Differences between last year's WC coverage and these US Trials.
1. Every Record and Mark is centered on one nation. While some may make my World lists, most of what happens affects US lists and Records only!
2. This meet is spread over 11 days. Two of those days (June 30th & July 6th) had, or will have, just two events--the Men's and Women's Walks on June 30th, and the Hammer Throws on the 6th! Plus, there's a complete day off--the 5th! The rest of the days are smaller, more compact.
I'm dividing this report into two parts, due to length, but also because of what developed on the 4th day!
Just too much for one post!
But I'll follow the same format I did with the WC's in Beijing.
I'll follow the schedule, instead of headlining this post with the "best" event, or best Records or Marks!
That gives the reader a better feel of "being there", watching events unfold as they happen!
Enough!
The following is my report of ALL the happenings---Heats, Semis, Finals, and Field Event Qualifying rounds!--in as close a resemblance to the actual schedule as is possible.
This covers most of the first 3 days--June 30th through July 2nd.
I'll finish this report in a separate post!!
This includes both Men's and Women's events!!
June 30th
No one in this meet was more expected to win than Maria Michta-Coffey.
She never gets DQ'ed (as far as I know!), so barring catastrophe, you just watch this super talent do her thing, and stand by in awe!
Hitting the first half (10K) in 46:05, she had a slight lead over Miranda Melville, and was on pace to break the Meet Record of 1:32:39.
But the heat, and Melville falling off the pace--leaving M-C to stride forth alone--caused her to slow to 47:35 for the 2nd half, for her winning time of 1:33:40, and her umpteenth National Championship!
Melville finished strong, time of 1:34:11, dipping under the OG Q.
They go to Rio!
Third placer Katie Burnett doesn't.
John Nunn is another fairly dependable Walker.
With Trevor Barron still on his return trip from semi-retirement, he couldn't stay with Nunn, but took 2nd, just ahead of Nick Christie.
Nunn's time of 1:25:36 doesn't qualify him for Rio, but he DOES have the Q time in the 50K!
July 1st
Ryan Crouser led the Men's SP qualifying with a throw of 68-9, with favored Joe Kovacs 2nd with 68-1.
Reese Hoffa wa 5th, while surprising Bobby Grace was the last of the 12 finalists with 65-4.75.
The real shocker was Kurt Roberts, who finished just 1.25 inches back of Grace---in a non-Q 13th!!
Cory Martin also failed to qualify!
The Men's 800 heats blew everyone away---including a trio who many thought (or hoped!) would not only make the final, but get on the podium, and be headed toward Olympic glory!!
Nick Symmonds, fighting injury, withdrew a day or two before!
He took with him most (all?) of the energy behind his planned protest against the ban on advertising one's sponsors on one's body or uniform!
Then, in the very first heat, veteran Duane Solomon made a rookie mistake.
You do NOT run the first heat slow!!
That just allows subsequent heat runners to KNOW what they need to run to pass you by in the queue of Q's!
Stupid stupid mistake!!
And that's why Solomon won't be going to Rio!
As for Collegiate Record holder Donavan Brazier, he made another rookie error!
He let up too soon, failing to time his kick perfectly.
He's also out!
Boris Borian ran the fastest heat time--a 1:46.03, while Erik Sowinski did 1:46.12.
The Women's 800 heats also saw some "sure finalists" fail to make it.
HS Junior Sammy Watson had a good excuse--she's a HS Junior (however talented!).
Vets Geena Gall and Maggie Vessey (more modestly attired than usual!) just didn't have it this day.
But what happened to Laura Roesler?
With her speed, if positioned just right, she should've had no problem making it to the semi's!
All the others made it through with ease.
Maybe the biggest surprise was Anima Banks, whose 2:02.39 was a PR!
Seems the main "news" from the early rounds or Q'ing came with who did NOT advance!
Same happened in the Men's 400 heats.
Vernon Norwood was out.
As was Fred Kerley.
Then HS'er Michael Norman failed to run up to his potential.
(In the heats and semis, you don't leave anything behind---or YOU get left behind!!)
David Verburg's 45.31 was the fastest time!
(Remembering the Beijing WC Men's heats, with those sub-44's!!)
SRR--the truly legendary Sanya Richards-Ross--has retired from Track!
Stopping about 100 meters into her 400 heat, she walked off, while the others finished their tour.
With courage and humbleness, she thanked everyone, then moved on to a new life, sure to be as glorious as her many years in the sport she loves!
Thank you, Sanya!
Courtney Okolo and Fran McCorory dipped under 51 to lead the rest to the semi's.
Allyson Felix, another whose injuries had some in doubt, ran 51.96 to ease through!
Only soon-to-be 41 Amy Acuff--among the "names"-- failed to make the final dozen in the Women's HJ qualifying!
Chaunte Lowe and Vashti Cunningham breezed through!
Brittney Reese used a wind of 2.7 to hit 23 feet on the head, leading the Dandy Dozen of the Women's LJ'ers to the final.
Twelfth was beleaguered Jasmine Todd!
HSR holder Kate Hall was 8th.
No serious fails.
The Women's DT qualifying was pretty straight-forward, with Whitney Ashley's 200-8 leading a couple of 199's (Stephanie Brown-Trafton and Kelsey Card) into the final.
Young risers Hannah Carson and Elena Bruckner didn't make the cut, nor did Anna Jelmini.
Maggie Ewen was the caboose.
Ryan Crouser whipped a fantastic PR throw of 72-6.50 in the Men's SP final to beat the favored Joe Kovacs, whose last round 72-0.25 salvaged his day!
Crouser missed the Meet Record by one-half inch!!
But he becomes 18th A-T World!!
And he moves from 15th A-T US to 11th!
He got the biggie in the 2nd round!
Another (smaller) shock was that Darrell Hill took the 3rd spot, while hitting a big PR of 70-11.75, also in round 2.
This makes him 24th A-T US, tied with 1 other!
Ryan Whiting was 4th, with 68-6.50, while 38 year old Reese Hoffa hit 67-7.50.
Adam Nelson performed admirably,reaching 66-2.25 in his return from retirement.
He was 6 days shy of turning 41!
The Men's 10000 final went as planned for Galen Rupp--He won!
The way he used training surges spent everyone's energy but his own!
Strolling the first 5000 in 14:20, he had a large pack following.
But one by one, they fell away.
Ben True, Sam Chelanga, even late entry Chris Derrick.
Bernard Lagat DNF'ed after 7200, while Eric Jenkins waited another 2 laps.
Rupp cruised his 2nd half in 13:35, with a 60.73 last lap.
US Army buddies (via Kenya) Shadrack Kipchirchir and Len Korir finished 2nd and 3rd, with only Kipchirchir giving Rupp any kind of tussle.
He finished over 6 seconds back, with Korir another 15 seconds behind.
July 2nd
The Men's PV qualifying dropped HSR holder Chris Nilsen, as well as Mike Arnold, Audie Wyatt, Devin King, and Brad Walker!
All the rest of the possible contenders made it.
They held a couple of HS Miles, as part of the Nike Elite Camp!
Kate Murphy--who will race the 1500 soon!--played rabbit through 800, then left it to Annie Hill to win it in 4:44.16 from Julia Heymach's 4:45.14.
In the Boys race, Reed Brown's 4:04.73 edged Sam Worley's 4:04.86, and Casey Clinger's 4:05.96.
The next 5 also finished at sub-4:09!
Whitney Ashley dominated the Women's DT final, getting the only 3 throws over 200 feet!
She won it with her 204-2 over Shelbi Vaughan's 197-9, and Kelsey Card's 197-3.
Liz Podomenick will miss Rio because of 2 inches of tape measure, as her 197-1 fell sorrowfully short!
Super vet Stephanie Brown-Trafton was next with 195-8, while Valerie Allman reached 193-8.
The Women's 10000 had a bit more drama than the Men's.
Not so much with who won, or even who took the other Rio spots.
It went pretty much to script.
But the ACTOR'S (or actresses, in this case!!) names---and short histories---were the real story.
Go back to Beijing, 2015, the 10K final.
Molly Huddle's early celebration for getting the Bronze, only to see the fierce sprint by Emily Infeld steal it from her at the line!
Huddle vs Infeld redux, 2016.
Molly takes the lead--to steer clear of trouble--with a pack of 15 following, with Infeld tucked into the rail.
At around 3500 into the race, Kim Conley suddenly stops, bends to fix her shoe, losing a lot of yardage, forced to play catch-up.
Pulling back to within 3 seconds at 5000 (16:11 to Molly & Co's 16:08), she finally decided to save it for the 5000, DNF'ing at 8K, as she'd fallen too far off the pace to make the Rio squad.
It soon became a threesome, with Infeld and Marielle Hall tagging along as Huddle cruised through the laps.
Leading all the way, she finally put pedal to metal, delivering the lethal blow in a final lap of 68.37 (to Infeld's 72.41), during a 2nd 5000 of 15:33.
But bygones were bygones, as the happy pair hugged and smiled widely, showing a friendship only track and field people understand!
All, including Hall, were thrilled to make the team, although Huddle said later it would take an American Record of around 30:20 to have a chance to medal in Rio!
Stephanie Bruce, returning from the births of TWO children (separately, NOT twins!!), was never in it, finishing 20th.
Kellyn Taylor finished 17 seconds behind Hall's 31:54.77.
Huddle ran 31:41.52, while Infeld did 31:46.09.
Jordan Hasay finished 9th, and hinted she will turn to the marathon soon!
Things heated up in the 800 semi's!
The Women's two races saw the first sub-2's of the meet.
But the first section was won by Ajee Wilson in 2:00.81, while Kate Grace kicked hard to take 2nd in 2:00.94.
Chrishuna Williams also was an automatic Q, running 2:01.87, beating Chanelle Price's 2:01.94.
In the second section, Brenda Martinez split 58.90 and 60.74, edging the determined (to not finish 4th again!!) Molly Ludlow, 1:59.64 to 1:59.81.
Alysia Montano, NOT blasting her normal sizzler of a 1st lap, took 3rd in 2:00.20.
Raevyn Rogers and Phoebe Wright were the time Q's, with Wright having to sprint to get her place in the final!
The first non-Q was Kendra Chambers's 2:01.96.
Instead of Montano doing her normal rabbit habit, it was left to Boris Berian to show they're kindred spirits, albeit SHE with a flower in her hair, and HE covered in artistic and meaningful tattoos!!
When he spread-eagled the field in the 1st section with his 49.73, people wondered if he'd possibly gun for the American Record--or at least a PR---in a semi.
But no, he eased back on the gas, running his next lap in 55.99, for a 1:45.72.
Erik Sowinski's splits of 50.39 and 55.43 added to a 1:45.82.
His final 200 of 28.60 almost caught Berian's 29.06.
Caz Loxsom's 28.41 was even faster, so his 1:45.93 was the 3rd Q.
Brannon Kidder finished last!
Clay Murphy's 1:46.97 took the 2nd section.
Brandon Johnson and Charles Jock were the other automatics.
Shaquille Walker was too slow in 4th to advance!
While this date's (July 2nd) report isn't finished, I'm saving the remainder, plus all of July 3rd, for a separate post--again due to length, but also due to the high quality of the marks to come!!
See you soon!
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