EUGENE, Ore. – New Yorkers Kyle Merber and Chad Noelle are among the American milers taking on the young veteran Matthew Centrowitz in the men’s 1,500 as the USA Nationals get under way here on Thursday at Hayward Field on the University of Oregon campus.

The first round of the 1,500 will be at 6:45 p.m. Pacific time.

Centrowitz, medalist in the last World Championships, two years ago, is the man to beat. The 25-year-old Oregon graduate has the fastest time by an American in the mile this year at 3:51.

Merber, the Long Island native and Columbia graduate, recently ran a lifetime-best 3:34 1,500, while Noelle, from upstate New York, was NCAA champion here two weeks ago for Oklahoma State. He has run 3:38.

The first three finishers in each event, so long as they have met the standard, will qualify for the U.S. team going to the Worlds later this summer in Beijing.

The U.S. Juniors Championships, for athletes under age 20, will be held here concurrently. They begin Thursday morning.

The meet runs through Sunday and is expected to have unusually hot conditions, with temperatures forecast in the high 90s.

There will be several finals on Day 1 along with lots of preliminary rounds. The finals include both 10,000s; the men’s hammer, discus and long jump, and the women’s shot put.

The men’s hammer field includes two young native New Yorkers who are still in college, Chuk Enekwechi of Purdue and Rudy Winkler of Cornell, and such veterans as Kibwe Johnson and Jake Freeman of the New York AC and Ryan Loughney of the Shore AC.

Three NYAC members are among the contenders in the women’s shot – Michelle Carter, Jeneva Stevens and Jillian Camarena-Williams. Camarena, the former American recordholder, is returning from pregnancy and back surgery.

In the first round of the women’s 800, the New Jersey natives Ajee’ Wilson and Erin Donohue are in the field. Wilson is the defending champion while Donohue is returning from a layoff of several years. Also in the field are the New Yorker Charlene Lipsey, LaTavia Thomas of the New Jersey/New York Track Club and Stephanie Herrick of the Central Park Track Club.

Some athletes have a free pass to the Worlds by virtue of meeting certain criteria, meaning the U.S. can send four athletes in one event. One of those is Christian Taylor, who has already qualified in the triple jump. As a result, he has chosen to focus on the long jump, which will be contested on Thursday.

“I love the long jump,” Taylor said in a press conference at the Hilton Hotel here. “It’s easier on my body than the triple jump. My PR is from 2009,” he said, hoping to finally improve on that.

Asked about the current controversies surrounding the possible use of supplements and prescription drugs by leading athletes, Taylor said, “I’m a big fan of Aleve, fish oil, Muscle milk. You need to get your protein, water, Gatorade,” said the Florida alum.

Justin Gatlin, the star sprinter who was also on hand for the press event, refused to answer several questions on the subject.