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| 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials
Track & Field
University of Oregon, Hayward Field - Eugene OR
June 27 - July 6, 2008
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Monday 6/30 - A split for Texas high jumpers
Highlights - USATF's Results Page - John Nepolitan Photo Gallery
Story by SteveU
Briscoe missed here, but had the clearance at 5-10.50 that got her into the finals. Photo John Nepolitan
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Shanay Briscoe was off her form, but made it into her high jump finals because of an underachieving field of competitors. Victoria Lucas was off her form, but was going to Las Vegas Tuesday. Both of the super high-jumping Texans were happy after Monday’s qualifying, despite their differing results, another example of the fact that when you’re a high-schooler, it’s good just to be here and sometimes good things can happen unexpectedly.
All 26 starters had cleared at least 6-00 coming into the meet, but just 10 got over 5-11.50 (1.82m) in the qualifying. Briscoe cleared the opening height of 5-10.50 (1.79m) on her first attempt in one flight, while on the apron next to her, Lucas was missing the bar at that same height in the other.
The bar was raised to 5-11.50 and Briscoe missed three straight times. She thought her meet was done, but others around her were having problems, too. Among those no-heighting were college- or elite-level jumpers like Kaylene Wagner (6-02.50 PR), while most of the athletes with 6-0 and 6-1 PRs were doing the same or had at least one miss at 5-10.50. When the dust had cleared, just 10 girls had cleared that second height.
Typically, the desirable number in field event finals is considered to be between 12 and 16 athletes. If the field event referee took the four tied at 5-10.50 who cleared on their first jump, he would have 15, and that’s what they did. Briscoe was in.
The Cypress Christian (Houston) soph – still just 15 years old – was happy to be in the final, or maybe a combination of happiness and relief, but was more focused on what went wrong and what she could do to bring out her ‘A’ game on Friday. “Last week I changed my mark and that’s what messed me up today,” she said. “Everything was off. I wasn’t clearing anything in warmups, either. But these are things I can correct.”
Briscoe described her experience in Eugene as “amazing” and that she was “very nervous” before competing.
Lucas missed her attempts at 5-10.50. Photo John Nepolitan
| Despite a second straight disappointing performance (she was 12th at USATF Jrs. at 5-05.25), it was Lucas who seemed in the best spirits. While she obviously wanted to do her best, she was obviously exuberant to be at the Trials and somewhat accepting of the fact that injury problems were going to be a limiting factor. “I’ve had a shin splint in my right leg,” she said. “I had told my coach I’d help at a volleyball camp the week before Juniors and it flared up.
The Midland TX senior felt she jumped better Monday than she did in Juniors, however. “If I’d jumped then like I did today, I think I would have made the team.
“I’ve never jumped at an opening height this high, though,” she added.
But Lucas was also looking forward to going to Las Vegas, where her father said he would take her during this trip – even if she made the final, she was planning to go on the off days. “I’m 18 years old and I’ll have a lot more chances to do this,” she said.
Lucas, who still can’t believe Briscoe is just 15, had words of praise for her Texas rival and friend. “We’ve hung out a lot at these last few meets. I’ve had so much fun getting to know her.”
Prep Highlights
- Shanay Briscoe TX cleared the opening height of 1.79m (5-10.50) and, surprisingly, it was enough to make her the first prep into the Finals of an event in these games. With just 10 women clearing the next height of 1.82 (5-11.50) - the auto qualifier was all the way up at 1.90 - officials wanted at least 12 in the field, so Shanay earned a 4-way tie for 11th by virtue of clearing on her first attempt. Fellow Texan Victoria Lucas, nursing a shin splint problem, missed three times at the 5-10.50 opening height.
Preps to Watch for Monday (all times PT)
- Women's High Jump qualifying (7:15 p.m.) - Texans Shanay Briscoe and Victoria Lucas take to the apron in attempt to make the final, with Lucas in first flight and Briscoe in second. Start lists today do not include qualifying info, but one would expect top 12 to make it, and that it would take in the 6-1, 6-2 range to do it. Briscoe will likely have to match or beat her PR of 6-01.25, and Lucas will need a slightly bigger PR than that.
US Olympic Trials Index |
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