Article after today's VERY GOOD day for the Buffs!
Direct link -
https://cubuffs.com/news/2021/6/24/...nd-constien-named-steeplechase-olympians.aspx
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EUGENE – For the second time ever, Colorado track and field will have two Buffs compete in the Olympics in the women's steeplechase at the same time as Emma Coburn and Val Constien finish first and third in the steeplechase finals here at the USATF Olympic Trials Thursday evening.
To start the final Constien was in third while Coburn sat in seventh. Constien took the lead in the fourth lap, then Coburn moved to second in the fifth lap and sat and took the lead in the final lap. Constien fell to fourth then benefitted from a fall from Leah Falland to move to third before sprinting away to a finish five seconds ahead of fourth in 9:18.34 seconds, a personal best by nearly 10 seconds. Coburn finished in a new Olympic Trials record of 9:09.41.
Coburn, the 2017 World Champion in the steeplechase, makes her third Olympic team in the event after taking the bronze in Rio in 2016 and qualifying alongside teammate Shalaya Kipp in 2012 while both women were current CU athletes. Constien, who interned with the CU athletic department post graduation, was the 2019 Pac-12 Champion in the event and will make her first Olympic team after running nearly 20 seconds faster than she did in college two years ago.
Colorado also had two athletes advance through their prelim round in their first trials action.
Eduardo Herrera moved to the finals in the men's 5,000 while
Sage Hurta advanced to the semis in the women's 800.
In the 5,000, Herrera started in third and fell to seventh through the first 1600 in around 4:25 in the first heat. With four laps to go Herrera was hugging the back of the pack in 10th as the heat slowed down. He made a move to the front and sat in third close to the 10 minute mark. With 800 remaining Herrera was in fifth as a group of six began to separate. At the bell, he held outside position and passed the 10k champion. He hit the 200 mark in fifth and had a battle down the straight with Garrett Heath to finish sixth overall.
He had to wait and see, needing at least two runners from the second heat to run slower than his 13:45.33 to advance to the finals. The second heat went through the 3,000 mark with the final two runners eight seconds faster than the leader of the first heat, but a runner dropped out prior to the start giving Herrera only needing one runner to falter below his time. He ended up making it through as the final runner by time.
Hurta started her professional career on a bright note with a six-tenth of a second personal best in the women's 800 first round, advancing to semis after finishing second in her heat in 2:00.08. Hurta, who turned pro a day before the trials started, sat intelligently in the top-three before moving to second and pushing the pace in the final 300-meters. Her time was the second best time of the opening round, bettering second by nearly half a second.
Coburn and Constien add to the Buffs Olympic total that now stands at four, the fourth-most in CU history after the 2000 team of six and the 2008 and 2012 teams of five athletes. Morgan Pearson is through in the men's triathlon while
Joe Klecker advanced in the men's 10,000 following a third-place finish on the first day of the trials.
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(The end of the article also includes nice interviews with Ms's. Coburn, Constien and Hurta for those interested.)