Utahns did not fare well on Day 2 of the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials Saturday in Eugene, Ore.
The best performance was turned in by BYU’s Whittni Orton, who produced the 14th fastest time in the semifinals of the 1,500-meter and missed advancing to the finals by just two places, or .29 seconds. Unlike at the NCAA meet, she ran a smart race, just off the shoulders of the leaders, but she simply ran out of gas against a field of professionals on the final lap. Her time was 4:10.70.
Anna Camp, who won the NCAA 1,500-meter championship a week earlier, had the day’s 16th fastest time, 4:12.05. Like Orton, she was in the mix on the final lap, but simply couldn’t keep up with the closing speed of veteran professional athletes.
Both Orton and Camp finished eighth in their heats.
Former Weber State star Tawnie Moore competed in the first round of the 100-meter hurdles and finished 24th overall and sixth in her heat with a season-best time of 13.23.
BYU All-American Zach McWhorter failed to advance to the finals of the pole vault. He cleared 17-8 1/2 and finished 19th.
Cameron Bates, the BYU school record holder, did not advance to the finals of the javelin. He was 14th in the preliminary round with a throw of 221 feet, 7 inches.