EUGENE -- Building off of momentum from last night’s historic world record, Day 2 is primed to awe spectators both in-person at Hayward Field and those tuning in from home with finals in the women’s discus and 100m, as well as several qualifying events. Watch Day 2 of the U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Track & Field at the University of Oregon’s Hayward Field live on NBCSN from 8:00 p.m. ET and on NBC at 10:00 p.m. ET. Live results can be found here. The full broadcast schedule can be found here and the Day 2 broadcast and streaming schedule is as follows:
First day - Saturday, June 19, 1 PM PT Second day - Sunday, June 20, 12:15 PM PT Format: 18 athletes competing in 10 events spread over two days, with performances scored using World Athletics points tables. Garrett Scantling (Athens, Georgia / USATF Georgia) and Harrison Williams (Chula Vista, California / USATF North Carolina) have achieved the Tokyo standard of 8,350 points and are favored here, but with 10 opportunities to run into problems nothing is ever certain in the decathlon until the last athlete crosses the finish line in the 1,500m. Zack Ziemek (Sun Prairie, Wisconsin / USATF Wisconsin) was third at the 2016 Trials and is just a few points shy of the standard, while Solomon Simmons (Edinburg, Texas / USATF Texas Southern) is ranked highly on the World Athletics scoring list but would need to add a little more than 100 points to his lifetime best along with a top-three finish to assure his spot at the Games. Devon Williams (Athens, Georgia / USATF New York) was 10th at the World Championships in 2017 and is capable of big scores in the explosive events. Youngster Kyle Garland (Athens, Georgia / USATF Georgia) has the makings of a future star and won the Southeastern Conference title for Georgia with 8,196 points in May.
Final - 6:42 PM PT As expected, American record holder Valarie Allman (Austin, Texas / USATF New York) was an easy qualifier for the final. What might not have been expected was the massive throw she unleashed to advance. Allman sailed the one-kilogram implement out to 70.01m/229-2, the second-farthest throw ever by an American and a Trials meet record. Rachel Dincoff (Las Cruces, New Mexico / USATF New Mexico) also safely made it through with a best of 61.63m/202-2, as did former American record holder Gia Lewis-Smallwood (Alexis, Illinois / USATF New York), a 42-year-old who is a veteran of four World Championships teams and was a 2012 Olympian. She competed in her first U.S. championship meet in 2003. Defending champ Whitney Ashley (Lawrence, Kansas / USATF Missouri Valley) also moved through to the final and, like Allman and Dincoff, has the Tokyo standard.
Semifinal - 6:03 PM PT (top 3 in each semi and next 2 fastest overall advance to final) Final - 7:51 PM PT Looking just like the U.S. leader for 2021 and the No. 6 woman on the all-time world list that she is, Sha'Carri Richardson (Dallas, Texas / USATF Texas Southern) made the Hayward straightaway her playground in the first round Friday. Clocking a 10.84, the fastest of all four heats, Richardson put her marker down as the woman to beat. Others who sparkled in their initial outing on the track were Javianne Oliver (Clermont, Florida / USATF Florida), who ran a personal best 10.96 to win the third heat, and Gabby Thomas (Austin, Texas / USATF Texas Southern), who smiled her way to a lifetime best 11.00 to take heat one. NCAA champion Cambrea Sturgis (Kannapolis, North Carolina / USATF North Carolina) of North Carolina A&T won the only heat that had a headwind, going 11.15. Kayla White (Greensboro, North Carolina / USATF North Carolina) was also sub-11 with a 10.99 behind Oliver.
1st Round - 5:04 PM PT Semi - Sunday, June 20, 6:03 PM PT Final - Sunday, June 20, 7:43 PM PT Advancement procedure: 32 athletes in 4 heats of 8, with the top 3 in each heat and next 4 fastest overall advancing to the semifinal. Two semifinal heats of 8 with the top 3 in each heat and the next 2 fastest overall advancing to the final. Traditionally one of the strongest and deepest women's events for Team USATF, there are a few question marks heading into Tokyo. Keni Harrison (Pflugerville, Texas / USATF Texas Southern) isn't one of those question marks, though, bringing credentials as the world record holder and sporting a silver from Doha in 2019. The three-time World Championships veteran has run 12.48 twice this year but sits second on the U.S. list behind LSU's Tonea Marshall (Baton Rouge, Louisiana / USATF Southern). Marshall chose to sit out the NCAA Championships last week as a precaution and has lowered her lifetime best to 12.44 in 2021. In Marshall's absence, Anna Cockrell (Waxhaw, North Carolina / USATF North Carolina) of USC won the collegiate crown in 12.58 and clocked a PR 12.54 in the semifinal. There is a slew of other speedy hurdlers ready to move into the top three, including Christina Clemons (Lawrence, Kansas / USATF Missouri Valley) and Chanel Brissett (Wyncote, Pennsylvania / USATF Mid-Atlantic) of Texas, along with Queen Claye (Quinton, Virginia / USATF Arizona) and Sharika Nelvis (Jonesboro, Arkansas / USATF Arkansas).
1st Round - 5:34 PM PT Semi - Sunday, June 20, 6:19 PM PT Final - Sunday, June 20, 7:52 PM PT Advancement procedure: 32 athletes in 4 heats of 8, with the top 3 in each heat and next 4 fastest overall advancing to the semifinal. Two semifinal heats of 8 with the top 3 in each heat and the next 2 fastest overall advancing to the final. Everything starts with the comeback story of the year, Trayvon Bromell (Jacksonville, Florida / USATF Florida). Bromell was eighth at the Rio Games and has battled back from injuries that plagued him for several years. Back at top speed and then some, the fast Floridian leads the world list at 9.77 this year and is the seventh-fastest man in history. Dropping his lifetime best to 9.85 has put Marvin Bracy-Williams (Minneola, Florida / USATF Florida) firmly in the picture, but both Bromell and Bracy-Williams have to keep an eye on Justin Gatlin (Clermont, Florida / USATF Florida), the No. 5 man in history, and Noah Lyles, the 2019 200m world champion who has sub-9.9 speed. Isiah Young (Clermont, Florida / USATF Southern) is another veteran who has set a personal best this year at 9.89, but the most intriguing contestant may be Fred Kerley (Taylor, Texas / USATF Gulf), who is dropping down in distance from the 400m, where he was a bronze medalist at Doha. Kerley won at Ostrava in May with a 9.96 that woke the rest of the sprint world up to his capabilities. Team USATF's embarrassment of riches continues with Ronnie Baker (Fort Worth, Texas / USATF Southwestern), who has gold medal potential on any given day, and it is certain that at least two men with sub-10 clockings on their resumé will miss out on the final here.
Semi - Saturday, June 19, 6:40 PM PT Final - Monday, June 21, 5:05 PM PT Advancement procedure: Two semifinal heats of 12 with the top 5 in each heat and the next 2 fastest overall advancing to the final. All of the major players made it through the first round unscathed as only four women were eliminated. Heat wins went to Jenny Simpson (Boulder, Colorado / USATF Colorado), Dani Aragon (Sleepy Hollow, New York / USATF New York) and Elle Purrier (Brighton, Massachusetts / USATF New England), but none of the heats were exceptionally quick as athletes took the measure of their competitors in sit and kick scenarios. Simpson was the fastest overall at 4:11.34, but there was less than four seconds between her and the last time qualifier. With a premium on place rather than time to make the final, look for more of the same cat and mousery.
Semi - Saturday, June 19, 7:20 PM PT Final - Sunday, June 20, 7:06 PM PT Advancement procedure: Two semifinal heats of 8 with the top 3 in each heat and the next 2 fastest overall advancing to the final. Setting up some tantalizing semis, four women dipped under 51 seconds in the first round, led by Doha fourth-placer Wadeline Jonathas (West Columbia, South Carolina / USATF South Carolina), who zipped to a season best of 50.64. She dragged Lynna Irby (Indianapolis, Indiana / USATF Indiana) and Kaylin Whitney (Clermont, Florida / USATF Florida) to rather rapid second- and third-place times, in her heat, with Whitney scoring a PR 50.94. The other sub-51 performer? None other than the most decorated woman in U.S. track and field history, Allyson Felix (Los Angeles, California / USATF Southern California). Felix looked ready to roll with a confident 50.99 in heat one. Ten of the advancers met or beat the Tokyo standard, a testament to the amazing depth Team USATF has in the one-lapper. With only eight lanes available in the final, some pretty swift quarter-milers are going to be on the outside looking in.
Semi - Saturday, June 19, 7:35 PM PT Final - Sunday, June 20, 7:15 PM PT Advancement procedure: Two semifinal heats of 8 with the top 3 in each heat and the next 2 fastest overall advancing to the final. Four of the six fastest qualifiers were collegians, topped by North Carolina A&T's Trevor Stewart (Spotsylvania, Virginia / USATF Virginia). Stewart won the first heat in 44.75, while Elija Godwin (Athens, Georgia / USATF Georgia) of Georgia took heat three in 44.86 ahead of Michael Norman (Sherman Oaks, California / USATF Southern California). Michael Cherry (Inglewood, California / USATF Southern California) won the second section in 44.81, with Wil London (Waco, Texas / USATF Southwest) victorious, but just barely, in heat four at 45.46. 2008 Olympic champion LaShawn Merritt (Portsmouth, Virginia / USATF Potomac Valley) lived to run another day, taking the last time qualifier slot at 45.81. NCAA champ Randolph Ross (Burlington, North Carolina / USATF North Carolina), Stewart's teammate, had to make a comeback sprint home to take third in his heat and advance.
Semi - Saturday, June 19, 7:04 PM PT Final - Monday, June 21, 5:28 PM PT Advancement procedure: Two semifinal heats of 8 with the top 3 in each heat and the next 2 fastest overall advancing to the final. Heat two was the fastest of the four in the first round, won by American record holder and reigning world champion Donavan Brazier (Grand Rapids, Michigan / USATF Oregon) in 1:45.00. Brazier had to work for that win given Brannon Kidder's (Seattle, Washington / USATF Pacific Northwest) lifetime best 1:45.06 pushing him all the way, and Isaiah Harris (Lewiston, Maine / USATF Maine) wasn't too far back in 1:45.25. NCAA champion Isaiah Jewett (Inglewood, California / USATF Southern California) of USC and 2016 Rio bronze medalist Clayton Murphy (Pepper Pike, Ohio / USATF Lake Erie) duked it out in the final heat, Jewett coming out on top by .01 in 1:47.83. Other heat winners were Michael Rhoads (Colorado Springs, Colorado / USATF Pacific Northwest) of the Air Force and Abraham Alvarado (Smyrna, Georgia / USATF Georgia), who edged out Doha fourth place finisher Bryce Hoppel (Midland, Texas / USATF Missouri Valley) in heat one.
Qualifying - 2:15 PM PT Final - Monday, June 21, 4:15 PM PT Advancement procedure: 24 athletes in 2 flights of 12 will have 3 throws each. The top 12 will advance to the final, where each will have 3 throws and then the top 8 will have 3 more. It's all about the standard here, as none of the entrants has met the 85m mark required to be sure of a Games spot. Curtis Thompson (Florence, New Jersey / USATF New Jersey) is the best of the bunch this season with an 81.44m/267-2 and was second at the Trials in 2016. Michael Shuey (Johnsonburg, Pennsylvania / USATF New York) and Riley Dolezal (Fargo, North Dakota / USATF Dakotas), the third-place finisher in 2016, have also planted the spear out past the 80m line. Marc Anthony Minichello (West Pittston, Pennsylvania / USATF Mid-Atlantic) of Penn was the 2019 USATF U20 champion and has a penchant for big PR throws, and his latest one won the USATF Open at Prairie View as it sailed to 79.24m/260-0.
Qualifying - 4:30 PM PT Final - Monday, June 21, 3:30 PM PT Advancement procedure: 24 athletes in 2 pits of 12 will jump until 12 athletes plus any ties remain. Reigning world champion Sam Kendricks (Oxford, Mississippi / USATF Southern) has a superb big meet record, including two world titles, an Olympic bronze in 2016 and two World Indoor silvers. He has also won six straight U.S. titles. He will have to call on all his experience to pull off another one with the likes of Chris Nilsen (Vermillion, South Dakota / USATF Dakotas) and KC Lightfoot (Lees Summit, Missouri / USATF Missouri Valley) and a band of upstarts looming, any of whom could grab one of the three Games berths. Kendricks holds the American record and was joined in the six-meter club by Lightfoot, who scaled that height indoors and was the NCAA indoor champion for Baylor before giving up his collegiate eligibility. Nilsen was the 2019 Pan American Games gold medalist and won the NCAA outdoor title in 2018 and 2019. He has a best of 5.95m/19-6.25 and could easily be the next U.S. member of the six-meter club. Branson Ellis (McKinney, Texas / USATF Southwestern) of Stephen F. Austin is very familiar with the new Hayward runways, having won the NCAA title here last week.
Qualifying - 5:15 PM PT Final - Monday, June 21, 4:40 PM PT Advancement procedure: 24 athletes in 2 flights of 12 will have 3 jumps each. The top 12 will advance to the final, where each will have 3 jumps and then the top 8 will have 3 more. You could say where there's a Will, there's a Claye. Will Claye (Buckeye, Arizona / USATF New York), twice a silver medalist at the Olympics and twice a silver medalist at the World Championships, Claye is the defending Trials champion and hopes to be ready to fly once again after overcoming injury over the past year. The second best American in history and the third best ever in the world outdoors with a best of 18.14m/59-6.25, Claye seeks to take over the mantle of Olympic champion form Christian Taylor, who is out with an Achilles injury. Donald Scott (Ypsilanti, Michigan / USATF Michigan) is another potential medalist who has won numerous national titles, and Chris Benard (Chula Vista, California / USATF San Diego Imperial) also has achieved the Tokyo standard. Chris Carter (Houston, Texas / USATF Gulf) was sixth in 2016 and could break up that triumvirate with a good day on the runway. Fans can follow #TrackFieldTrials21 and #JourneyToGold on social media via USATF’s accounts on Twitter, Instagram, TikTok and Facebook.
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