Nate Allen
FAYETTEVILLE - Former Arkansas Razorbacks NCAA Indoor women’s pole vault champion and 2016 U.S. Olympic silver medalist Sandi Morris qualified Saturday night for the U.S. team’s third and final pole vault spot for the July Games in Tokyo clearing 15-1 on her first 15-1 attempt at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials in Eugene, Ore.
However Sunday night former Razorbacks All-American heptathlete Taliyah Brooks, then sitting fourth in the U.S. Olympic Trials women’s heptathlon, was overcome by the sizzling 108 degree heat at normally cool Eugene and had to withdraw from the 7-event competition with the javelin and 800-meter run remaining.
Brooks collapsed before her javelin throws and was removed from the track in a wheelchair Sunday afternoon shortly before the entire meet was postponed because of the heat until 8:30 p.m.
Brooks was granted permission to complete her three javelin throws upon the meet’s resumption before the 800 meter but remained too ill to compete and withdrew.
During Saturday’s first day of the 2-day heptathlon Brooks stood in second place with 3,946 heptathlon points in the 18-women competition after winning the hep’s 100-meter hurdles clocking 12.85, high jumping 6-0 1-2, her outdoor personal record, putting the shot, 41-4 1-2, and running a 23.10 200-meter dash.
Though also not making the U.S. team, 2021 sophomore Razorbacks vaulter Nastassja Campbell finished as the U.S. Trials No. 6 vaulter overall and lone collegiate finalist clearing 14-9 and 15-1.
Taylor Ewert, a freshman distance runner for Coach Lance Harter’s Razorbacks women, also finished three places shy of making the Olympic team finishing sixth in her Olympic Trials 20 kilometers race walk debut in 1 hour, 43 minutes, 41 seconds.
In Kingston, Jamaica Sunday, Omar McLeod, the former Razorback NCAA Men’s 110-meter hurdler and 2016 Olympic gold medalist hit the first two hurdlea in Jamaica’s 110-meter Olympic Trials final, did not recover and finished last and will not be part of Jamaica’s hurdles team in Tokyo.
Current Razorback Phillip Lemonious of Jamaica, needing a third-place finish to make Jamaica’s team finished fourth, 13.22 in Jamaica’s 110-meter hurdles Olympic Trials final
Daszay Freeman of Arkansas’ 2021 women’s team, finished fifth,13.09.01 in Jamaica’s 100-meter hurdles and also will not advance to Tokyo.
Razorbacks men’s senior sprinter Kris Hari of Denmark placed second In a wind-aided 10.22 and will be part of Denmark’s 4 x 100 relays.
Back in Eugene Sunday night after a 5-hour postponement because of the heat, former Razorbacks NCAA men’s champion Jarrion Lawson had no attempts in Sunday’s long jump final.