Oregon Trifecta! Eugene Runners Grab Oly Spots in Electrifying Men’s 800 Final

When you think of “Home Field Advantage” you think of a sport like baseball, or perhaps football. Not track and field. But let me tell you: Oregon athletes have a definite and palpable home field advantage at Hayward Field. Just ask Nick Symmonds, Andrew Wheating, or Christian Smith. In an 800 final light-heartedly referred to as “Oregon vs. The World”, these three Eugene athletes stepped to the starting line to challenge five other worthy finalists which included former national champion Jebrah Harris, the defending Olympic Trials champion Jonathan Johnson, and three time reigning national champion Khadevis Robinson. Lustily cheered during introductions by yet another capacity crowd which jammed Hayward Field, the Eugene trio began the final with Robinson and Colorado middle distance ace Lopez Lomong setting a blistering opening pace which would ensure a championship caliber time. Passing the 400 in 50.2, Robinson and Lomong, out in front and out of trouble, pressed on as rest of the field trailed. The big kickers, Symmonds and Wheating, brought up the rear. The field tightened as the runners entered the final 200. Suddenly a sliver of daylight opened and Symmonds, hopelessly trapped on the rail, seized the moment and unleashed a furious spurt which put him in the clear. Long striding Wheating found his rhythm and slid to lane four off the final turn and exploded down the final straightaway. The hometown crowd roared its approval as Symmonds and Wheating overcame the early pacesetters. Smith, the final Eugene runner, appeared out of it with 15 meters to go. But a faltering Robinson began drifting and gave Smith the only opening he needed. With one final desperate dive for the line, Smith edged Robinson for the final Beijing spot and sent Robinson, who had not finished a national championship race any lower than second any time during the past six years, to the sidelines with no Olympic spot. Symmonds winning time of 1:44.10] represented the second fastest 800 time ever run at Hayward Field. Wheating [1:45.03] and Smith 1:45.47 completed the Olympic spots. As the crowd showered the Eugene heroes with applause, even long-standing Hayward Field fans could not identify a more riveting final

As stunning as the men’s 800 final proved to be, Day Four of the U.S. Olympic Trials in track and field produced so much more.

The women’s 800 final was dramatic in its own right. After Saturday’s semi-final round where an early bump session sent four women sprawling, race officials granted entry into the final to all eight women in that section. With 12 runners now bunched to start the final race, a traffic cop would have been in order. The quest to avoid a repeat pileup led to an ultra fast opening 200 as Hazel “Peachy” Clark and Alice Schmidt established dominating positions at the front of the race. Behind the two leaders the real battle was taking place. A quartet of young middle distance warriors were engaged in combat for the final Beijing spot. Nicole Teter, Maggie Vessey, Morgan Uceny, and Kameisha Bennett struggled to earn the final podium position. Bennett, one of the victims of Saturday’s collision, ultimately prevailed as Clark [first in 1:59.82] and Schmidt [second in 2:00.46] , the early pacesetters, were never headed. But wait! Bennett’s third place time of 2:01.20 was insufficient to give her the Olympic qualifying standard she lacked. As a consequence, fourth place finisher Teter, the game competitor who was also involved in Saturday’s spill, was moved up to receive the final Beijing ticket.

If one were pressed to identify the single track and field event which is most identified with Hayward Field, which most closely captures the spirit and heritage of Track Town, USA and, indeed, the culture of these impeccably-staged Olympic Trials, it may well be Pre’s event: the 5000 meters. As night descended over Hayward Field, the jubilant crowd was treated to three such races on Day Four of the U.S. Olympic Trials in track and field.

First up were the semi-final races in women’s 5000. In the first semi race, Shalane Flanagan, fresh off of Friday night’s impressive and competitive win in the 10,000, controlled the field and registered a comfortable victory with a time of 15:35.86. Colorado distance star Renee Metivier Baille ran a heady race, stay tucked in on the rail and out of trouble. She finished the race “on the bubble”. Her seventh place finish caused her to miss the automatic qualifier. Would her finish time of 15:45 be good enough to get her to the final on time? The second semi was tough from the opening gun, with Colorado runner Sara Slattery meting out the doses of 400 meter punishment at 75 seconds a lap. CU ace Kara Goucher, already going to Beijing by virtue of her second place showing in the 10,000, led a trailing back which hooked on to Slattery’s tempo. After Slattery’s pace took its toll on many, including Slattery, Goucher and Jen Rhines took over the leadership chores and drove the race to the finish. Goucher and Rhines finished one-two with Slattery holding on to sixth to make the final. And Metivier Baille from the first heat? Her time held up to make the final which will be run on Friday evening.

The evening concluded with the much-anticipated men’s 5000 final. Hayward Field favorite son Galen Rupp, winner of one of Friday’s semi-final races, did not start, choosing instead to focus his attention on the men’s 10,000 final later in the week. With Josh Rohatinsky also passing the final, the fourteen remaining finalists, which included Adam Goucher [former CU star and multiple national champion in this event], the Wisconsin duo of Matt Tegenkamp and Chris Solinsky , Bernard Lagat [reigning World champion at both 1500 meters and 5000 meters] began the race. At the opening gun, Colorado middle distance star Brent Vaughn went right to the lead and began to push the pace. Two kilometers into the race, Vaughn surrendered the lead to former CU star Adam Goucher who pressed on as if he knew that forcing the pace was his best personal strategy. With three laps remaining Bolota Asmeron forged to the front .With 800 remaining, Chris Solinsky grabbed the lead and began the race to the finish as Goucher, controlling the race only moments before, walked off the track. Lagat, camouflaged throughout the race in the chase pack, moved into striking position prepared to do what he does so well: uncork a withering finishing kick to win the race. Lagat struck with 200 meters to go, blew past a spent Solinsky, and dragged along the trailing Tegenkamp [second in 13:29.68] and Ian Dobson [third in 13:29.76] to round out the Beijing 5000 competitors. Colorado runner Stephen Pifer finished seventh in 13:37.46. Knowledgeable track fans in attendance wondered aloud how many more failed attempts at racing against Lagat would have to occur before the other American distance runners would develop an alternative approach to racing against Lagat, a shrewd veteran who rarely is outkicked. Such thoughts don’t haunt Lagat who can now turn his focus toward Adam Webb and the 1500.

In the women’s javelin, the complicated and arguably inequitable process of Olympic qualifying standards came in to play. Winner Kara Patterson [191’ 9”] is going to Beijing . The other podium participants: Colorado’s Dana Pounds [second in 189’ 9”] and Oregon Duck Rachel Yurkovich {third in 185’ 1”] both lack the qualifying standard and will not make the trip. Fourth place finisher, the game but injured American record holder Kim Kreiner, possesses the Olympic qualifying standard and will round out the abbreviated team of two throwers.

Colorado’s moment in the spotlight arrived when CU steeplechaser Jenny Barringer won her heat in a Hayward Field record time of 9:48.50. If Barringer would like to hold on to the record for more than three days, it will be incumbent for Barringer to win Thursday’s final – a race most track aficionados believe will produce yet another Hayward Field track record in this event.

In Day Two of the decathlon, the decathletes were greeted by slightly cooler and more forgiving weather conditions and began the second day with the 110 hurdles. While Trey Hardee, third after Day One, posted victory here in 13.71, Bryan Clay finished right on Hardee’s heels in 13.75 and extended his lead over second place athlete Tom Pappas. In the discus, the seventh event, Clay, the current decathlon world record holder in the heptathlon discus, further lengthened his lead on the field with a monster throw of 173’. From that point on, the battle was for second between Pappas and Hardee. A powerful surge by Hardee in the final lap of the 1500 proved to be the margin of victory as Hardee sealed second and a clearly spent Pappas staggered in for third – third place in this competition and third time as a decathlon Olympian. Clay’s winning point total of 8832 established a new Oly Trials record and represented the highest U.S. decathlon total since the 1992 total of 8891 by Dan O’Brien.

Colorado decathlete Mustafa Abdur-Rahim, ninth after Day One, got off to a quick start on Day Two. With a 14.38 clocking in the 110 hurdles and solid discus throw of 155’ 10”, Abdur-Rahim moved up to seventh place after seven events. By the end of the competition, the Dartmouth graduate was ninth with over 7500 points.

Upsets were avoided in the women’s 400 meter semi final races as Sanya Richards won easily in 50.75. Mary Wineberg posted the better winning time in grabbing the other semi final race in 50.57. On the men’s side, 400 meter semi-final wins were registered by Jeremy Wariner in 44.66 and Reggie Witherspoon in 44.99.

With two consecutive rest days on Tuesday and Wednesday, both the athletes, who have put on unimpressive show of track and field greatness, and the fans, who have been treated to arguably the finest track and field performances ever on U.S. soil, will have a much-needed recovery in preparation for the second half of the U.S. Olympic Trials which resume on Thursday.

For full results: www.usatf.org/events/2008/OlympicTrials-TF/schedule.asp
All photos by Victor Sailor / www.photorun.net