Thursday was a successful day for University of Oregon track and field alumni as they continue to compete for a spot on the U.S. team in Paris.
Former University of Oregon track and field star Jaidyn Mays missed out on Olympic qualification in the 100 meters but still has a chance to make Team USA. Mays returned to Howard Field to compete in the 200 meters with a shot at representing the United States at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Mays finished in 22.50 seconds to place second in her heat and sixth overall. Mays was behind New Balance athlete Gabby Thomas, who won her heat in 22.11 seconds, posting the second-fastest time of the day.
“My goal was to finish in the top two in this heat, regardless of the criteria,” Mays said.
Shakari Richardson took the lead in the 200 meters with a time of 21.99 seconds, but Mays is focused on cementing her place on the U.S. national team. The women's 200 meters semifinal will be held on Friday at 7:04 p.m. PDT.
“It's fun getting ready to run these two races,” Mays said. “I want to give myself the best chance possible to go out there and run a good time.”
Former Duck Kylie King, who now competes for Nike, advanced to the semifinals of the 200-meter dash. On Thursday, King ran the race in 20.50 seconds to place second in the qualifying round and 12th overall. King's personal best is 20 seconds and his season best is 20.11 seconds.
The men's 200m semifinals will be held on Friday at 7:27 pm PDT.
Oregon's long-distance dominance continued as Cole Hocker and Cooper Tier both advanced to the 5,000-meter finals, with Hocker sprinting on the final lap to take first place in the preliminaries with a time of 13:33.45.
Teare ran in the same race as Hocker and finished third in 13:34.07. Hocker and Teare will have a few days to recover and prepare for the final. The men's 5,000 meter final will be held on Sunday, June 30 at 4:30 p.m. PDT.
The 2024 Olympic Trials will continue at Hayward Field in Eugene, so stay tuned for more updates and recaps.
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