EUGENE – Colorado track and field athletes begin to close out the 2020 USATF Olympic Trials with four women finishing up competition here Friday and Saturday in three different events.
Saturday morning in blistering hot conditions former Buffs Makena Morley and Carrie Verdon finished up their trials competition in the finals of the women's 10,000-meters. Battling 85 degree with high humidity and hotter temperatures track side, Morley finished 19th overall in 33:02.87 while Verdon finished 27th in 33:18.61. Verdon also competed in the two rounds of the women's 5,000, the only Buff to run in three races this week. The race was won by New Balance athlete Emily Sisson in a meet record of 31:03.82 as she strung out the field and won by a decisive 13 seconds.
Friday saw two newly graduated Buffs as Sage Hurta ran in the semis of the women's 800 and Eriana Henderson competed in the first round of the 400 hurdles. Hurta was in fifth in her heat seeking a top-three finish or next two fastest times when she clipped the heels of Hanna Green who moved in on Hurta to close her out in the final 80 meters. Hurta took a devastating crash after clipping Green's heel, resulting in a broken wrist and a broken Olympic dream. Despite the cutoff, Green successfully protested her way into the finals as she was a tenth of a second from the final time qualifier.
Henderson, who did not know she was competing at the Olympic Trials until Tuesday, came out of her brief retirement and competed admirably. Up against World Record Holder Dalilah Muhammad, Henderson finished sixth in her heat in 58.55 seconds for 22nd overall at the trials.
Due to anticipated record high temperatures reaching 102 and 112 degrees Saturday and Sunday, the women's 10k and the men's 5k finals were both moved to 11 a.m. MT. Colorado has one more athlete competing as Eduardo Herrera earned the final time qualifier in the men's 5,000 and will compete Sunday morning. Former Buff and now Olympian Joe Klecker opted out of the 5,000 after earning his spot of Team USA in the men's 10,000 with a third-place finish.
CU track will have at least four alums heading to Tokyo at the end of July with Morgan Pearson qualifying first in the men's triathlon, followed in order by Klecker in the 10,000 and Emma Coburn and Val Constien in the women's steeplechase.
DATE | DAY | TIME (MT) | EVENT | ROUND | ATHLETE | QUALIFYING MARK | SEASON BEST | PERSONAL BEST | USA RANKING | BROADCAST | PLACE | RESULT |
18-Jun | Friday | 5:03 PM | Women's 1,500 | 1st Round | Jenny Simpson | 3:58.42 | 4:06.18 | 3:57.22 | 2nd | NBCSN | 1st Q | 4:11.34 |
Dani Jones | 4:04.26 | 4:04.26 | 4:04.26 | 10th | NBCSN | 16th Q | 4:13.47 | |||||
Micaela Degenero | 4:09.38 | 4:09.38 | 4:09.38 | 24th | NBCSN | 26th | 4:18.33 | |||||
6:54 PM | Women's 5,000 | 1st Round | Jenny Simpson | 14:58.67 | N/A | 14:56.26 | 8th | NBCSN | DNS | DNS | ||
Carrie Verdon | 15:18.56 | 15:18.56 | 15:18.56 | 21st | NBCSN | 9th Q | 15:32.87 | |||||
Maddie Alm | 15:19.03 | 15:19.03 | 15:19.03 | 24th | NBCSN | 3rd Q | 15:31.43 | |||||
8:25 PM | Men's 10,000 | Final | Joe Klecker | 27:23.44 | 27:23.44 | 27:23.44 | 7th | NBC | 3rd | 27:54.90 | ||
19-Jun | Saturday | 7:40 PM | Women's 1,500 | Semifinals | Jenny Simpson | 3:58.42 | 4:06.18 | 3:57.22 | 2nd | NBCSN | 5th Q | 4:06.81 |
Dani Jones | 4:04.26 | 4:04.26 | 4:04.26 | 10th | NBCSN | 9th Q | 4:09.92 | |||||
20-Jun | Sunday | 7:35 PM | Women's Steeplechase | 1st Round | Emma Coburn | 9:02.35 | 9:08.22 | 9:02.35 | 1st | 1st Q | 9:21.32 | |
Val Constien | 9:25.53 | 9:25.53 | 9:25.53 | 4th | 6th Q | 9:28.37 | ||||||
Sara Vaughn | 9:38.52 | 9:38.52 | 9:38.52 | 16th | 18th | 9:51.12 | ||||||
Madie Boreman | 9:48.09 | 9:48.09 | 9:46.48 | 32nd | 21st | 9:56.63 | ||||||
21-Jun | Monday | 6:05 PM | Women's 1,500 | Final | Jenny Simpson | 3:58.42 | 4:06.18 | 3:57.22 | 2nd | NBC | 10th | 4:07.76 |
Dani Jones | 4:04.26 | 4:04.26 | 4:04.26 | 10th | NBC | 9th | 4:06.46 | |||||
6:40 PM | Women's 5,000 | Final | Carrie Verdon | 15:18.56 | 15:18.56 | 15:18.56 | 21st | NBC | 10th | 15:54.04 | ||
Maddie Alm | 15:19.03 | 15:19.03 | 15:19.03 | 24th | NBC | 12th | 15:58.40 | |||||
24-Jun | Thursday | 8:00 PM | Women's 800 | 1st Round | Sage Hurta | 2:00.62 | 2:00.62 | 2:00.62 | 18th | NBCSN | 2nd Q | 2:00.08 |
9:04 PM | Men's 5,000 | 1st Round | Eduardo Herrera | 13:24.46 | 13:24.46 | 13:24.46 | 24th | NBCSN | 16th q | 13:45.33 | ||
9:47 PM | Women's Steeplechase | Final | Emma Coburn | 9:02.35 | 9:08.22 | 9:02.35 | 1st | NBCSN | 1st | 9:09.41 | ||
Val Constien | 9:25.53 | 9:25.53 | 9:25.53 | 4th | NBCSN | 3rd | 9:18.34 | |||||
25-Jun | Friday | 4:02 PM | Women's 800 | Semifinals | Sage Hurta | 2:00.62 | 2:00.62 | 2:00.62 | 18th | NBCSN | DNF | DNF |
4:35 PM | Women's 400 Hurdles | 1st Round | Eriana Henderson | 57.69 | 57.69 | 57.67 | 24th | NBCSN | 22nd | 58.55 | ||
26-Jun | Saturday | 11:00 AM | Women's 10,000 | Final | Makena Morley | 31:25.19 | 31:25.19 | 31:25.19 | 13th | OLYMPIC | 19th | 33:02.87 |
Carrie Verdon | 32:09.82 | 32:09.82 | 32:09.82 | 31st | OLYMPIC | 27th | 33:18.61 | |||||
27-Jun | Sunday | 11:00 AM | Men's 5,000 | Final | Eduardo Herrera | 13:24.46 | 13:24.46 | 13:24.46 | 24th | OLYMPIC |