EUGENE, Ore. – Three Stanford teammates performed well at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials on Saturday at Hayward Field, but finished with differing emotions.
Valarie Allman was sixth in the women's discus, Olivia Baker did not advance to the women's 800-meter final, and Harrison Williams is eighth in the decathlon after setting a personal first-day record.
Two-time Pac-12 champion Allman, who just completed her junior year, earned her best finish in four tries at the U.S. championship meet, improving upon her 10th place of last year. Her top throw of 193-8 was 3'7" from third place and an Olympic berth.
Allman was fourth after the third round, but while her throws improved progressively from the third through the fifth rounds, she still lost two places. Either way, Allman was left chasing the third-place throw of 197-3 by Wisconsin's Kelsey Card from the opening round, a distance that Allman surpassed on the same Hayward Field ring on June 11 with a 201-6 while finishing third at the NCAA Championships.
Baker, the NCAA outdoor 800 runner-up this year as a sophomore, ran the second-fastest 800 of her life (2:01.87), but was squeezed out of the final by one place in her semifinal heat, and two spots among all competitors by time. Baker found herself trapped along the rail and spent much effort to free herself and find an open lane.
With 300 meters to go, Baker found herself fifth and boxed in. She tried to get outside and then cut back into lane one coming off the final turn. She bounced to lane three for a finishing kick and settled into lane two during a valiant effort to make up a gap and catch early leader Chanelle Price. Though Baker passed Price just before the finish, but she still trailed the three automatic qualifiers. Baker also was 0.48 behind the final qualifier on time for the eighth and final spot.
"I had a tough race today," Baker said. "The plan was to stay within striking distance through 600 and be in position to kick. Unfortunately, I got stuck in the box. Nonetheless, I gave it my absolute best down that last 100."
Baker dropped three seconds off her lifetime best this year and emerged this year among the nation's elite. The USTFCCCA West Region Women's Track Athlete of the Year ran 2:01.02 at the Payton Jordan meet for the fastest collegiate time in the country until the NCAA Championships.
"It's been a dream season," Baker said. "My road to Rio ends today, but I'm thankful for the talent that God has blest me with, and the opportunity I had to compete here. This is only the beginning."
In the decathlon, Williams' good day became great when he ran a lifetime best 46.66 in the 400, finishing second among all competitors only to world-record holder and defending Olympic champion Ashton Eaton. The event provided Williams, a sophomore this year, with 975 points – his all-time best for one event – and a first-day total of 4,144, another lifetime best.
Williams is 47 points ahead of his pervious first-day best, established during his 8,032-point fifth-place effort at the NCAA Championships. Williams has broken the Stanford record four times, and is on the verge of a fifth. He also has established a streak of lifetime-best totals in all 12 multi-event competitions since he began working with Stanford multis coach Michael Eskind in the summer of 2014.
The 400 was his only event personal record of the day, but he was close in the 100 (10.71) and long jump (23-1 ¼), and had solid performances in the shot put (42-10 ¼) and high jump (6-4 ¼).
Eaton is leading with 4,560 points, and Williams is 267 behind third-place Zach Ziemek. The second day features two of Williams' best events, the 110 high hurdles and pole vault, and Williams is relatively strong in the 1,500 as well.
* * *
U.S. Olympic Trials
At Hayward Field, Eugene
Saturday's results involving Stanford competitors
Men
Decathlon (after five events) – 8, Harrison Williams (Stanford) 4,144.
Williams' results (place in event, mark, points):
First day
100 – 5, 10.71 (926); Long jump – 14, 23-1 1/4 (7.04m) (823); Shot put – 13, 42-10 ¼ (13.06m) (671); High jump – 10, 6-4 1/4 (1.94m) (749); 400 – 2, 46.66 (975). First-day total: 4,144.
Women
800 semifinal – 4 (10th overall), Olivia Baker (Stanford) 2:01.87 (did not qualify for final).
Discus final – 1, Whitney Ashley (Nike) 204-2 (62.25m); 6, Valarie Allman (Stanford) 193-8 (59.02m).
* * *
Schedule involving Stanford-affiliated athletes
Sunday (July 3)
10 a.m. – Men's decathlon 110 hurdles (Harrison Williams).
10:50 a.m. – Men's decathlon discus (Harrison Williams).
1:15 p.m. – Men's decathlon pole vault (Harrison Williams).
3 p.m. – Men's decathlon javelin (Harrison Williams).
5:33 p.m. – Men's decathlon 1,500 (Harrison Williams).
Monday (July 4)
5:02 p.m. – Men's 5,000 first round (Grant Fisher, Sean McGorty, Garrett Heath, Chris Derrick).
Thursday (July 7)
11 a.m. – Women's shot put qualifying (Jillian Camarena-Williams).
3:30 p.m. – Women's javelin qualifying (Mackenzie Little).
4:20 p.m. – Women's 5,000 first round (Aisling Cuffe, Sara Bei Hall, Jessica Tonn).
5:58 p.m. – Women's 400 hurdles first round (Kori Carter).
6:15 p.m. – Women's shot put final.
6:26 p.m. – Women's 1,500 first round (Elise Cranny, Christina Aragon).
7:21 p.m. – Men's 1,500 first round (Michael Atchoo, Garrett Heath).
Friday (July 8)
4:12 p.m. – Men's 1,500 semifinals.
4:31 p.m. – Women's 400 hurdles semifinals.
5:03 p.m. – Women's 1,500 semifinals.
Saturday (July 9)
4 p.m. – Women's javelin final.
5:20 p.m. – Men's 5,000 final.
Sunday (July 10)
4:03 p.m. – Women's 400 hurdles final.
4:28 p.m. – Women's 5,000 final.
5 p.m. – Women's 1,500 final.
5:20 p.m. – Men's 1,500 final.