I'll get to the title story in a flash.
But I want to stick to my standard format for "Big" meet coverage--and that is to follow the schedule as closely as possible--through all the Heats, Semi's, Finals, and Field Event Qualifying.
This report will begin with the events of July 4th, then segue past the July 5th off-day to July 6th's All Hammer All Day Show, and finish with my reports on the past 2 days, July 7th & 8th.
Due to length, it will be in 2 parts!
Without further ado, then!
Sam Kendricks is the best American male Pole Vaulter since the glory days of folks like Brad Walker, Jeff Hartwig, and Tim Mack.
He proved that yet again in the PV finals at the Olympic Trials in Eugene on America's 240th birthday!
Clearing every height between 17-8.50 and 19-0.25 on 1st tries, he then needed all 3 to reach 19-4.75.
This broke the Meet Record!!
But it missed his PR by one-quarter inch!
He then missed 3 times at 6 meters, or 19-8.25.
Far behind was surprising Cale Simmons, whose 18-6.50 topped 3rd man Logan Cunningham!
A true Changing of the Guard in a mostly dormant event until Big Sam came along!
Jake Blankenship finished in 7th with 18-4.50, same as Cunningham, but with more misses!
Joey Uhle No-Heighted!
The Women's Steeplechase heats started the track action this day.
Sticking to the storyboard, Bridget Franek, Leah O'Connor, and American Record holder Emma Coburn took the 3 sections.
Franek's 9:39.93 led Courtney Frerichs's 9:40.98, with Ashley Higginson and Nicole Bush also Q'ing.
Sarah Pease didn't Q in 5th, with Rachel Johnson well back in 10th.
O'Connor ran a quick 9:35.77 to best Stephanie Garcia's 9:35.95.
Running her first Steeple of 2016, and just her 2nd race after injury problems, Colleen Quigley ran a good 9:37.05 to shake off the dust.
Not making it was Brianna Nerud, who is having her best year since HS!
Jamie Cheever didn't have her best day, ending in 8th!
The ESPN Body Issue star of 2016, Ms Coburn, ran (with clothes ON!) 9:35.28, making it look like a modest tempo run.
Oiselle's Megan Rolland and Shalaya Kipp were next, with another "HauteVolee", Mel Lawrence, next!
Becky Wade, who just had published a memoir of her world travels as an athlete (available on Amazon!), didn't Q, nor did Megan Patrignelli, who recently PR'ed big time with a 9:43!
The new Collegiate and American Record holder in the Triple Jump, Keturah Orji, jumped once---46-6---then watched her peers take their shots in the Qualifying round.
Christina Epps held steady in the 46's with a 46-2.50, while unknown (to me!!) Imani Oliver reached 46 even!
However, after some diligent research, I discovered she's 23, and had a previous PR just over 45 feet!
Her mark suddenly makes her 17th A-T US
No "names" failed to move on!
The Men's Javelin final was actually pretty good!
Curtis Thompson, who started the year with a big PR of 265 & change--a Collegiate leader at the time!--continued his hot year with a first round throw of 271-11, a PR by just over 6 feet!!
He moves from 20th A-T US to 16th.
However, because it's not "in-season", he won't move to 6th A-T Collegiate!
In Round 5, Cy Hostetler reached 273-1, short of his 275-0 PR, but a Meet Record--and the win!
Riley Dolezel took 3rd with 261-4.
One little snag, however!
Thompson's big throw fell just a few centimeters shy of the OG qualifying standard, so unless the IAAF invites him to fill a space, he won't be going to Rio!!
(Word is he WILL be invited!!)
Sam's Crouser and Humphreys finished out of the money, as did Sean Furey.
The Men's 3000SC heats also went according to Hoyle, with all the "names" moving forward, and the times adding little to the excitement of the day.
Donn Cabral took Heat 1 with 8:26.96, with Andy Bayer and Stan Kebenai also breaking 8:30, while Dan Huling strode in with 8:30.34.
Evan Jager--bun in place--jogged 8:33.73 worth of space time, leading Mason Ferlic and Hillary Bor to the line.
Also Q'ing was Cory Leslie in 4th.
Times are rarely compelling in distance heats in Championship (or other important) meets, and the Men's 5000 heats kept the tradition alive.
New "rock star" in the Collegiate ranks, Will Kincaid, sprinted just enough to lead Ryan Hill and Ben True into Q-land in the 1st heat--times in the high 13:40's.
Shadrack Kipchirchir, Diego Estrada, and Sean McGorty also made it through.
Ancient Bernard Lagat used a 53.64 last 400 to finish off a 2nd heat win of 13:48.36.
Lopez Lomong and Eric Jenkins followed, with Galen Rupp yawning his way into 6th.
Non-Q's included Len Korir (8th), Thomas Curtin (10th), and Chris Derrick in 11th.
The latter was a late entrant!
BTW, Kincaid also finished fast, his final 400 almost the same as Lagat's--53.72.
Oh man!
Do I REALLY need to tell you about the Women's 800 final?
(Wait, while I get my "Happy Pills" ready and put 9-1-1 on speed dial!)
C-R-A-S-H!!!
Okay, enough pissing about!
It started with a steady 57.46 by---Who else??--Alysia Montano, flower-bedecked as always.
Ho hum, right?
But this is a "new" Montano, so instead of ripping through a speedy 600, then hanging on, she stepped aside and allowed Ajee Wilson to bring the pack through 600 in 1:27.98, followed closely by Brenda Martinez, with Montano a few ticks back, on the outside of lane one.
Right about mid-curve, moves started being made, positioning taking place for the final mad-dash sprint for Rio passports!
And then HELL broke loose!!
Martinez started her deadly sprint, with Montano following closely.
Then SOMEthing happened--either a heel being clipped (Wilson said she felt a clip!!), or someone losing their balance.
As Martinez stumbled just a bit, Montano was in full sprint stride, and she ran right into Martinez's temporarily slowed back, knocking Brenda into the 3rd lane, trying to prevent a fall, while Montano went tumbling to the track---SPLAT!!--and it was over!
Free from the mayhem, Kate Grace--having her best year since her 1:59.47 in 2013--sprinted past a slightly catatonic Wilson, and won the "race" in a new PR of 1:59.10-Oiselle's first win of the meet!
Wilson ran 1:59.51, holding off Chrishuna Williams's 1:59.59.
Molly Ludlow was one of those who felt the shockwaves from the crash site, and while she wasm't badly affected, she was--just enough to prevent an immediate attack on the front 3---until her final sprint fell just 0.04 short of being Rio-bound!
Fourth--again!!
Promising Raevyn Rogers finished 5th, while Phoebe Wright was 6th.
Martinez took 38.63 for her last 200, knowing she'd still have the 1500 to try again!
Then there was Alysia.
Do you remember seeing a 1964 concert movie called "The T.A.M.I. Show", starring James Brown, among many other huge stars of the day?
In the song "Please Please Please", Brown became famous for falling to his knees 4 or 5 times, pleading with his woman to come back to him, while his "aide" covered his weeping shoulders with a King's robe, trying to help him up and return him to the mic to finish his song.
But every time he tried to start, he'd fall again---then again--then once more--each time his aide helping him recover!!
And THAT was the very first image that came to my mind watching Montano doing basically the very same thing---except without an assistant bringing her a "Queen's robe"!!
The sold-out crowd ate it up---as did all the Message Boards and InstaGram lunatics!!
I cried.
A fucked up ending to what SHOULD have been a FANTASTIC 800 meter race!
Too bad the "race" ended at around 650 meters!
Know how "2nd acts" hate to follow the STARS?
Then consider how the MEN's 800 finalists felt as they lined up just seconds after Montano ended her crawl to the finish!
That said, their race produced a bit of drama too--but the "normal" kind---with an upset!!
Boris Berian--everyone's new Hero--found himself leading at 400 in 50.60.
Everyone figured he'd stay there.
But Clay Murphy had other ideas.
Kicking best down the straight, he passed Berian for the win, time of 1:44.56.
His PR misses my US DDD by 0.32 seconds!
Berian goes to Rio too, off his 1:44.92 in 2nd, while veteran Charles Jock made it too with a 1:45.48.
Erik Sowinski missed out in 5th, as did Brandon Johnson in 8th, and Caz Loxsom in 9th.
(There were 9 runners because of an overturned DQ from the semi's!)
As noted, July 5th was a rest day, while the 6th was devoted entirely to the pair of Hammer Throw comps--held for the first time on Hayward's infield, instead of another city, or on the other side of the fence!!
Thousands of fans came to watch, with many being seated on bleachers ON the track near the Hammer circle!!
A solid improvement by the production crew!
And the two events were crowd pleasers, both!!
Women's 3-round qualifying came first, with American Record holder Gwen Berry among those passing on to the final.
Twelve finalists continued to the last 3 rounds, with Deanna Price holding her own among the super vets, Amber Campbell and Berry.
Then, in round 5, Price, having a strong & steady 2016, threw a PR of 239-9 to extend her lead.
If "in-season", it would have been the Collegiate Record, as it's better than Jenny Dahlgren's 239-4 from 2007!
Alas, according to the "rules" led by T&FN, CR's can only be set at or before the NCAA Championships!!
That said, she WAS leading!
Until round 6, when Berry matched her 239-9, before being thrown into 2nd by Campbell's 242-10 PR!
It's the Age 35 record, as Campbell became the oldest woman over 240 feet!!
She also broke her own Meet Record!
She moves from 6th to 4th on the A-T US list!
She still misses the World list by 2 feet 5 inches!
Price was overjoyed, crying for minutes after, being told to "Stop crying, Girl!" by her new Rio-bound teammates!
Former AR holder Amanda Bingson finished the dreaded 4th!
Another record gone by the wayside due to "in-season" rules came in the Men's HT, when specs-wearing Rudy Winkler blasted the ball and chain out 251-10, a super PR, and one that WOULD be the Soph Class record---IF!!
He does move from 17th A-T US to 10th!!
Kibwe Johnson's 246-5 took 2nd, with Conor McCullough's 243-4 also sending him to Rio!
Winkler's winning throw came in round 4.
I'll have Part 2 up in a few hours!
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