by RBR Admin
Molly Huddle completes her 5k/10k double, photo by PhotoRun.net
Tori Bowie wins the 200 meters, photo by PhotoRun.net
Centrowitz leads Andrews in 1,500 meters photo by PhotoRun.net
Jenn Suhr, ten time pole vault champion, photo by PhotoRun.net
The final day of the 2016 Olympic Trials lived up to all of the hype, from the pole vault to the 400 meter hurdles, to the 1,500 meters ! Here is how Kyle O’Connor saw it!
By Kylee O’Connor
EUGENE, Oregon — The 10th and last day of the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials was filled with nine finals, and with finals comes no shortage of drama. Sunday was no exception.
Martinez comes back from fall in 800 to place third in 1,500:
Martinez was favored to win the 800 meters on Day Four of the trials, but a trip-up resulted in a seventh-place finish. She came back on Day 10 to take third in the 1,500 in 4 minutes, 6.16 seconds, and qualify for the Olympic team. Martinez narrowly beat fourth-place finisher Amanda Eccleston, who ran 4:06.19. Jenny Simpson won in 4:04.74, and Shannon Rowbury placed second in 4:05.39.
“My heart sings for Brenda. There’s only one woman in the 800 meters that can also make the 1,500-meter team, and it’s Brenda,” Simpson said.
Prandini falls at the line to edge Felix:
Tori Bowie won the 200-meter dash in 22.25, and Deajah Stevens took second in 22.30. Jenna Prandini won the third spot, falling at the line and barely beating Allyson Felix. Prandini ran 22.53, edging Felix by .01 seconds.
McLaughlin pulls off Olympic berth:
Dalilah Muhammad won the 400-meter hurdles, running a world-leading time of 52.88. Ashley Spencer was second in 52.04, and 16-year-old Sydney McLaughlin placed third in a world junior record of 54.15.
Johnny Dutch is upset in 400 hurdles final:
Johnny Dutch, who has the world-leading time of 48.10, led the field of the men’s 400-meter hurdles with 100 meters to go. He faded in the final 100 meters and was passed by four of his competitors to take fifth in 48.92. Kerron Clement won the event in 48.50, followed by Byron Robinson in 48.79 and Michael Tinsley in 48.82.
Centrowitz wins 1,500:
World indoor champion Matthew Centrowitz won the men’s 1,500 in 3:34.09. Robby Andrews was second in 3:34.88, and Ben Blankenship placed third in 3:36.18. Leo Manzano, the 2012 Olympic silver medalist, was left off of the podium, placing fourth in 3:36.62.
Huddle pulls off double with 5,000 win:
Molly Huddle won the 10,000 meters on Day Two of the trials. On Day Ten, she became the first woman to double in the 5,000 and 10,000 at the trials, winning the 5K in 15:05.01. The second-place finisher was Shelby Houlihan in 15:06.14, and third place went to Kim Conley in 15:10.62. Emily Infeld, who placed second to Huddle in the 10,000, placed fourth in 15:13.87.
Nwaba wins heptathlon:
Barbara Nwaba won the heptathlon with a score of 6,494. She was 71 points ahead of Heather Miller-Koch, who had the top time in the final event of the heptathlon, the 800-meter race, running 2:09.97. Georgia’s Kendell Williams placed third with 6,402 points.
Veteran Jenn Suhr wins pole vault:
Jenn Suhr, 34, won the pole vault with a top mark of 15 feet, 9 inches, to make her third Olympic team. Sandi Morris placed second in 15-7, and Arkansas freshman Alexis Weeks placed third with a personal best jump of 15-5.
Kynard easily wins high jump:
Erik Kynard won the high jump with a jump of 7-6. After already clinching the win, he passed on the next height of 7-7 1/4, and then missed all of his attempts at 7-8 1/2. Kyle Landon placed third, jumping 7-5, but did not have the Olympic standard of 7-6, so third-place finisher Bradley Adkins and sixth-place finisher Ricky Robertson who already had the standard, will join Kynard in Rio.
