Eight years ago Michael Stember was on top of his young world, a senior at Stanford who helped lead the Cardinal to an NCAA track and field championship in 2000 and went on to earn a spot on the U.S. Olympic team in the 1,500 meters.

For a 22-year-old, it doesn't get much better than that.

Things were a bit different for Stember, now 30, on a cool Friday afternoon back at Stanford on his home track.

Wearing a plain white singlet devoid of team or sponsorship affiliation, Stember faded on the second lap of the 800 meters and finished sixth in 1 minute, 50.17 seconds. The race was won by Kevin Hicks of the Oregon Track Club in 1:48.38. Stanford's Russell Brown was third in 1:48.66.

By contrast, Stember's best time, from that magical 2000 season, is 1:46.20.

"It's very strange to be at Stanford as the school record-holder (in the 800 and 1,500) wearing a different color uniform, or no color at all, and I'm not dominant in the 800 this early in the spring," he said. "It is a humbling reality but a necessary reality."

For the last two years Stember has been living in Santa Monica and training at UCLA under Eric Peterson, the Bruins' middle distance coach. He said he hopes to work himself into racing shape and be a factor in either the 800 or 1,500 at the Olympic Trials in Eugene, Ore., at the end of June.

"I'm going to get in as many races as I can to get back in that competitive mode," Stember said. "I believe we're on track. Spirit is great, training is going great. It's a matter of getting that experience back. I took two years away from the sport in 2005 and '06, got into commercial real estate."