June 28, 2008

EUGENE, Ore. - Former Tar Heel Shalane Flanagan lived up to her billing as the favorite in the 10000-meter run late Friday night in Eugene, Ore. as she won the US Championship in 31:34.81, setting yet another record as she broke the Hayward Field all-time mark. Alice Schmidt posted the top time in the quarterfinals of the 800 and will move on to the semifinals on Saturday. Current Tar Heel LaToya James fell just shy of advancing to the semifinals in the 400 hurdles as she finished 17th on Friday.

Flanagan had already eclipsed the Olympic A standard with her American record performance earlier in the year but with the US Championships on the line she turned it up a notch on the opening day of the Olympic Trials. Flanagan battled Kara Goucher and Amy Begley for several laps as the trio pulled away from the pack when Goucher and Flanagan picked up the pace. Begley fell behind the two favorites as Goucher and Flanagan battled throughout the rest of the race. On the final lap, Flanagan began another charge as she pulled away down the back stretch before making the final turn to win the the first spot up for grabs at the Olympic Trials with a time of 31:34.81. Goucher came in second to earn the second spot before Begley crossed the line for the third and final spot as she eclipsed the Olympic A standard.

Flanagan now joins Blake Russell who finished third at the marathon qualifier as Olympians heading to Beijing in a few weeks. Russell also competed in the 10000 with Flanagan on Friday night and turned in another great performance as she finished fifth in the event less than a minute behind Flanagan's torrid pace.

Another Tar Heel favorite, Alice Schmidt ran the fastest time in the qualifying round of the 800-meter run with a 2:03.58. She is one of six athletes who have reached the Olympic A standard in preparation for the trials and will need to finish in the top three in the final to earn her spot on the US Olympic Team. Schmidt captured the second heat and will be joined the Saturday's semifinal with the 15 other runners who qualified.

Current Tar Heel LaToya James fell just shy of qualifying for the semifinals in the 400 hurdles. James finished fifth in her heat with a time of 58.64 which was the 17th fastest time in the four preliminary heats. A third of a second separated James from Erin Crawford who earned the 16th and final spot into the semifinals. The freshman turned in one of the better seasons in school history as she emerged as an All-America in the 400 hurdles during the outdoor season.

The fifth and final Tar Heel in action Friday in Eugene was Sheena Gordon who was competing in her first of two events with the triple jump. Gordon's second jump of 44-0 1/2 would be her top for the day but it would not be enough to move her onto the final as she would finish 13th unable to reach the qualifying mark of 13.60.

Saturday's Olympic Trials Schedule

Saturday, June 28, 2008
4:25(PT)  800m	        women	semifinal          Alice Schmidt