The only high jumper to pass the first height, Eugene resident Jesse Williams advanced along with 13 other high jumpers during Thursday night’s qualifying flights.
Williams jumped 7-2.5, to tie for first with 10 other jumpers. Despite an injury-filled outdoor season, the 2008 U.S. indoor championships runner-up need only one jump to pass on to the finals.
“It went awesome today,” Williams said. “I took one jump and was done. It was effortless and I am ready to set a personal best and break a record or two.”
Team XO member and former Oregon Duck Kyley Johnson missed all his attempts at 7-2.5 but was the last jumper to make Saturday afternoon’s final after clearing 7-0.5 on his first attempt.
Kentucky’s Grant Lindsey, brother of former Oregon high jumper Jeff Lindsey and 2008 NCAA outdoor runner-up, tied Williams for first with a third-attempt clearance of 7-2.5.
“It was just a pressure jump,” Lindsey said, “Usually that’s when I perform best. Any day you make it through, it’s a good day. Saturday is when it counts.”
A former NCAA champion at Stanford, Gabe Jennings, another new resident in Eugene, won the first of three heats in the 1,500m in a time of 3:44.39. Lopez Lomong and Alan Webb won the final two heats, with Webb’s 3:41.27 leading all qualifiers for Friday’s semifinal.
Oregon sophomores A.J. Acosta and Jordan McNamara both ran nonqualifying times by finishing 10th in their respective heats. McNamara, two days after he found out he would be running, ran from the front of the first heat until 300 meters, when almost the entire field began a push past the leaders. Acosta fell during his heat.
“I figured with a lap to go if it’s slow, I’m better off in the front than I am trying to come back from behind,” McNamara said. “I gave it my all. I’m happy with how I did.”
Oregon Track Club Elite’s Will Leer advanced with his 11th-place overall finish, as did OTC Elite’s John Jefferson in 19th. Other notable runners to advance were Bernard Lagat and Leonel Manzano of Nike and Russell Brown of Stanford.
Eleven discus throwers advanced to Sunday’s final, with Jarred Rome taking top honors with his throw of 206-10. The 2004 Olympic Trials champion ended last season with the nation’s best throw. His first throw automatically qualified him for the final.
“All these marks get erased and Sunday is a brand new day and I’m looking forward to that,” Rome said.
Four athletes in the second flight were able to join Rome in the 200 foot-plus club, including Matt Lamb, Ian Waltz, John Godina and Adam Kuehl.
“No news is good news on these days because the fun stuff really begins in a few days,” said Godina, who is looking for a berth on his fourth Olympic team.
Anthony Famiglietti and Benjamin Bruce won their respective steeplechase semifinals Thursday night, with Bruce’s win coming as a surprise because he was ranked 15th entering the event. Famiglietti won the first heat in 8:25.17, while Bruce qualified in 8:32.57.
Former Oregon runner Kyle Alcorn, who transferred to Arizona State after Martin Smith resigned in 2005, was fourth overall. Alcorn is just three weeks removed from winning the NCAA outdoor title.
Max King of Oregon Track Club Elite and Thomas Brooks, another Eugene-based runner, were the first two runners to not make the cut.
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