DEAJAH VU: ANOTHER OLYMPIAN

Friday, July 1

Hayward Field

Through July 10

University of Oregon

U.S. Olympic Team Trials

Photo by: Nate Barrett

07/10/16 | Track and Field, @GoDucksMoseley

By: Rob Moseley

EUGENE, Ore. — For years, Deajah Stevens dreamed of finishing in the top three at the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials and advancing to the Summer Games in Brazil.

For the last couple of months, the UO sophomore has begun to flash the potential of doing so. But, Stevens was asked Sunday, when did it seem like her dream actually could come true?

"It's just becoming a reality just now," Stevens said, disbelief still in her voice.

Indeed, Stevens was having to wrap her head around the idea that she is a 2016 Olympian. That's because, on the final day of Olympic Trials competition, the NCAA Outdoor runner-up over 200 meters finished second again to clinch a spot on Team USA in Rio.

Stevens took second in 22.30 seconds behind Tori Bowie to become the first Oregon woman to make Team USA while still in college. Her former teammate, Jenna Prandini, dove at the line to finish third and grab the final spot on Team USA, edging out U.S. sprinting legend Allyson Felix.

"I'm speechless," said Stevens, one of a school-record 10 athletes with UO ties to make Team USA. "It hasn't hit me yet. I'm so happy. It's exciting. It's so many emotions at one time. I'm taking it all in."

Stevens ran second to teammate Ariana Washington in the 200 at NCAA Outdoors. And though Washington made the final of both the 100 and the 200 at this Olympic Trials — finishing fifth in Sunday's 200 final — this was Stevens' week.

She won her first-round heat Friday — all three UO women did, in fact — and then blew away the other women in her semifinal Saturday. In the final, Stevens finished just behind Bowie, avoiding the chaotic scramble for third place from which Prandini emerged in 22.53.

"I've just been trusting myself more; the last two months I've been trusting my coaches, trusting training," Stevens said. "That's a big part of it. … I felt like I had nothing to lose. I just had to go for it, give it my all. And that's what I did."

Prandini left nothing to chance, falling across the finish line to edge Felix for the last spot. The fall left her with some scrapes and bruises, she said, "but it doesn't really matter right now."

Prandini also had to endure a few seconds that felt like hours, as timekeepers sorted out the mad scramble behind Bowie and Stevens.

"I felt like it took forever for the time to get up on that screen," Prandini said. "It was just a sigh of relief, and I'm so excited to go to Rio."

Though a candidate for the relay pool, Washington didn't advance to Rio as an individual with her fellow UO sprinting sisterhood. But she was at peace with making two finals at this Trials, after winning the 100 and 200 at NCAA Outdoors.

After Sunday's 200 final, Washington embraced her friend and training partner Stevens.

"Today was her day, and I'm so proud of her," Washington said. "Any day it could be her or me. We push each other so much, encourage each other so much. …

"I didn't run my best race. I kind of lost my form those last 50 meters, kind of panicked. But I've had a great season — a long season. For me to finish the way I did, I couldn't be more proud."

The home fans at Hayward Field got the chance to celebrate again a few minutes after the 200 final, when Matthew Centrowitz won his fourth 1,500-meter U.S. title in six years. Centrowitz qualified for his second Olympic team, just as his namesake father and fellow UO alum did. And, just like his dad, he did so by finishing second to make his first Team USA, then winning his event four years later.

"Like father, like son," Centrowitz said.

Centrowitz won Sunday in a Trials record 3:34.09, finishing first in a wildly entertaining race. With only five of the 13 finalists coming into the day with the Olympic standard of 3:36.00, rumors ran rampant the race would favor speed over tactics, and that proved true.

Jordan McNamara, one of six UO alums in the field — Centrowitz was the only one who had the standard — set a blistering pace through 300 meters, and Eric Avila took over to lead through 700. But Centrowitz and the other big names stayed calm and took over in the final two laps, as the upstarts all faded.

"I heard rumors (of the fast pace)," Centrowitz said. "I didn't read anything, didn't talk to anyone about it. I said to myself, I'm going to run the same race anyways. If it's fast, if it's slow, I'm putting myself up in the front."

McNamara ended up fading to 13th, just behind Andrew Wheating, who was unable to make a third straight Olympic team. A trio of former Ducks finished 6-7-8, with Johnny Gregorek crossing just ahead of Colby Alexander and Daniel Winn.

"I planned to go with (the leaders) as well, but man, those rounds," said Gregorek, who had never before run three rounds of 1,500 races as the finalists did this week. "It took me a good 1,000 meters to warm up.

"It's difficult. Really new-found respect; it's not for the faint of heart. It was fun though. A great experience overall."

The 1,500 was the final event of the 10-day Trials that began with Galen Rupp winning the 10,000 meters, and ended this weekend with Devon Allen winning the 110 hurdles and Stevens taking second in the 200. In between, the 42 total athletes with UO ties made news in numbers, with three women each in the 100 and 200 finals, and six men reaching Sunday's 1,500 final.