Former Brooks Beast Jessica McClain finishes fourth in women's 10000 at Trials...
EUGENE--The penultimate day of the US Olympic Track & Field Team Trials was a light affair for athletes with Washington ties, with the action coming in the two longest events on the Saturday schedule at Hayward Field on the University of Oregon campus.
In the women's 10000, former Brooks Beast Jessica McClain (Paul Merca photo) who lived in Seattle after graduating from Stanford in 2015 for four years, finished fourth in a time of 32:04.57.
McClain, who also finished fourth at the US Olympic Marathon Trials in February, ran 32:04.57, was just over 23 seconds behind the winning time of 31:41.07 run by former New Mexico All-American Weini Kelati.
There is a scenario where McClain could be on the Olympic team, depending on what Karissa Schweizer, who is already on the team in the 5000 decides to do, as well as how the Road to Paris world rankings shake out after this weekend's national championship meets around the world.
Of the 24 starters in the race, only Kelati holds the Olympic qualifying standard of 30:40.00.
Second place finisher Parker Valby from Florida, who was fourth in the 5000, but does not have the standard in the 10000, will move up in the world rankings. Valby, who is ranked number 44 in the world (subtracting athletes from countries with more than three ranked) should move up in the rankings,
McClain is currently ranked ahead of Valby in the Road To Paris rankings, so she could be selected over Valby.
In any case, Valby and McClain must wait until later next week to find out their fates.
"I was doing this race to rewrite the crappy history that I had on the track," said McClain, whose last track 10000m before 2024 was in July 2019 when she finished eighth at the US nationals in Des Moines.
Recalling the marathon trials, where she finished fourth, McClain said that in Orlando, she was stoked that she ran the time that she did (2:25:46), but here in Eugene, she was stoked to get fourth place.
Saturday morning on the streets of Springfield, Bellevue native Katie Burnett finished fourth in the women's 20K race walk, in a time of 1:43:44, as Robyn Stevens won in 1:37:38.
In the men's 20k race walk, Vancouver native Daniel Nehnevaj finished fifth in 1:33:58, as Nick Christie won in 1:24:46.
The ageless wonder, 60 year old Shorecrest HS and Western Washington alum Allen James, finished 14th in 1:43:26.
In other finals contested Saturday, Andrew Evans won the men's discus at 218-6 (66.61m). Tara Davis-Woodhall won the women's long jump at 22-11.75 (7.00m), while Gabby Thomas won the women's 200 in 21.81.
Chase Jackson won the women's shot put at 65-11.5 (20.10m), while Noah Lyles won the last race of the day, the mens 200 in a world leading mark of 19.53.
On Sunday's final day, all eyes will be on Vancouver's Kara Winger's attempt to make her fifth US Olympic team in the javelin at 4:10pm after coming out of retirement earlier this month.
Winger must place in the top three AND throw farther than 210-0 (64.00m) to get the trip to Paris.
In the women's pole vault at 3:15 pm, former Pullman resident Katie Moon, who is the defending Olympic champion, goes against a field that includes twins Hana and Amanda Moll from the University of Washington.
Brandon Miller, who ran the second fastest time in the 800 in the semifinals, looks to ride the momentum onto his first Olympic team at 4:51pm, while Seattle resident Sam Prakel runs in the men's 5000 20 minutes earlier.
In the penultimate race of the Trials, Washington State alum CJ Allen looks to make his first Olympic team.
NOTE: USA Track & Field and World Athletics contributed to this report.
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