Smooth start for Cunningham at Trials

By Erik Boal, DyeStatCAL Editor

Of the 17 athletes who recently graduated high school or still have prep eligibility remaining scheduled to participate in this year's U.S. Olympic Trials, the one with the best chance of making the American roster to compete in Rio de Janeiro is Vashti Cunningham.

The former Bishop Gorman (Nevada) star, who signed a professional contract with Nike in March, demonstrated why Friday at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore.

Cunningham, the reigning World Indoor champion in the women's high jump, easily cleared 6 feet, 0.5 inch (1.84m) to lead 12 qualifiers into Sunday's final.

"I was more excited than I was nervous. I've been looking forward to this meet for years now and I'm just ready to come out here and give it everything I have," said Cunningham, who passed at 5-8.5 (1.74m) before successful attempts at 5-10.5 (1.79m) and 6-0.5 (1.84m).

"I thought it would be over at 6-0.5. I studied what it was four years ago and that's what it was then, so I figured that's what it would be now. My dad got me ready that way."

Ten of the 12 qualifiers cleared 6-0.5, with two others successfully over the bar on their first attempts at both 5-8.5 and 5-10.5 to round out the dozen finalists. Amy Acuff, a five-time Olympian, cleared 5-10.5 on her second attempt and didn't advance, ending the pursuit of a sixth consecutive Olympic Games.

"My dad told me to take today like a practice and that's what I did," Cunningham said. "The clearances went well and they were smooth and Sunday I'm going to attack."

Cunningham has an outdoor best this year of 6-4.25 (1.94m) and a personal outdoor best of 6-5 (1.96m) to win gold at last year's Pan Am Junior Championships in Edmonton. Chaunte Lowe, another qualifier at 6-0.5, leads all Americans this year outdoors with a 6-5 clearance.

"I think she's really good. She's a phenomenal talent," Lowe said. "It's good to see that the future of the high jump is in great hands."

Three other prep field event athletes didn't advance to the finals, with San Jose Valley Christian (California) standout Elena Bruckner producing the best finish of the trio by taking 16th in the women's discus with a throw of 179-3 (54.64m). The cutoff to move on to the final was 182-10 (55.73m).

Samiyah Samuels of Cypress Springs (Texas) and Tara Davis of Agoura (California) finished 17th and 19th in the women's long jump. Samuels produced a leap of 20-3.75 (6.19m) and Davis jumped 19-11.75 (6.09m), with the cutoff 21-2.75 (6.47m) to advance to the final.

Bruckner and Samuels both qualified for the IAAF World Junior Championships in Bydgoszcz, Poland based on their performances June 24-26 at the U.S. Junior meet in Clovis. Davis, last year's World Youth champion in the long jump, concluded her junior season.

Vista Murrieta (California) graduate Michael Norman, the two-time Gatorade Boys National Track and Field Athlete of the Year, ran 46.20 in the men's 400 prelims and placed third in his heat and 20th overall. It was Norman's first loss in the 400 since placing second in the state as a sophomore.

Norman, whose personal-best 45.19 ranks No. 3 all-time in California and sixth in U.S. prep history, broke 46 seconds only twice as a senior, including a national-leading 45.51 on April 9 at the Arcadia Invitational. The cutoff to make the semifinals was 46.01.

Sammy Watson of Rush-Henrietta (New York) also placed third in her women's 800-meter heat in 2:04.12, finishing 24th overall. Although Stanford's Olivia Baker was the last automatic entry into the semifinals at 2:03.68, Duke's Anima Banks was the final qualifier through on time after running 2:02.39.

Watson ran U.S. No. 9 all-time 2:02.91 to win the U.S. Junior title June 25.

Norman and Watson are joining Bruckner and Samuels on the American roster to compete at the World Juniors in Poland.