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U.S. Olympic Trials Daily Recap - Day 10: Track & Field

Gretchen Walsh by Jack Spitser
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Welcome to UVA Track & Field Olympic Trials Central
Over the 10 days of the U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials, check here for daily updates on the Hoos following each day of competition. Live coverage of the US Olympic Trials will be broadcast live each day on NBC, Peacock and USA. Links to the broadcasts, live results and the overall meet schedule are available at VirginiaSports.com. Updates will also be posted to the team’s official Twitter account (@UVAtfcc).

June 30 – Day 10
Williams to Punches Ticket to Paris
In her second US Olympic Team Trials, former Cavalier Bridget Williams became the US National Champion in the women’s pole vault after clearing 4.73m/15-6.25. Williams passed on the opening height before clearing the following five heights on her first attempt. The three time All-American for the Cavaliers was the only competitor in the field to clear all five heights on her first attempt before missing the bar three times at 4.78m/15-8.25. Williams came into the competition having already achieved the Olympic standard of 4.73m.
In 2021, Williams cleared 4.50m/14-9.0 to finish ninth overall in the field. She cleared the first two heights on her second attempt before knocking the bar down at 4.60m. Three years later, Williams stands atop the podium with the gold medal around her neck. Not only that, the Greensburg, Pa. native cleared each bar on her first attempt at each height.
Williams will compete in the women’s pole vault competition at the Olympic Games in Paris from July 26 through August 11.
Cohen Concludes Season at US Olympic Trials
Virginia senior Shane Cohen concluded a fantastic season in the final of the men’s 800m. Cohen recorded a new personal best of 1:44.92 in the semifinal to earn a time qualifying position to the final.
Pulled along by Bryce Hoppel’s meet record time of 1:42.77, Cohen recorded his second personal best of the weekend in the final crossing the line in 1:44.65 to finish sixth overall in a stacked field. Cohen’s usual strategy of executing the race from behind was put to the test as members of the field such as Bryce Hoppel and Brandon Miller are ranked among the best in the world over 800 meters. Unfazed by the veteran runners in the field, Cohen stuck with the fast-paced race and set himself up for another impressive finish. Cohen’s time remains ranked second in program history and just off Paul Ereng’s school record time of 1:43.16.
Cohen capped off an impressive season which included an ACC bronze medal, NCAA Championships gold medal and now a US Olympic Trials sixth-place finish.
Day 10 Results
Women’s Pole Vault Final
1. Bridget Williams 4.73m/15-6.25
Men’s 800m Final
6. Shane Cohen 1:44.65
Day 8 – June 28

Cohen The Closer 
In his first US Olympic Team Trials, Shane Cohen secured his spot in the men’s 800m final after clocking a new personal-best of 1:44.92 in the semifinal round. In his usual fashion, Cohen ran the majority of the race from the back of the pack before surging to the front in the final 100 meters of the race. Going to his arms in the home stretch, Cohen was able to sprint from seventh to third place and nearly break Virginia’s 33-year-old program record of 1:43.16. With the top two from each heat and the next three fastest times advancing to the final, Cohen would have to see if his time held up against the field. The Virginia senior secured the second time qualifying position behind unattached athlete Abraham Alvarado’s time of 1:44.44 from the second heat.

The men’s 800m final is set to take place on Sunday at 7:51 p.m. ET. Cohen will look to contend for one of the top three positions and punch his ticket to Paris. He will also look to achieve the Olympic standard of 1:44.70.

Williams to the Final
In her second US Olympic Team Trials, former Virginia track and field athlete Bridget Williams (formerly Bridget Guy) secured her spot in the women’s pole vault final clearing 4.35m/14-3.25. After skipping the opening height, Williams entered the competition clearing 4.35m before missing on all three attempts at 4.50m/14-9. The top-12 finishers advance to the final, for which William’s mark tied for 11th overall in the field. Williams will look to better her finish from the Olympic Trials in 2021 where she finished ninth clearing 4.50m.

The women’s pole vault will be contested on Sunday at 6:15 p.m. ET.


More Performances

Alex Sherman concluded his season in the men’s 400m hurdles semifinal in his US Olympic Team Trials debut. Sherman got out and attacked each hurdle to ultimately cross the line in 51.33 in a competitive field. His time was good for fifth in his heat and 21st overall. From becoming the ACC Outdoor Championships silver medalist to competing in the US Olympic Trials semifinal, Sherman capped off a stellar junior season.

Up next, the past and present Cavaliers will have a day in between the semifinal and qualification rounds before competing in the finals on Sunday. Williams is set to compete in the pole vault at 6:15 p.m. ET while Cohen will take the track at 7:51 p.m. in the 800m.
Day 8 Results
Women’s Pole Vault Qualifier
T-11. Bridget Williams q

Men’s 800m Semifinals
6. Shane Cohen 1:44.92 q
Men’s 400m Hurdles Semifinal
21. Alex Sherman 51.33
Day 7 – June 27
Shane Continues to Shine

In the first round of the men’s 800m, the 2024 Outdoor NCAA Champion Shane Cohen toed the line with some of the country’s best middle-distance runners. The Virginia senior crossed the line in 1:46.83 to finish third in his heat and 10th overall to automatically qualify through to Friday’s semifinal. The top-six in each heat plus the next three fastest times advance.

Cohen is known for executing the race from the back of the pack before surging to the front in the final 120-100 meters of the race. No surprise in the first round as Cohen came from behind to secure his automatic qualification. The top six in each heat plus the next three fastest times advance to the semifinal round. Confident in his run, Cohen gave a glance over at the field as he began swallowing them up on the home stretch.

The men’s 800m semifinal will be contested on Friday at 9:39 p.m. ET.

Sherman to the Semis
In his US Olympic Trials debut, Alex Sherman qualified for the men’s 400m hurdles semifinal after a strong run in the first round. The Virginia junior finished fourth in the fifth and final heat crossing the line in 50.76, not far off his personal-best of 50.34 set this season at the conference championships. The ACC silver medalist just missed qualifying for the NCAA Outdoor Championships, though he did not let that stop him. Having achieved the Olympic Trials qualifier and now advancing to the semifinal, Sherman is poised and ready to compete for a chance to represent Team USA in Paris.

The men’s 400m hurdles semifinal will take place on Friday at 9:16 p.m. ET.

More Performances
Margot Appleton’s season concluded in the first round of the women’s 1500m as she was just shy of making her first US Olympic Trials semifinal. In an extremely competitive field of women, Appleton crossed the line in 3:17.44 to finish nineth in her heat and 32nd overall. The back-to-back 1500m ACC Champion and All-American, Appleton had a season for the record books.Jacob Lemmon also capped off his season in the men’s discus qualifying round. Lemmon threw for 58.81m/192-11 on his first attempt in the competition to finish 15th overall and just missed qualifying for the finals by three spots. He proceeded to foul his second throw before launching one out 56.62m/185-9 on his third attempt. Lemmon concluded another impressive season by adding an ACC silver medal and NCAA sixth-place finish to his resume.Up next for the Cavaliers in competition, Shane Cohen and Alex Sherman will take on the field in the semifinals of the men’s 800m (9:39 p.m. ET) and the men’s 400m hurdles (9:16 p.m. ET). Bridget WIlliams will begin competition in the women’s pole vault qualifying round at 8:55 p.m. ET.Day 7 Results
Men’s 800m Round 1
10. Shane Cohen 1:46.83 QWomen’s 1500m Round 1
32. Margot Appleton 4:17.44Men’s Discus Qualifier
15. Jacob Lemmon 58.81m/192-11Men’s 400m Hurdles Round 1
17. Alex Sherman 50.76 Q


Day 4 – June 24
Wynne Finishes Sixth in 1500m Final
In arguable the greatest 1500 meters in history, six athletes ran under the Olympic standard (3:33.50) with eight athletes under the previous meet record of 3:34.09 by Matthew Centrowitz in 2016 and equaled by Yared Nuguse in the semifinal. One of those athletes was none other than Virginia track and field alum, Henry Wynne. Wynne finished sixth in a new personal-best time of 3:32.94. Running from the front of the pack, Wynne remained poised and ready to cover any moves made by the rest of the field. As the competition began to take off in the final 200 meters of the race, the four-time All-American for the Cavaliers pushed to the finish with his efforts good enough for sixth-place overall. 

Up next, three current Cavaliers in Shane Cohen, Alex Sherman and Jacob Lemmon will take to the track in the preliminary rounds of their respective events. Following two practice days, the next wave of competition will begin on Thursday, June 27.

Day 4 Results
Men’s 1500m Final
6. Henry Wynne 3:32.09

 
Day 3 – June 23
Top-Five Finish for Sado in the Steeplechase Final
In his US Olympic Trials debut, Yasin Sado ran an impressive race to finish fifth overall in the men’s 3000m steeplechase final crossing the line in 8:29.04. While tightly bunched in the beginning of the race, Sado remained poised and within sticking distance of the leaders as the field began to string out. While fifth overall, he was the second collegiate athlete to finish just behind BYU’s James Corrigan in third place. The Virginia senior has been on a tear in the post season finishing runner-up at the ACC Championships, seventh at the NCAA Championships and now fifth at the US Olympic Trials.
Nate Mountain and Derek Johnson were also in the race, finishing 10th and 11th respectfully. Mountain got out quickly from the gun and even led the field for a moment before falling to the back of the pack. The past and present Cavaliers crossed the line in 8:34.37 and 8:34.63. The slower pace in the beginning of the race caused some traffic for which Johnson and Mountain navigated to stay on their feet. Mountain also came into this weekend after having a stellar post season winning back-to-back-ACC titles and finishing runner-up at the NCAA Championships. All three men would have needed to run a lifetime best to achieve the Olympic Standard of 8:15.
Day 3 Results
Men’s 3000m Steeplechase Final
5. Yasin Sado 8:29.04
10. Derek Johnson 8:34.37
11. Nate Mountain 8:34.63


Day 2 – June 22
Wynne to the Men’s 1500m Final
After qualifying for the men’s 1500m semifinal with automatic bids, Wes Porter and Henry Wynne laid it all on the line in an effort to qualify for the men’s 1500m final. In the first heat, Porter quickly found himself near the back of the pack ultimately crossing the line in 3:39.33. Despite his strong effort to stay in touch with the leaders, Porter’s efforts were good enough for 10th in the heat and 19th overall.

In the second heat of competition, Virginia alum Henry Wynne ran a strong race to earn his spot in the final. Wynne remained within the top-five athletes throughout the race coming through the line in a season-best 3:34.40. Pulled along by Yared Nuguse equaling the meet record in 3:34.09, Wynne finished third in the heat and third overall to earn an automatic qualifying position. The men’s 1500m final is set to take place on Monday, June 24 at 8:47 p.m. ET.

Nate Mountain, Yasin Sado and Derek Johnson will look to punch their ticket to Paris in the men’s 3000m steeplechase final tomorrow, Sunday June 23 at 10:07 p.m. ET.

Day 2 Results
Men’s 1500m Semifinal
3. Henry Wynne 3:34.40 Q
19. Wes Porter 3:39.33

Day 1 – June 21
Hoos Ready for the Men’s 3000m Steeplechase Final
The dynamic duo of Nate Mountain and Yasin Sado continued their dominant season finishing third and fourth in the first round of the 3000m steeplechase in their US Olympic Team Trials debut. Just off of his school record of 8:20.68, Mountain stuck with the leaders for the duration of the race to cross the line in 8:21.22 for third place overall. Also in the first heat of two, Sado remained in touch with the front pack clocking 8:22.18 with a late surge to finish fourth overall. Finishing in the top-five in the heat, Mountain and Sado earned automatic qualification to Sunday’s final.Virginia alumnus Derek Johnson also qualified for the steeplechase final after running 8:27.64 in the second heat of competition. Running in the middle of the pack, Johnson worked to stay within striking distance of one of the five coveted automatic qualifying positions. Finishing sixth in the heat, Johnson’s time was good enough to finish 14th overall to earn the final time qualifying position.The trio of current and former Cavaliers will contest the men’s 3000m steeplechase final on Sunday at 10:07 p.m. EST.


Porter and Wynne Headed to the Semis
In his US Olympic Trials debut, Wes Porter ran a tactical race to secure an automatic qualification to the semifinal of the men’s 1500m. In a faster opening round heat, Porter ran nearly one second off his personal best and school record time finishing sixth overall  with his time of 3:36.69. Porter continues to dominate in the post season as the Kansas City, Mo. native finished third at the ACC Championships and sixth at the NCAA Championships before setting the school record at the Portland Track Festival clocking 3:35.63.

Virginia track and field alumni, Henry Wynne will join Porter in the semifinal after finishing fourth in his heat clocking 3:37.68. Wynne was not far off of his season-best of 3:35.24 from one month ago at the Los Angeles Grand Prix. A fifth-place finisher at the US Olympic Trials in 2021 and World Championships in 2023, Wynne knows what it takes to advance to the final and race for one of those top-three spots.

The current and former Cavaliers in Porter and Wynne will contest the men’s 1500m semifinal on Saturday at 9:56 p.m. EST.

More Performances
In the men’s javelin throw qualifier, Ethan Dabbs had a tough outing fouling all three of his throws. An NCAA Champion for the Cavaliers in 2021, Michaela Meyer got tangled up in a tight pack of runners clocking 2:03.48 for 800 meters. Meyer just missed out on qualifying to the semifinal finishing 19th overall. In his US Olympic Trials debut, Virginia sophomore Gary Martin fought to the finish in the men’s 1500m crossing the line in 3:39.23 for 30th.

Day 1 Results
Men’s Javelin Qualifier
Ethan Dabbs   FOUL
Women’s 800m Round 1
31. Michaela Meyer 2:03.48
Men’s 3000m Steeplechase Round 1
3. Nate Mountain 8:21.22 Q
4. Yasin Sado 8:22.81 Q
14. Derek Johnson 8:27.64 q
Men’s 1500m Round 1
6. Wes Porter 3:36.69 Q
12. Henry Wynne 3:37.68 Q
30. Gary Martin 3:39.23
32. AJ Ernst 3:39.72

Women’s Triple Jump Qualifier
19. Kelly McKee 12.77m/41-10.75
Broadcast Schedule
Day Date Network (ET)
Day 1 Friday, June 21 NBC 9 p.m. – 11 p.m.
Peacock 1 p.m. – 4p.m.; 6:20 p.m. – 11 -.m.
USA 6:30 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Day 2 Saturday, June 22 NBC 8:55 p.m. – 11 p.m.
Peacock 1 p.m. – 6 p.m.; 7:45 p.m. – 11 p.m.
Day 3 Sunday, June 23 NBC 8:45 p.m. – 11 p.m.
Peacock 1 p.m. – 4 p.m.; 8 p.m. – 11 p.m.
Day 4 Monday, June 24 NBC 8 p.m. – 11 p.m.
Peacock 1 p.m. – 3 p.m.; 8 p.m. – 11 p.m.
Day 5 Tuesday, June 25 Practice
Day 6 Wednesday, June 26 Practice
Day 7 Thursday, June 27 NBC 8 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Peacock 7:15 p.m. – 11:30 p.m.
USA 9 p.m. – 11 p.m.
Day 8 Friday, June 28 NBC 10 p.m. – 11 p.m.
Peacock 7 p.m. – 11 p.m.
USA 8 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Day 9 Saturday, June 29 NBC 8 p.m. – 10 p.m.
Peacock 10:30 a.m. – 12 p.m.; 7:30 p.m. – 10 p.m.
Day 10 Sunday, June 30 NBC 7:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Peacock 5:50 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.


Schedule of Cavalier Events
*Times are Eastern Time

Friday, June 21:
6:30 p.m. | Men’s Javelin Qualifier (Ethan Dabbs)
7:17 p.m. | Women’s 800m Round 1 (Michaela Meyer)
7:49 p.m. | Men’s 3000m Steeplechase Round 1 (Derek Johnson, Nate Mountain, Yasin Sado)
8:22 p.m. | Men’s 1500m Round 1 (AJ, Ernst, Gary Martin, Wes Porter, Henry Wynne)
9:50 p.m. | Women’s Triple Jump Qualifier (Kelly McKee)

Saturday, June 22:
9:54 p.m. | Men’s 1500m Semifinal (Wes Porter, Henry Wynne)

Sunday, June 23
10:07 p.m. | Men’s 3000m Steeplechase Final (Nate Mountain, Yasin Sado, Derek Johnson)

Monday, June 24
8:47 p.m. | Men’s 1500m Final (Henry Wynne)

Tuesday, June 25
Practice

Wednesday, June 26
Practice

Thursday, June 27
7:47 p.m. | Men’s 800m Round 1 (Shane Cohen)
8:23 p.m. | Women’s 1500m Round 1 (Margot Appleton)
9:20 p.m. | Men’s 400m Hurdles Round 1 (Alex Sherman)
9:45 p.m. | Men’s Discus Qualifier (Jacob Lemmon) 

Friday, June 28
8:55 p.m. | Women’s Pole Vault Qualifier (Bridget Williams)
9:21 p.m. | Men’s 400m Hurdles Semifinal (Alex Sherman)
9:44 p.m. | Men’s 800m Semifinal (Shane Cohen)

Sunday, June 30
6:15 p.m. | Women’s Pole Vault Final (Bridget Williams)
7:51 p.m. | Men’s 800m Final (Shane Cohen)

List of Virginia Qualifiers, Past and Present:

Name Event
Shane Cohen 800m
Michaela Myer 800m
AJ Ernst 1500m
Gary Martin 1500m
Wes Porter 1500m
Henry Wynne 1500m
Margot Appleton 1500m
Nate Mountain 3000m steeplechase
Yasin Sado 3000m steeplechase
Derek Johnson 3000m steeplechase
Alex Sherman 400m hurdles
Kelly McKee Triple Jump
Ethan Dabbs Javelin
Bridget Williams Pole Vault
Jacob Lemmon Discus

 

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