Photo by: Tim Healy for TrackTown USA
Alumni Wrap up Action at U.S. Olympic Trials
6/26/2021 12:50:00 PM | Track and Field
The Olympic Trials for track and field were held June 18-27 at Hayward Field in Eugene.
EUGENE, Ore. – Seven graduates of the Air Force track and field program wrapped up seven impressive days of action at the U.S. Olympic Trials for track and field, which kicked off on Friday, June 18, at the newly-renovated Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon. The group competed in three running events (800-meter run, 3000-meter steeplechase, 10000-meter run) and two field events (high jump, pole vault).
DAY 9 | SATURDAY, JUNE 26
Jaci Smith, a 2019 Academy graduate, claimed a top-10 finish in the 10,000-meter run, using a time of 32:33.33 (10th) to lead a trio of Air Force alumnae in the 41-runner final. Although the race was moved up to a morning start to avoid the triple-digit temperatures forecasted for later in the day, it was still around 85 degrees at the gun. Hannah Everson, a member of Air Force's 2016 graduating class, finished five spots behind Smith (15th) with a time of 32:48.02, while recent Academy graduate Maria Mettler earned the top finish by a 2021 collegian in the race, taking 28th in a time of 33:20.96.
DAY 8 | FRIDAY, JUNE 25
No Air Force competition.
DAY 7 | THURSDAY, JUNE 24
Mahala Norris wrapped up her incredible senior campaign with a 13th-place finish in the finals of the 3000-meter steeplechase. The recently-commissioned Space Force second lieutenant, who won the NCAA title on the same track just 12 days prior, accounted for the fourth-fastest time of her career (9:41.59) during the Olympic Trials final. Norris, who only started competing in the steeplechase on April 30 of this year, had a banner final season for the Falcons – earning the All-America trifecta (cross country, indoor track, outdoor track), three conference titles and the NCAA championship.
DAY 6 | WEDNESDAY, JUNE 23
Rest day – no competition.
DAY 5 | TUESDAY, JUNE 22
Rest day – no competition.
DAY 4 | MONDAY, JUNE 21
Kyle Pater, a 2017 Air Force graduate, recorded a season-best clearance of 18'8¼" to finish 10th in the finals of the pole vault. After needing two attempts to make the opening bar of 17'10½", Pater cleared 18'4½" on his first try. He used two attempts to clear 18'8¼" and then passed on 18'10¼" in an attempt to gain ground in the standings, as only two vaulters had exited the competition after three rounds. Pater took one attempt at a would-be outdoor-best height of 19'0¼", before passing on his remaining two attempts to move on to the next clearance. As one of six vaulters left in the field, he took one jump at 19'2¼", before using his final attempt at 19'4¼" and exiting the competition after a miss.
DAY 3 | SUNDAY, JUNE 20
The incredible senior season of Mahala Norris continued, as she advanced to the finals of the 3000-meter steeplechase. Clocking a time of 9:35.32, Norris placed fifth within her semifinal heat to earn an automatic Q into the finals. A 2021 Academy graduate, who grew up in nearby Roseburg and won the NCAA steeplechase title on that track just eight days earlier, Norris quickly made her way to the front half of the 16-runner heat and was in the top four by the Lap 3 split. She held that position for the next two laps and battled for the final auto spot at the end – pulling away to earn a "Big Q" by a two-second margin. Overall, Norris' time – the second-fastest of her career – was 10th in the full 33-runner field.
Shelley Spires, a member of the Academy's 2018 graduating class, finished seventh in the high jump finals after registering a clearance of 6'1½" – a mark just a half-inch shy of her career best. Spires cleared the opening bar of 5'9¾" on her first attempt and, with 11 of the 12 finalists clearing that height on their first try, was back on the approach less than 10 minutes later and easily cleared the 5'11½" bar on her first attempt. She advanced on the 6'1½" bar during her third attempt, as the field was whittled down to nine, but was unable to clear a would-be career-best of 6'2¾" and finished the meet in a tie for seventh.
DAY 2 | SATURDAY, JUNE 19
Kyle Pater advanced to the pole vault final after placing within the top 12 of the qualifying round. Pater, the second vaulter on the runway, easily cleared the opening bar of 17'8½" on his first attempt. He also cleared the next bar (18'0½") on his first try, before using two attempts to clear the 18'4½" and 18'6½" bars – with the latter being a season best. Pater finished the qualifying round tied for 10th, as the 25-vaulter field was narrowed to the 12 finalists at the conclusion of the 18'6½" round.
Michael Rhoads, a 2020 Academy graduate, concluded his run at the Trials during the semifinals of the 800-meter run. Running in the second heat, Rhoads found himself at the back of the lineup when the group cut in to form the main pack. He moved up to sixth at the bell and, after shuffling his placement throughout the final 400 meters, finished seventh in his heat – and 12th overall – with a time of 1:47.39.
DAY 1 | FRIDAY, JUNE 18
Shelley Spires advanced to the high jump final after a perfect afternoon of jumping. Entering the meet at the opening height of 5'9¾", Spires easily cleared the bar on her first attempt – and successfully recorded additional first-attempt clearances at the next two heights (5'11½", 6'1½"). Spires, one of seven jumpers to produce a clean sheet during the meet, was tied for first when the 25-athlete field had been whittled down to 12 finalists at the end of the 6'1½" round.
"I've never been here when it's not raining, and (today) was beautiful," Spires laughed during the post-meet press conference. "It was really smooth. To have a clean scorecard in prelims is very reassuring for the final. I wanted to focus on first attempts … that makes a difference, especially in a final. I felt good from my takeoff point, so I think I've settled in."
Just as the high jump was concluding on the infield of Hayward Field, Michael Rhoads took to the track for the opening round of the 800-meter run. Using a strong kick down the final straightaway to move up three places, Rhoads won his heat and earned an automatic berth in tomorrow's semifinal race. Finishing in a time of 1:48.64, Rhoads finished 15th overall in the 32-runner opening round.
"It went about as well as it could have gone for me," Rhoads said in his press conference following the race. "The plan was just don't (take the early lead). Don't be the pacesetter … just do my thing in the last 200 or 150. The work's been put in, in the months and years leading up. Once you're on the line, run smart and run hard."
DAY 9 | SATURDAY, JUNE 26
Jaci Smith, a 2019 Academy graduate, claimed a top-10 finish in the 10,000-meter run, using a time of 32:33.33 (10th) to lead a trio of Air Force alumnae in the 41-runner final. Although the race was moved up to a morning start to avoid the triple-digit temperatures forecasted for later in the day, it was still around 85 degrees at the gun. Hannah Everson, a member of Air Force's 2016 graduating class, finished five spots behind Smith (15th) with a time of 32:48.02, while recent Academy graduate Maria Mettler earned the top finish by a 2021 collegian in the race, taking 28th in a time of 33:20.96.
DAY 8 | FRIDAY, JUNE 25
No Air Force competition.
DAY 7 | THURSDAY, JUNE 24
Mahala Norris wrapped up her incredible senior campaign with a 13th-place finish in the finals of the 3000-meter steeplechase. The recently-commissioned Space Force second lieutenant, who won the NCAA title on the same track just 12 days prior, accounted for the fourth-fastest time of her career (9:41.59) during the Olympic Trials final. Norris, who only started competing in the steeplechase on April 30 of this year, had a banner final season for the Falcons – earning the All-America trifecta (cross country, indoor track, outdoor track), three conference titles and the NCAA championship.
DAY 6 | WEDNESDAY, JUNE 23
Rest day – no competition.
DAY 5 | TUESDAY, JUNE 22
Rest day – no competition.
DAY 4 | MONDAY, JUNE 21
Kyle Pater, a 2017 Air Force graduate, recorded a season-best clearance of 18'8¼" to finish 10th in the finals of the pole vault. After needing two attempts to make the opening bar of 17'10½", Pater cleared 18'4½" on his first try. He used two attempts to clear 18'8¼" and then passed on 18'10¼" in an attempt to gain ground in the standings, as only two vaulters had exited the competition after three rounds. Pater took one attempt at a would-be outdoor-best height of 19'0¼", before passing on his remaining two attempts to move on to the next clearance. As one of six vaulters left in the field, he took one jump at 19'2¼", before using his final attempt at 19'4¼" and exiting the competition after a miss.
DAY 3 | SUNDAY, JUNE 20
The incredible senior season of Mahala Norris continued, as she advanced to the finals of the 3000-meter steeplechase. Clocking a time of 9:35.32, Norris placed fifth within her semifinal heat to earn an automatic Q into the finals. A 2021 Academy graduate, who grew up in nearby Roseburg and won the NCAA steeplechase title on that track just eight days earlier, Norris quickly made her way to the front half of the 16-runner heat and was in the top four by the Lap 3 split. She held that position for the next two laps and battled for the final auto spot at the end – pulling away to earn a "Big Q" by a two-second margin. Overall, Norris' time – the second-fastest of her career – was 10th in the full 33-runner field.
Shelley Spires, a member of the Academy's 2018 graduating class, finished seventh in the high jump finals after registering a clearance of 6'1½" – a mark just a half-inch shy of her career best. Spires cleared the opening bar of 5'9¾" on her first attempt and, with 11 of the 12 finalists clearing that height on their first try, was back on the approach less than 10 minutes later and easily cleared the 5'11½" bar on her first attempt. She advanced on the 6'1½" bar during her third attempt, as the field was whittled down to nine, but was unable to clear a would-be career-best of 6'2¾" and finished the meet in a tie for seventh.
DAY 2 | SATURDAY, JUNE 19
Kyle Pater advanced to the pole vault final after placing within the top 12 of the qualifying round. Pater, the second vaulter on the runway, easily cleared the opening bar of 17'8½" on his first attempt. He also cleared the next bar (18'0½") on his first try, before using two attempts to clear the 18'4½" and 18'6½" bars – with the latter being a season best. Pater finished the qualifying round tied for 10th, as the 25-vaulter field was narrowed to the 12 finalists at the conclusion of the 18'6½" round.
Michael Rhoads, a 2020 Academy graduate, concluded his run at the Trials during the semifinals of the 800-meter run. Running in the second heat, Rhoads found himself at the back of the lineup when the group cut in to form the main pack. He moved up to sixth at the bell and, after shuffling his placement throughout the final 400 meters, finished seventh in his heat – and 12th overall – with a time of 1:47.39.
DAY 1 | FRIDAY, JUNE 18
Shelley Spires advanced to the high jump final after a perfect afternoon of jumping. Entering the meet at the opening height of 5'9¾", Spires easily cleared the bar on her first attempt – and successfully recorded additional first-attempt clearances at the next two heights (5'11½", 6'1½"). Spires, one of seven jumpers to produce a clean sheet during the meet, was tied for first when the 25-athlete field had been whittled down to 12 finalists at the end of the 6'1½" round.
"I've never been here when it's not raining, and (today) was beautiful," Spires laughed during the post-meet press conference. "It was really smooth. To have a clean scorecard in prelims is very reassuring for the final. I wanted to focus on first attempts … that makes a difference, especially in a final. I felt good from my takeoff point, so I think I've settled in."
Just as the high jump was concluding on the infield of Hayward Field, Michael Rhoads took to the track for the opening round of the 800-meter run. Using a strong kick down the final straightaway to move up three places, Rhoads won his heat and earned an automatic berth in tomorrow's semifinal race. Finishing in a time of 1:48.64, Rhoads finished 15th overall in the 32-runner opening round.
"It went about as well as it could have gone for me," Rhoads said in his press conference following the race. "The plan was just don't (take the early lead). Don't be the pacesetter … just do my thing in the last 200 or 150. The work's been put in, in the months and years leading up. Once you're on the line, run smart and run hard."
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