2021 Pac-12 Athletes Olympic Track & Field Trials Preview

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2021 Pac-12 Athletes Olympic Track & Field Trials Preview

A total of 50 Conference men and women are set to compete in Eugene this weekend

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Posted on June 18, 2021


  By Steve Ritchie, SportsPac12

Twenty-three Pac-12 women and 27 Pac-12 men are entered in the U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials underway at Hayward Field on the University of Oregon campus.

Here’s a link to Day One Results.

Some of those competing are long shots to actually make the team, but a surprisingly large number are ranked in the top 10 in their respective events.

Regardless of where they finish, the experience they all gain will be helpful in their development as elite track and field athletes.

Needless to say, there are many former athletes from the Conference of Champions competing in the Trials as well.

In keeping with our Pac-12 coverage this season, however, we have limited our list to those who have eligibility remaining or who completed their collegiate careers in 2021.

In most cases, the top three finishers at the Trials will be on the U.S. Olympic Team, but there will be exceptions as some top finishers may not have recorded an Olympic qualifying time or mark.

Depending on the world rankings, some athletes who have the Olympic standard, but finish lower than third could make the team.

Here is the list by school with the athlete’s entry mark and their rank among entrants in their event. Below the listing is an analysis of which of these athletes have the best chance to go to Tokyo.

(Note: Cal’s standout hammer thrower Camryn Rogers is a Canadian.)

Arizona Athletes

Athlete	Event	Mark	Rank
Johnnie Blockburger	400	44.71	12
Jordan Geist	Shot Put	21.59m	7
Bisoye Oloyede	Hammer	73.22m	9
Justice Summerset	High Jump	2.25m	16
Shannoon Meisberger	400 Hurdles	55.70	9
Samantha Noennig	Shot Put	18.25m	15

Arizona State Athletes

Athlete	Event	Mark	Rank
Jamar Marshall	110 Hurdles	13.49	17
Kentre Patterson	110 Hurdles	13.56	20
Turner Washington	Discus	66.26	4

Colorado Athletes

Athlete	Event	Mark	Rank
Eduardo Herrera	5000	13:24.46	21
Madison Boreman	3000 Steeple	9:48.09	32
Micaela DeGenera	1500	4:09.38	24
Sage Hurta	800	2:00.62	18

Oregon Athletes

Athlete	Event	Mark	Rank
Isaiah Griffith	Triple Jump	16.68m	5
Jonathan Harvey	400 Hurdles	49.64	16
Cole Hocker	1500	3:35.35	10
Cole Hocker	5000	13:18.95	14
Jackson Mestler	3000 Steeple	8:27.65	13
Ben Milligan	High Jump	2.25m	16
Cooper Teare	5000	13:12.27	10
Micah Williams	100	10.00	11
Jack Yearian	1500	3:37.24	25
Rhesa Foster	Long Jump	6.57m	20
Alysah Hickey	Long Jump	6.59m	18
Kiana Phelps	Discus	58.73m	15
Dominique Ruotolo	Triple Jump	13.66m	10

Oregon State Athlete

Athlete	Event	Mark	Rank
Kaylee Mitchell	3000 Steeple	9:48.30	33

Stanford Athletes

Athlete	Event	Mark	Rank
Liam Christensen	Javelin	74.78m	18
Ella Donaghu	1500	4:09.66	27
Julia Heymach	1500	4:09.89	28
Virginia Miller	Javelin	54.49m	12
Alexa Rossum	200	22.96	29

USC Athletes

Athlete	Event	Mark	Rank
Isaiah Jewett	800	1:44.68	4
McKay Johnson	Shot Put	21.45m	8
Matthew Katnick	Shot Put	20.76m	13
Cameron Samuel	400 Hurdles	48.68	6
Earnie Sears	High Jump	2.30m	6
Angie Annelus	200	22.16	4
Anna Cockrell	100 Hurdles	12.54	4
Anna Cockrell	400 Hurdles	54.68	5
Bailey Lear	400	51.02	11
Morgan Smalls	High Jump	1.91m	8
TeeTee Terry	100	10.89	2
TeeTee Terry	200	22.69	20
Lanae-Tava Thomas	200	22.65	18

UCLA Athletes

Athlete	Event	Mark	Rank
Harrison Schrage	Long Jump	7.97m	18
Shae Anderson	400 Hurdles	55.21	7
Shae Andreson	400	51.16	14
Alyssa Wilson	Discus	60.76	8
Alyssa Wilson	Hammer	69.94m	9

Washington Athletes

Athlete	Event	Mark	Rank
Cass Elliott	400 Hurdles	50.07	25
Elijah Mason	Discus	60.67m	20
Jonah Wilson	Shot Put	20.08m	18
Katie Rainsberger	3000 Steeple	9:32.12	11

Katie Rainsberger, 3000 Steeplechase, 9:32.12 (#11)

Washington State Athlete

Athlete	Event	Mark	Rank
Paul Ryan	1500	3:37.04	21

As noted earlier, a number of the Pac-12 athletes who qualified for the Trials are definitely long shots to make the team.

Anyone above a number 12 ranking would do well to make it to the finals in their event.

The other athletes I have assigned to one of three groups, Great Chance, Legitimate Shot, and It Could Happen.

Great Chance

Anna Cockrell, USC — She is in great shape and running really well in both hurdle races. These are “rhythm events” and she has a very good rhythm and great confidence after NCAAs. Her chances are likely better in the 100 Hurdles.

TeeTee Terry, USC — The women’s sprint races are loaded with talented runners. But Terry has had a great season in the 100, and apart from Sha Carrie Richardson she has as good a chance as anyone.

Turner Washington, ASU — The top five men in the discus competition are separated by just a few feet.

Washington passed on the shot at the Trials in order to concentrate on the discus. Good decision, and I believe he will win the event.

Legitimate Shot

Isaiah Jewett, USC — The Trojan senior comes in as the number four 800 runner which should give him a very good chance to go top three.

The problem is that the three guys above him are in the top ten in the world. If one of them slips up, Jewett could make it.

Cole Hocker & Cooper Teare, Oregon — The two Duck runners are tough to handicap.

Hocker will be up against runners like Matthew Centrowitz and Craig Engels in the 1500, and Teare, and Hocker will face the likes of Lopez Lomong and Paul Chelimo in the 5000.

Hocker and Teare faced tough competition at NCAAs and performed beautifully. And the Hayward crowd will be rooting hard for them.

It reminds me of the 2000 Trials when Stanford’s Gabe Jennings and Michael Stember made the U.S. team.

It Could Happen

Angie Annelus, USC — The Trojan sprinter made the 2019 World Championship team so she is certainly capable. But she hasn’t had her best year to this point.

Still, she is only running the 200 while most of her competition will have to go through the rounds of the 100 meters and could be ripe for the picking.

Micah Williams, Oregon — Another hometown favorite in Eugene, Williams has an explosive start, but couldn’t quite hold off his fast finishing rivals at the NCAAs.

If he can deal with the pressure, which has to be tough for a college freshman, Williams has an outside shot.

Cameron Samuel, USC — Rai Benjamin and Sean Burrell should take the top two spots in the 400 Hurdles, but the third spot is wide open.

Samuel’s best time ranks him sixth, but a half-second is all that separates third from sixth. This is a race where most likely any of the finalists could grab that third place, including Samuel.

For more Olympic Trials coverage, visit our friends at Track & Field News.

—More from Steve Ritchie—