“We’re having the trials here at my home track (in Eugene, Oregon), it’s the best thing I could have asked for”. She was joined by Maggie Malone as the only throws to eclipse the 60-meter mark. Each of the top three has the Olympic standard. Her throw of 64 feet, 3¼ inches in a light rain knocked Raven Saunders, the Ole Miss sophomore who won her second NCAA title last month at Hayward Field, into second place at 63-1½.
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Courtney Frerichs and Colleen Quigley, who both run with the Bowerman Track Club in Beaverton, finished in second and third place, respectively.
Kara Winger is in first place after the qualifying round with a toss of 61.42 meters. The top 12 make the final.
Bend’s Matthew Maton, a rising sophomore at OR, qualified for the men’s 1,500-meter semifinals after finishing sixth in his preliminary heat at the U.S. Olympic track and field trials at Hayward Field on Thursday evening.
The win makes it a sweep in the shot put for Texas as Ryan Crouser won the men’s shot put event on the first day of the trials.
Three women’s 1,500 first-round heats were contested to eliminate just three competitors heading into Friday’s semifinals.
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With two athletes pulling out after qualifying for Saturday’s 5,000 final in the semifinals earlier Thursday, and another – trials 800 champion Kate Grace – deciding not run, 27 were left from an original 1,500 field of 30. Samuels, who will be a freshman for the Cougars next season and was impressive on the national stage after collecting a top mark of 20-3.75 (6.19m) to finish 17.
