The denizens of Hayward Field no doubt had one question on their minds after the women’s 200m: Who is Shalonda Solomon?
Solomon, a native of Inglewood, Calif., was the 2006 NCAA champion in the 200m, running for South Carolina. Her 2007 season was derailed after a quadriceps injury, and she turned pro at the end of the season. She earned the 12th seed in the U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials after a third-place finish in the Reebok Grand Prix on May 31.
And after one day of qualifying, Solomon stands ahead of the pack. Her 22.51 bested Torri Edwards in the final preliminary heat, the fastest time in the field.
“I’m very happy with the way I ran,” Solomon said. “It was a seasonal best for me because I started off the year slow and building up at each race.”
Top seed and 2004 Olympic silver medalist Allyson Felix coasted to a win in her heat by half a second. Surprise 100m winner Muna Lee qualified in the first heat, finishing second to 100m fourth-place finisher Marshevet Hooker.
“I had to push the 100 to the back of my mind and focus today for the 200,” Hooker said. “I think it was good, but it was only the beginning. There are three more rounds to go. Everybody is going to keep being ready to run.”
In the women’s 1,500m, top seed Shannon Rowbury and sixth seed Lindsey Gallo won their semifinal heats, with Rowbury’s 4:11.75 the top time on the day. Christin Wurth, who posted the top preliminary time in the women’s 1,500m, finished second to Gallo in the second heat of the night.
Oregon Track Club Elite’s Mary Jayne Reeves finished seventh in Rowbury’s heat. Her time of 4:13.47 would have been good for fourth in Gallo’s heat, but Reeves was unable to qualify for the final based on position. The top six runners in each heat qualified regardless of time.
High school runner Jordan Hasay finished fifth in Gallo’s heat to qualify her for the final.
“You know you want to run it well, but not get passed at the line,” Rowbury said. “I felt good that last 300, but I was trying to pull myself back because I have a lot left. Overall, I’m excited for Sunday.”
The women’s 1,500m final takes place at 4:05 p.m. on Sunday, the last day of competition. The women’s 200m quarterfinals and semifinals both take place today, with the final occurring at 4:40 p.m. Sunday.
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