U.S. team taking shape

Several spots wrapped up on Monday

Tue., June 26, 2012

Associated Press

Local watch

Former University High and University of Washington graduate Brad Walker finished in a five-way tie for first in the men’s pole vault preliminaries to qualify for the finals. He cleared 17 feet, 8 1/2 inches.

A pair of former Washington State Cougars advanced to the finals.

Bernard Lagat finished second in the men’s 5,000 meters with a time of 13 minutes, 42.83 seconds, just 2/100 of a second behind the winner.

Post Falls grad Ian Waltz placed fifth in the men’s discus with a toss of 201-1.

Two former WSU women failed to qualify – Blessing Ufodiama finished 10th in the triple jump and Collier Lawrence placed 19th in the 3,000-meter steeplechase.

Nick Symmonds won his fifth straight U.S. title in the 800 meters by winning at the Olympic trials in 1 minute, 43.92 seconds on Monday night in Eugene, Ore.

Symmonds earns a spot on the U.S. team for the London Games with runner-up Khadevis Robinson, who finished in 1:44.64, and Duane Solomon, who finished in 1:44.65.

Symmonds, a local favorite who went to Division III Willamette University and runs for the Oregon Track Club elite, started far back in the pack but surged into the lead in the final 100 meters.

T&F: Men’s high jump

Jesse Williams, the reigning world champion in the high jump, finished fourth but still made the Olympic team.

Third-place finisher Nick Ross did not have the Olympic “A” standard of 7 feet, 7 inches.

Jamie Nieto finished first in the high jump with a height of 7-5 3/4. Erik Kynard finished second, followed by Ross and Williams, who all also cleared the height.

T&F: Women’s triple jump

Amanda Smock won the triple jump at 45 feet, 9 inches for a spot on the Olympic team.

Smock was the only athlete in the field with the Olympic “A” standard of 46-11, so she will be the lone representative on the U.S. team.

Erica McLain, a two-time U.S. outdoor champion, finished eighth.

T&F: Men’s javelin

Sam Humphreys won the javelin with a throw of 268-7, but he doesn’t make the Olympic team because he doesn’t have the required “A” standard.

Runner-up Sam Crouser, with a throw of 265-01, also failed to make the team because he hadn’t thrown the standard of 269 feet this season.

The U.S. will be represented by Craig Kinsley, Sean Furey and Cyrus Hostetler, who all have the standard.

Kinsley finished third at 262-02. Furey was fourth at 255-05, and Hostetler was fifth with 254-08.

T&F: Women’s 800 meters

Alysia Montano won the 800 meters in 1 minute, 59.08 seconds at the U.S. track trials to make the Olympic team.

Geena Gall was second in 1:59.24, and Alice Schmidt was third in 1:59.46 for the two other spots on the U.S. team.

Montano, a three-time U.S. champion, led wire-to-wire while wearing her trademark flower in her hair.

Maggie Vessey, runner-up to Montano at the U.S. outdoor championships for the past two seasons, finished last in the field in 2:03.44.

Swimming: Men’s 400 IM

Ryan Lochte has won his first head-to-head showdown with Michael Phelps at the U.S. Olympic swimming trials in Omaha, Neb.

The 27-year-old Floridian captured the 400-meter individual medley Monday night, taking command on the breaststroke leg and holding off Phelps in the freestyle for a time of 4 minutes, 7.06 seconds. Phelps claimed the second Olympic spot in 4:07.89.

Tyler Clary, who took second at last year’s world championships, won’t even get a chance to swim the event in London. He faded to third in 4:09.92.

Phelps won the 400 IM at the past two Olympics, but vowed to drop the grueling event after Beijing. In the past year, he brought it back — and now he’ll be swimming it again in London.