned around and hugged him at the finish. Later, he donned the cap given to all new Olympians, waved the American flag and took a bow, smiling through it all.

Ian Dobson finished third and also will go to Beijing. Adam Goucher dropped out late in the race, meaning the chances of a husband-wife distance pairing is slim. His wife, Kara, is expected to make it in the 10,000, but Adam is only a provisional entrant in the men’s 10,000.