Devon Allen advances in 110 hurdles at Olympic Track Trials
Devon #Devon
2016 Olympian Devon Allen of Phoenix and three others with Arizona ties advanced in the men’s 110-meter hurdles Friday at the U.S. Olympic Track Trials.
Allen, who finished fifth at the Rio Olympics, was fourth in the first round in Eugene, Oregon, in 13.26 seconds. He competed in football and track while in college at Oregon.
“You have to love this atmosphere,” Allen said of renovated Hayward Stadium. “Luckily there are fans here, which is amazing. I have a big home field advantage. I get a lot of love which is much appreciated.
Start the day smarter. Get all the news you need in your inbox each morning.
“It is warm. It’s been hot in Maryland where I’m training too. Being from Phoenix, I am used to training in much hotter temps. It’s easier to warm up. You’ve just got to make sure you are hydrated.”
Freddie Crittendon of Phoenix Track Club was eighth (13.43), Jamar Marshall of Arizona State 10th (13.47) and Jarret Eaton of Phoenix Track Club 11th (13.51).
Max Hairston of Altis and Kentre Patterson of ASU failed to advance.
Also Friday, trials triple jump champion Will Claye of Buckeye did not advance in men’s long jump. He was a 2012 Olympic long jump bronze medalist.
Arizona’s Shannon Meisberger advanced in the women’s 400 hurdles in 57.51.
In men’s high jump, Arizona’s Justice Summerset and Grand Canyon’s Ethan Harris failed to clear the opening height (2.14 meters/7-0 ¼).
Former ASU national champion Ewen falls short of first Olympic berth
Maggie Ewen, one of the most successful throwers in Arizona State history, fell one place short of qualifying for her first Olympics on Thursday.
Ewen, 26, finished fourth in women’s shot put at the U.S. Olympic Track Trials in Eugene, Oregon.
She threw 18.92 meters/62-1, just short of Ohio State’s Adelaide Aquilla, who was third at 18.95/62-2 ¼. Jessica Ramsey won with a meet record 20.12/66-0 ¼ followed by Raven Saunders at 19.96/65-6.
Ewen will miss out on the Tokyo Olympics, July 23-Aug. 8. She competed in hammer throw at the 2017 World Championships and was fourth in shot put at 2019 Worlds.
“Sometimes it just doesn’t come together,” Ewen said. “It came together for Raven and Adelaide and it came together amazingly for Jess. It stings, it hurts, but we’ve still got a whole season if I’m not gong to the Olympics.
“After a good cry tonight, we’ll get back on the horse. You can’t let it get to you too personally, you can’t let it get to your core.”
Ewen was a four-time NCAA champion during her ASU career (2015-18). She set collegiate outdoor shot put and hammer throw records, won the 2018 Honda Award as the nation’s best female track athlete and was a two-time Bowerman Award finalist.
Arizona’s Samantha Noennig, who previously threw for ASU, was 12th in shot put at 16.69/54-9 ¼.
Also Thursday, as the trials resumed after a two-day break, Arizona State’s Turner Washington fell far short of his personal best and failed to make the men’s discus final. He threw 58.65/192-5 to finish 17th in qualifying.
Washington won discus and shot put at the recent NCAA Championships and had a season best of 66.26/217-5 in discus.
Northern Arizona’s Nico Young was second fastest in men’s 5,000-meter qualifying in 13:36.74. Ryan Hill of NAZ Elite did not advance, finishing 23rd in 14:12.20.
“I knew I didn’t have the Olympic standard,” Young said. “So it was about learning how to race better, it was the whole goal of the race. I simply continued to move up throughout the whole thing.
“Coming here was almost the same to Flagstaff weather. I was nervous but excited coming in as a freshman. But I showed through.”
Jasmine Todd of Arizona Elite advanced to the women’s long jump final with a qualifying mark of 6.64 meters/21-9 ½.
Rachel Schneider of Flagstaff qualifies for Olympics in 5,000-meter
Rachel Schneider of Flagstaff finished third in the women’s 5,000-meter Monday night, qualifying for the Tokyo Olympics.
Elise Cranny and Karissa Schweizer were first and second at the U.S. Olympic Track Trials in Eugene, Oregon, in 15:27.81 and 15:28.11.
Schneider, 29, was third in 15:29.56 to make her first Olympics. She was 19th in the 5,000 at the 2019 World Championships.
Schneider competed in college at Georgetown after growing up in New Hampshire. She is coached by Northern Arizona’s track/cross country coach Mike Smith, also her fiancé. Smith also coaches U.S. Olympic marathoner Galen Rupp.
“It feels like a dream come true,” Schneider said. “To get to go represent our country on the highest stage at the Olympics is just a huge honor. I’m really looking forward to training as hard as I can.
“I think I’m a much, much better runner and racer when I’m happy. I’ve created a life with the love of my life. I just have an incredible community in Flagstaff pursuing a major that I’m really passionate about. I’ve created a life that makes me really happy outside the sport.”
Lauren Paquette of NAZ Elite was seventh in the 5,000 in 15:48.10. Kellyn Taylor of NAZ Elite scratched from the final to concentrate on the 10,000 coming up Saturday.
Will Claye wins triple jump at trials, qualifies for third Olympics
Arizona native Will Claye and former Arizona State All-America Chris Benard qualified for the Tokyo Olympics on Monday in men’s triple jump.
Claye of Buckeye came through on his final jump at the U.S. Olympic Track Trials in Eugene, Oregon, to win over Donald Scott. The 30-year-old jumped 17.21 meters/56-5 ¾ to best Scott, who took the lead in the fourth round at 17.18/56-4 ½.
Benard was third at 17.01/55-9 ¾.
A three-time medalist in two previous Olympics, Claye will be trying for his first gold in Tokyo, July 23-Aug. 8. He was triple jump silver medalist in 2012 and 2016 behind Christian Taylor, who suffered a ruptured Achilles on May 19 at a meet in the Czech Republic.
“It was just one of the moments where you had to be a veteran and make it happen,” Claye said. “At that point I knew I was on the team. I just thought about all the work I put in. I just had to do it.
“The most important thing I was thinking about was just stay relaxed. It was my third time here at the Olympic Trials. Just stick to the plan. Not to foul. Execute what we worked on in practice, just sticking to my guns.”
Benard, an eight-time All-America at ASU, made his second consecutive Olympics. He also was sixth at the 2017 World Championships.
“It was rough,” Benard said. “I would say until the fifth round it was kind of seeming like I might not make the team. I was one of only three with the standard but I knew I had to compete well still.
“For the fifth round, to have a good jump was good and then to jump over 17 meters on the sixth attempt was really relieving. I released a bit once I knew I was on the team but it was definitely a tense competition for me.
“Track is more mental than physical. So I have been really trying to make sure my mental strength is the same as my physical strength. I could hear the bad thoughts overcoming the positive thoughts today so it definitely took something mental to pull this out.”
Claye and Benard are coached by Jeremy Fischer.
The trials resume Thursday for the final four days of competition at Hayward Field.
Claye, Benard qualify first, third in triple jump at Olympic Track Trials
Arizona native Will Claye and Arizona State alum Chris Benard were first and third in men’s triple jump qualifying Saturday at the U.S. Olympic Track Trials.
Each needed just one jump in Eugene, Oregon, to advance to the final at Hayward Field.
Claye, a two-time Olympic triple jump silver medalist, led qualifying at 16.85 meters/55-3 ½ with 2016 Olympian Benard jumping 16.55/54-3 ¾. Donald Scott was in between at 16.81/55-2.
In the men’s 100-meter first round, Ameer Webb of Phoenix and Chris Royster of Altis were 21st (10.21) and 25th (10.34), failing to make the semifinals. Webb was a 2016 Olympian in the 200.
ASU signee Justin Robinson finished 10th in the men’s 400 semifinals in 45.41. The 19-year-old will begin his Sun Devil career in 2021-22.
Galen Rupp finishes sixth in 10,000-meter at U.S. Olympic Track Trials
Galen Rupp finished sixth Friday night in the men’s 10,000-meter on opening day of the U.S. Olympic Track Trials in Eugene, Oregon.
Rupp, already qualified for the Tokyo Olympics, July 23-Aug. in the marathon, finished in 27:59.43 but failed to crack the top three for a second Olympics berth. He is coached by Northern Arizona track/cross country coach Mike Smith.
Former NAU runner Diego Estrada was 13th in the 10,000 (28:10.78) while another former Lumberjack, two-time Olympian Lopez Lomong did not finish. Lomong dropped out at the 4K mark.
In the only other final Friday, Arizona’s Jordan Geist was seventh in men’s shot put, throwing 20.80/68-3.
Arizona State signee Justin Robinson advanced to the men’s 400 semifinals, finishing eighth in the first round in 45.46. UA’s Johnnie Blockburger did not advance, running 46.75.
Lauren Paquette and Kellyn Taylor of NAZ Elite in Flagstaff made the women’s 5,000 final, finishing 12th and 15th in the first round in 15:36.59 and 15:40.29.
UA’s Israel Oloyede made the men’s hammer throw final with a best of 70.46/231-2.
More: Building Team Arizona for Tokyo Olympics: Local connections in Summer Games
More: Arizona track athletes look to match marathoners’ success at U.S. Olympic Trials
More: USOPC upholds Shelby Houlihan ban from Olympic Track Trials
Reach the reporter at jeff.metcalfe@arizonarepublic.com or 602-444-8053. Follow him on Twitter @jeffmetcalfe. Support local journalism: Subscribe to azcentral.com today.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Devon Allen advances in 110 hurdles at Olympic Track Trials