Moll twins punch tickets to Tokyo with 3-4 finish in pole vault on last day of USATF champs...
EUGENE--The Moll sisters of the University of Washington have lived on the edge at the lower heights before getting going.
Such was the case in the finals of the women's pole vault, as both Amanda (Ken Martinez/West Coast XC photo) and Hana Moll needed third attempts to stay alive, and ultimately finish third and fourth to secure theirs spots on the plane to Tokyo on the final day of the Toyota USATF Outdoor Championships at Hayward Field on the campus of the University of Oregon Sunday.
After Amanda, the NCAA indoor champion, cleared the opening height of 14-4.5 (4.38m) on her first attempt, Hana needed two tries to advance to the next height of 14-10.25 (4.53m).
Both needed third attempts to clear the bar, while defending world champion and former Pullman resident Katie Moon, who already has a spot to Tokyo, used a second attempt to advance to the third height of 15-2.25 (4.63m).
Moon opted to pass at that bar, while Hana, who was looking to make her second world championship team, cleared on her first.
Amanda needed another clutch third attempt to continue on, as both Olympian Brynn King from Division II Roberts Wesleyan and Big Ten rival Chloe Timburg from Rutgers cleared on their first attempt to leave the remaining field to seven vaulters.
The Molls, Moon and eventual winner Sandi Morris all passed at the next bar at 15-4.25 (4.68m), while King, Timburg and Gabby Leon opted to vault at that height.
Leon, who passed to this height after a miss at the previous bar, missed on her two attempts at 15-4.25 (4.68m), while King and Timburg were eliminated with three misses each.
The Molls were not safe, needing a clearance at 15-6.25 (4.73m) to leapfrog both King and Timburg, as they were ahead on fewer misses.
After both Morris and Moon cleared on their first attempts, Amanda made it on her second attempt to clinch a spot on the team to Tokyo.
On her third attempt, Hana cleared the bar to lock up her second trip to the world championships.
With only a national championship left to decide, Morris cleared the next height of 15-10 (4.83m) on her second try, while Moon and the Molls missed on all three tries, giving Morris the win.
Moon, Amanda, and Hana went 2-3-4 to round out the team to Tokyo.
Washington alum Nastassja Campbell did not clear the opening height.
In perhaps the race of the entire championships, Olympian Brandon Miller of the Brooks Beasts was in prime position for a spot on the world championship team in the men's 800 until the final 150 meters.
With Josh Hoey leading the field through 200 in 24.2, Miller and Beasts teammate Isaiah Harris, who was on the world championship team two years ago, were tucked in comfortably.
Hoey led through 400 in 49.29, with Bryce Hoppel, Miller, and the resurgent Donavan Brazier in tow.
With 150 to go, Brazier passed Miller to move into third.
In a move that no one saw coming, 16 year old high schooler Cooper Lutkenhaus from Texas went to the outside to pass everyone except Brazier, who took the victory in a personal best 1:42.16. Lutkenhaus broke the world under-18 record with his second place time of 1:42.27, while Hoppel, the American record holder, was third in 1:42.49.
Miller ended up fifth in a personal best 1:43.14, while Harris set a personal best of 1:44.23 in sixth.
Courtesy of NBC Sports, here's the race (may be geoblocked in certain countries):
In the 400 hurdles, Washington State alum CJ Allen, who was looking to make his second world championship team, was passed on the final hurdle by Christopher Robinson to finish fourth in 48.76, as Olympic champion Rai Benjamin won in 46.89.
The women's 5000 saw Lake Stevens native Taylor Roe finish seventh in 15:21.36. Washington alum Kayley DeLay was eleventh in 15:27.67, while her Brooks Beast teammate Allie Buchalski was twelfth in 15:29.13.
Valery Tobias of the Brooks Beasts finished eighth in the women's 800 in 2:02.11.
Gonzaga alum James Mwaura was 19th in the men's 5000 in 13:41,28, while Arlington native Parker Duskin was eighth in his semifinal heat of the men's 110 hurdles, running 14.14.
NOTE: USA Track & Field, and World Athletics contributed to this report.
paulmerca.blogspot.com may receive a commission for any purchases made from links clicked. Please support this site and our sponsors by clicking on the links. You can also support the site by clicking the yellow "Buy Me A Coffee" link below.
Comments