Day three at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials was packed with action as it held the finals of the decathlon, women’s high jump, men’s long jump and both men’s and women’s 100 and 400 meter races.
In the decathlon, former Oregon Duck and current world record holder Ashton Eaton qualified for the Rio de Janeiro Olympics by finishing first with 8,750 points. He entered the day with the lead and he held on to it throughout day two. The two highest point values for Eaton came in the pole vault and 110m hurdles.
Eaton vaulted 5.25 meters and ran a 13.60 second 110m hurdle time.
Eaton advanced his second Olympic games. He earned gold in 2012 after setting the world record at the 2012 trials.
Jeremy Taiwo will be going to Rio as well after his second performance in the decathlon. He was close to Eaton for two days and finished with 8,425 points. University of Wisconsin’s Zack Ziemeck finished in third with 8,413 and will be the third decathlete to represent team USA.
Current Oregon Duck Mitch Modin earned a personal best in the decathlon ending the day in seventh with 7,785 points. A solid 14.55 second 110m hurdle time and a personal best long jump of 7.42 meters on day one allowed him to enter the top 10.
In the women’s high jump, Chaunte Lowe finished first with a jump of 6 feet, 7 inches. Eighteen year-old Vashti Cunningham finished in second. The daughter of former NFL quarterback Randall Cunningham and the 2016 indoor world champion, Vashti jumped 6’5″1/2. The final Olympic spot went to Inika McPherson when she jumped 6’4″.
The men’s long jump competition was stacked and ended with some of the best marks ever recorded at the U.S. Olympic Trials.
Jeffrey Henderson placed first with a monstrous jump of 28′-2 1/4″. Jarrion Lawson took second with a jump of 28′-1 1/2″ and Will Claye took third with a jump of 17′-28 1/2″.
“That was the best long jump competition I have ever been in,” said Claye. “[It’s] the new era of the long jump.”
Allyson Felix ran the fastest time in the world this year during the finals of the women’s 400m and placed first with a time of 49.68. former Oregon standout Phyllis Francis placed second, and Natasha Hastings finished third with times of 49.94 and 50.17, respectively.
“I had to use my rounds to try to get sharp… I came to the final and let it all out,” said Felix.
LaShawn Merritt, Gil Roberts and David Verburg qualified for Rio in the men’s 400m. Merritt ran a blazing 43.97, only .6 seconds off his personal record. Roberts and Verburg ran 44.73 and 44.82, respectively.
The main event for Oregon track fans came with the women’s 100m dash. Oregon accounted for three of the final eight athletes with one current Ducks, Ariana Washington, and two former Ducks, Jenna Prandini and English Gardner.
Gardner had stated all week that she was in the best shape of her life, and that a “Noah like” performance was coming. She proved that by claiming the top time and running a 10.74. Gardener’s time was tied for the seventh fastest in history.
“I was just joking with my dad and I said, ‘it rained’, and he joked and looked at me and said, ‘no, it drizzled,’” said Gardner.
Tianna Bartoletta and Tori Bowie ran incredible times in second and third, both clocking in at 10.78 with Bartoletta edging out Bowie by 0.003 seconds.
Former Duck Jenna Prandini came in fifth with a 10.96. She still has a shot to make the Rio team as a member of what will be a stacked women’s 4×100 team.
Oregon redshirt sophomore and NCAA title-winner Ariana Washington finished one spot behind Prandini in sixth with an 11.01.
The men’s 100 was a two horse race between Justin Gatlin and Trayvon Bromwell. Gatlin edged out Bromwell by 0.04 and ended the race with a 9.80, the fastest time in the world this year. Marin Bracy came in third at 9.98. He was 0.02 seconds ahead of the fourth place finisher.
Gatlin will race in his third Olympics, while Bromwell and Bracy will compete in the games for the first time.
Follow Jack Butler on Twitter @Butler917