EUGENE, Ore. — Kaylee Mitchell never had an Olympic dream. It was never a thought coming out of Sprague High School in Salem, Ore.
That was for other runners, she said. Not her.
“I can’t relate to that,” she said. “Because I just never thought that would be in the cards. I started at the Division II level. I really had to earn every little millisecond of a PR that I’ve had since I started running.
“I haven’t always been good. I know what it’s like to not make it in any of the slower heats.”
That was no slow race she was in Thursday on night five of the U.S. Olympic Trials at Hayward Field.
In the deepest field the United States has assembled in the women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase — even without Emma Coburn and Courtney Frerichs — Mitchell was in the mix.
She finished fifth in 9:14.05, seven seconds faster than her previous best, set May 25 at the Prefontaine Classic.
Top three broke the trials record of 9:09.41 set by Coburn in 2021. Top nine were under the Olympic standard of 9:23, all in personal bests.
It was all unimaginable to Mitchell, who failed to finish the steeple in the 2019 NCAA Division II meet for Seattle Pacific. In the Olympic Trials three years ago, she was last in her heat in 10:26.69. She was 10th in March’s indoor NCAAs in the 3,000 meters (without barriers) for Oregon State
Mitchell, 24, joined the Bowerman Track Club after indoor season. She has thrived there under Oregon coach Jerry Schumacher.
She wept in the interview area after the race, saying she was proud of herself.
“It’s not very often people get to chase their dreams, get to work for it,” Mitchell said. “It sounds super cheesy, but it’s true.”
Valerie Constien was first in 9:03.22. Next two Olympic spots went to Courtney Wayment, 9:06.50, and Marisa Howard, 9:07.14.
Gabbi Jennings was fourth in 9:12.08.
Notre Dame’s Olivia Markezich, second in the NCAAs here, was in second place until a misstep coming out of the last water jump. She was still in position to make the team until her ankle twisted after she cleared the last barrier, and she fell. Markezich was sixth in 9:14.87.
In the only other final, defending Olympic champion Valarie Allman had five throws longer than 220 feet, topped by her winning 232-foot distance. She won a bronze medal at the 2022 World Championships and silver at 2023 worlds.
Elsewhere among Oregon athletes, former Ducks Cole Hocker and Cooper Teare were first and third in a semifinal of the men’s 5,000 in 13:33.45 and 13:34.07, respectively.
University of Portland graduate Woody Kincaid, already on the Olympic team at 10,000, won the second semifinal in13:23.91.
Hocker conceded he felt effects of running three rounds of the 1,500, which he won Monday night in a trials record of 3:30.59. He was 12th in the 5,000 with two laps to go, moved into the lead to begin the last lap and closed in 53.11.
He said the 1,500 remains his focus for the Paris Olympics.
“I enjoy racing and I love winning,” Hocker said. “Checked off the big box, and see what I can do in this 5K. But I believe I can make this team as well.”
In first round of the women’s 100 meters, Sha’Carri Richardson eased to the finish and still clocked 21.99 — second in the world behind McKenzie Long's 21.83 from the NCAA Championships at Hayward Field. Besides winning a gold medal in the 100 at the 2023 worlds, Richardson took bronze in the 200.
None of the 27 women was eliminated.
Also qualifying for semifinals were Gabby Thomas, 22.11; Abby Steiner, 22.29; Brittany Brown, 22.29; Long, 22.49.
Oregon’s Jaydyn Mays was sixth in 22.50 and former Oregon sprinter Jenna Prandini eighth in 22.58.
In qualifying, former Oregon long jumper Jasmine Todd was 17th at 20-5 ¾ and did not make the cut to 12 finalists.
In semifinals of the 110-meter hurdles, Grant Holloway ran his second sub-13-second time in as many races. He won his semifinal in 12.96 seconds, or .04 off the world lead he posted Monday in the heats.
Other semis were won by Freddie Crittenden in 13.05 and Daniel Roberts in 13.11. Trey Cunningham, silver medalist in the 2022 worlds here, slipped into the final as a time qualifier in 13.26.
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, in her first 400 hurdles race at Hayward Field since setting a world record of 50.68 at 2022 worlds, easily won her heat in 53.07 — or 1.64 faster than the next fastest woman.
Noah Lyles, in his first race since winning the 100 at these trials, was fastest in heats of the 200 in 20.10.
Sophia Beckmon, an Illinois freshman from Oregon City, Ore., was 16th in the long jump at 20-6 1/4 and eliminated. She tied the American under-20 record of 22-6 1/4 on May 4 at Champaign, Ill., and won the U20 national title June 13 at Hayward Field.
Contact KGW correspondent David Woods at dwoods1411@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter: @DavidWoods007.
