For the second time in two days, a BYU athlete had a costly collision with another athlete at the U.S. track and field championships in Eugene, Oregon, on Sunday.
Heading into the final homestretch of the 800-meter run, BYU’s Meghan Hunter was a close third and in position to challenge the leaders when she swung to the right and into the path of Addy Wiley, who was running close behind her, just off her shoulder.
Hunter lost a little momentum, but it was especially costly for Wiley, who staggered several strides and nearly fell to the track. Hunter placed fifth; Wiley was last.
Stanford’s Roisin Willis, who beat Hunter to win the NCAA championships several weeks ago, won the rematch with a modest time of 1:59.26. She was followed across the finish line by, in order, Maggi Congdon, Sage Hurta-Klecker and Nia Akins.
Hunter was timed in 2:00.53. The top three finishers will represent the U.S. at the world championships in Tokyo next month.
It was a loaded field that included three Olympians, among them 12-time U.S. champion Ajee Wilson (Olympic champion Athing Mu did not make the final). It was a slow, tactical race. The tightly bunched field covered the first lap in a slow 60 seconds, at which point Hunter accelerated from the back of the pack into second place, onto the shoulder of Akins.
It was a furious and crowded scramble down the backstretch as the runners battled for position. It was still anyone’s race coming out of the final turn when Hunter moved to the right, apparently trying to put herself in position to challenge Akins and Klecker for the lead, but in doing so she moved into the feet of Wiley, who has by far the fastest time among Americans this season (1:57.43).
Neither of them could get back into contention in the final 100-meter sprint to the finish.
The previous day, Hunter’s BYU teammate, Riley Chamberlain, was still in contention with a little less than a lap to go in the 1,500-meter final when she fell hard to the track. Heather MacLean, like Hunter, swung wide and into the path of Chamberlain, tripping her in the process.
Helen Schlachtenhaufen then tripped over Chamberlain, who has been on a tear this summer since the college season ended, got up and finished 11th; Schlachtenhaufen did not finish.
The four-day U.S. championships ended Sunday. Two BYU athletes will represent the U.S. at the world championships – Kenneth Rooks and Lexy Lowry, both of whom won the steeplechase on Saturday.
Utah Valley’s Kelsi Oldroyd narrowly missed making the team, placing fourth in the javelin. Emily Venters, the former Utah All-American who now trains with BYU coach Ed Eyestone, was ninth in Sunday’s 5,000-meter final with a time of 15:25.59.