Best, Worst, and Most Surprising of the Olympic Trials

Parker Valby really didn’t do that much “of the work” in the 10000m. Did you see the race? The steeplechase former DIII runner was another surprise.

The good the bad the ugly

Great list. I wasn’t surprised by Valby. Based on what she’s done in the last year, I fully expected her to run as she did and make the team. In fact, I called the top 3 in the women’s 10k exactly as they finished.

I was more surprised by Quincy Wilson. I knew he was special, but three 44 clockings and finishing top 6??? That was stunning.

Shout out to the shot put king, Ryan Crouser. He hadn’t competed at all this outdoor season while dealing with a torn pec and elbow injury, and he still came out and won. He never ceases to amaze me.

I'm gonna do 3 men + 3 women for each

Best: Fisher, Kessler, Lyles, Sydney, St. Pierre, Hall

HM'S to Kenny, Hocker, Hoppel, Hiltz, Richardson, Schweitzer

Worst: Teare, Lightfoot, Bor/Chelimo, Mu, Tausaga-Collins, Hurta-Klecker (minus points for being generally annoying)

Most Surprising: Quincy, Wolfe, Kerley (thought he was a distaster waiting to happen), Terry, Hiltz, Howard.

I was most surprised at how much of a non factor Chelimo was.

The biggest positive surprise to me has to be James Corrigan or just how well the collegians did this meet in general. NCAA is like low level pro meets at the top end now.

World athletics rankings favor diamond league racers not ncaa athletes though. Corrigan was lucky his race was in time to make an attempt at the standard. There is little doubt in my mind that if Parker Wolfe raced earlier he could have got the standard in a similar fashion. He rounded into form at the right time for ncaa outdoors, but not chasing times indoors keeps him off the olympic team.

Valby and the NCAA athletes were the highlight, IMO. Valby received more airtime than anybody and became a star. I've seen lots of international fans comment about her on various sites, after having no idea who she was two weeks ago.

The greatest hilarity was the predictable poster here who chimed in after Valby's 4th place in the 5000 with unrestrained glee. He acted as if she had been eliminated and that it meant all his rants against her were valid. Whoops. Talk about situational ignorance. Imagine watching that race while desperately rooting for 3 to finish ahead of Valby. What could possibly go wrong? No other variables attached, correct?

Many huge field event stories were barely covered at all. That was the lowlight, IMO. From KC Lightfoot to Vashti Cunningham to Sandi Morris to JuVaughn Harrison, etc. there was one pivotal jump/attempt after another. NBC didn't do justice to any of it. Not even close. The only example they covered well was Tara Davis' struggles in the long jump.

NBC and Leigh Diffey were so bad it made me appreciate Rowdy Gaines on swimming. At least he knows who he is looking at, and when a time standard is out of reach.

The excitement of the women’s steeple was a pleasant surprise. Without Coburn and Frerichs, I thought that race was going to be a sleeple (get it?). I’m glad I was wrong!

Aaliyah Butler must be one of the biggest surprises. She didn't make the final of NCAA. And a few weeks later, second at the Olympic Trial.

Marisa Howard ran a 15 second PB to secure a place on the Olympic team.

Charity Hefnagel went from 12th at NCAA to 1st at the Olympic Trial.

Throw the times out. The shoes have changed the game, not knocking the performances, just don't think the times are as relevant anymore. This meet was all about place anyways.

Kessler deciding to go ahead and stand on business running a 1:43 in the semi was probably my favorite moment.

Overall very excited about the men’s 800m. Miller has been fighting hard to be more than an also ran on the world/pro scene and it’s sick to watch him make an Olympic team and run a time that could get him into the final. Bryce Hoppel looks like he has finally lined up his mental and physical sharpness at the right time and is ready to prove he’s one of the best 800m runners of all time. Hobbs Kessler… Just what the heck dude maybe it’s time to go full time with Bryce and be an 800/1500 guy instead of a 1500/800 guy.

Cole Hocker looks like he wants a medal. Not saying I’m betting on it but the people that have taken down Jakob in the 1500m have been the strong sit and kick types to counter his all out gun to tape strategy.

The W steeplechase final had all three:

Best (Constien becomes a medal threat with a commanding 9:03).

Worst (magisterial racing from Markezich, on 9:06 pace until catastrophe with 150m to go).

Most Surprising (Howard had a 9:30 pb in 2017, entered the final still without the Oly standard and unleashed a 9:07, joining Frerichs, Coburn, Constien and Wayment as the only Am steeplers to dip below 9:10.

I’m surprised you are not adding Val Constein in your most surprising. Nothing indicates her running away with the national title let alone anywhere near 9:03.

I think Wiley was a disappointment as well. At the end of last season people were calling her the future of American mid-d. She wasn't a factor at all.

My most enjoyable were Wolfe, Rai Benjamin, Nikki Hiltz, Nia Akins.

Worst was Ritz. Klecker, Monson absent. Andrews terrible. Nuguse was solid, but suspect he'll never reach his potential. Hurta was unfortunate, very good in the 800, but the 1500 highlighted a lack of endurance or resilience.

Love the list, OP, but I wouldn’t include Parker Valby under “Most Surprising.”

It was clear she was gonna make the pace honest and be a contender in both races. She simply lived up to the hype.

For me, most surprising was maybe Juliette Whittaker qualify in the 800m. Was NOT expecting that, v happy for her

Biggest surprise by far for me was the women's 400. I think Alexis Holmes was the only person anyone had making the team out of the 3 that did make it, and even then it was a long shot.

I went through the picks on the prediction contest throughout the trials and almost no one got any of members of the final 400 team, let alone all 3.

In fairness, how are you even supposed to predict something like that? Kendal Ellis broke 50 for the first time in 6 years... and then ran ANOTHER huge PR to become US champion. She looked awful indoor and didn't PR in any other events this year. Aaliyah Butler didn't even make NCAA finals after regressing for most of the season, and Holmes has just been a mid-pack runner for much of the outdoor season (looked great indoor though)

d2 athlete Brynn king in the pole vault.

Had some early misses, so passed at several heights all the way up past her pr to a height that would be top 3 and the olympic standard, she clears it and knocks a former world champ off the team.

Most surprising:

When Parker Valby ran the last 100m of her 10000m race faster than ESP and MacKay did in their 1500m final.

Last 100m splits in their respective 10000m and 1500m finals:

Kelati 15:53

Valby 15:88

Schweizer 16:16

Hiltz 15:48

Mackay 16:17

ESP 16:24