University of Tennessee Athletics
Blankenship Finishes 7th on Day 4 of U.S. Trials
July 04, 2016 | Track & Field
Women's Long Jump - Tianna Bartoletta (VFL, formerly Tianna Madison)
Women's 100m - Tianna Bartoletta
Men's 100m - Justin Gatlin
Women's 200m - Kali Davis-White
EUGENE, Ore. -- VFLs Jake Blankenship and Phoebe Wright wrapped their impressive showings at the 2016 U.S. Olympic Track & Field Team Trials at Hayward Field on Monday in the finals of their respective events.
Blankenship (Nike) finished seventh in the men's pole vault final, clearing 5.60 meters (18-4.50). Wright (Nike) finished sixth in the women's 800-meter final, clocking 2:02.55.
Blankenship entered Monday tied for the top mark in qualifying at 5.55 meters (18-2.50). In the final, Blankenship cleared 5.40 meters (17-8.50) on his first try and 5.50 meters (18-0.50) and 5.60 meters on third tries. Sam Kendricks (5.91 meters), Cale Simmons (5.65 meters) and Logan Cunningham (5.60 meters, first try) earned will represent the U.S. at the Rio Olympics.
Monday's final adds to an outstanding 2016 for Blankenship. After notching the top mark of the NCAA indoor season at 5.72 meters (18-9.25), Blankenship battled back from injury to win the NCAA men's outdoor pole vault title, clearing 5.60 meters at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships to become Tennessee's first men's outdoor national champion since VFL Aries Merritt won the 110-meter hurdles in 13.21 in 2006. Blankenship was also the first Vol to win the men's outdoor pole vault since Lawrence Johnson won the title in 1996 with an NCAA record 5.81 meters (19-1.00).
Wright was in second place at 600-meter mark. A collision between Alysia Montano and Brenda Martinez with 150 meters to go reshuffled the pack at the final turn. Katie Grace finished first in 1:59.10 and Ajee Wilson (1:59.51) and Chrishuna Williams (1:59.59) will join her on Team USA.
Wright qualified for Monday's final after running the eighth-fastest time in Saturday's semifinals at 2:01.39.
There are no scheduled events for Tuesday, July 5, at the U.S. Olympic Track & Field Team Trials and no current Vols or VFLs are competing in Wednesday's hammer throws.
On Thursday, July 7, three Tennessee men will be in action. Christian Coleman and Justin Gatlin (Nike) will compete in the first round of the men's 200 meters at 5:30 p.m. PT/8:30 p.m. ET. Gatlin already qualified for Team USA by winning the men's 100 meters. VFL Tavis Bailey will compete in the qualifying round of the men's discus at 6 p.m. PT/9 p.m. ET and heads in with the No. 4 entry mark of 65.82 meters.
There will be four UT women in action on Thursday. Tennessee's Cassie Wertman, who will return to UT for the 2017 outdoor season, will compete in the qualifying round of the women's shot put at 11 a.m. PT/2 p.m. ET. VFL Liz Costello (New Balance/New Balance Boston) will run in the first round of the women's 5,000 meters at 4:20 p.m. PT/7:20 p.m. ET. Costello owns the No. 6 entry mark at 15:28.88. VFL Ellen Wortham will compete in the first round of the women's 400-meter hurdles at 5:58 p.m. PT/8:58 p.m. ET. VFL Sarah Brown (New Balance) will run in the first round of the women's 1,500 meters at 6:26 p.m. PT/9:26 p.m. ET.
Men's 100m
Justin Gatlin (Nike) - No. 1 qualifying mark - 9.77
Christian Coleman (Tennessee) - No. 14 qualifying mark - 10.03
First Round (Saturday, July 2): 2. Christian Coleman, 9.96 (+2.4)Q; 6. Justin Gatlin, 10.03 (+1.8)Q
Semifinals (Sunday, July 3): 1. Justin Gatlin, 9.83 (+1.7)Q; 3. Christian Coleman, 9.95 (+1.7)Q
Final (Sunday, July 3): 1. Justin Gatlin, 9.80 (+1.6) -- EARNS A SPOT ON TEAM USA; 6. Christian Coleman, 10.06 (+1.6)
Men's 200m
Justin Gatlin (Nike) - No. 1 qualifying mark - 19.74
Christian Coleman (Tennessee) - No. 20 qualifying mark - 20.26
First Round: Thursday, July 7, at 5:30 p.m. PT/8:30 p.m. ET
Semifinals: Friday, July 8, at 5:37 p.m. PT/8:37 p.m. ET
Final: Saturday, July 9, at 5:42 p.m. PT/8:42 p.m. ET
Men's 400m
Nathan Strother (Tennessee) - No. 8 qualifying mark - 45.07
First Round (Friday, July 1): 23. Nathan Strother, 46.36
Men's 110m Hurdles
Aries Merritt (Nike) - No. 5 qualifying mark - 13.24
First Round: Friday, July 8, at 3:02 p.m. PT/6:02 p.m. ET
Semifinals: Saturday, July 9, at 4:25 p.m. PT/7:25 p.m. ET
Final: Saturday, July 9, at 5:52 p.m. PT/8:52 p.m. ET
Men's Discus
Tavis Bailey - No. 4 qualifying mark - 65.82m
Qualifying: Thursday, July 7, at 6 p.m. PT/9 p.m. ET
Final: Friday, July 8, at 3:30 p.m. PT/6:30 p.m. ET
Men's Pole Vault
Jake Blankenship - No. 3 qualifying mark - 5.72m
Qualifying (Saturday, July 2): T1. Jake Blankenship, 5.55m (18-2.50)q
Final (Monday, July 4): 7. Jake Blankenship, 5.60m (18-4.50)
Women's 100m
Tianna Bartoletta (Nike) - No. 6 qualifying mark - 10.94
First Round (Saturday, July 2): 8. Tianna Bartoletta, 11.03 (+0.8)Q
Semifinals (Sunday, July 3): 3. Tianna Bartoletta, 10.79 (+2.5)Q
Final (Sunday, July 3): 2. Tianna Bartoletta, 10.78 (+1.0) -- EARNS A SPOT ON TEAM USA
Women's 200m
Felicia Brown - No. 8 qualifying mark - 22.26
First Round: Friday, July 8, at 3:30 p.m. PT/6:30 p.m. ET
Semifinals: Saturday, July 9, at 5:03 p.m. PT/8:03 p.m. ET
Final: Sunday, July 10, at 5:11 p.m. PT/8:11 p.m. ET
Women's 400m
DeeDee Trotter - No. 14 qualifying mark - 51.24
First Round (Friday, July 1): 10. DeeDee Trotter, 52.01Q
Semifinals (Saturday, July 2): 16. DeeDee Trotter, 54.01
Women's 800m
Chanelle Price (Nike) - No. 4 qualifying mark - 1:59.10
Phoebe Wright (Nike) - No. 13 qualifying mark - 2:00.61
First Round (Friday, July 1): 5. Chanelle Price, 2:01.13; 7. Phoebe Wright, 2:01.35
Semifinals (Saturday, July 2): 8. Phoebe Wright, 2:01.39q; 11. Chanelle Price, 2:01.94
Final: 6. Phoebe Wright, 2:02.55
Women's 1,500m
Sarah Brown (New Balance) - No. 3 qualifying mark - 4:03.20
First Round: Thursday, July 7, at 6:26 p.m. PT/9:26 p.m. ET
Semifinals: Friday, July 8, at 5:03 p.m. PT/8:03 p.m. ET
Final: Sunday, July 10, at 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET
Women's 5,000m
Liz Costello (New Balance / New Balance Boston) - No. 23 qualifying mark - 15:28.88
First Round: Friday, July 7, at 4:20 p.m. PT/7:20 p.m. ET
Final: Sunday, July 10, at 4:28 p.m. PT/7:28 p.m. ET
Women's 10,000m
Liz Costello (New Balance / New Balance Boston) - No. 6 qualifying mark - 31:43.79
Chelsea Blaase (Tennessee) - No. 17 qualifying mark - 32:08.39
Final (Saturday, July 2): 6. Liz Costello, 32:31.81; 16. Chelsea Blaase, 34:10.15
Women's 400m Hurdles
Ellen Wortham - No. 30 qualifying mark - 56.91
First Round: Thursday, July 7, at 5:58 p.m. PT/8:58 p.m. ET
Semifinals: Friday, July 8, at 4:31 p.m. PT/7:31 p.m. ET
Final: Sunday, July 10, at 4:03 p.m. PT/7:03 p.m. ET
Women's Long Jump
Tianna Bartoletta (Nike) - No. 2 qualifying mark - 7.14m
Qualifying (Friday, July 1): 3. Tianna Bartoletta, 6.77m (22-2.50, +2.7)
Final (Saturday, July 2): 2. Tianna Bartoletta, 7.02m (23-0.50, +2.3) -- EARNS A SPOT ON TEAM USA
Women's Shot Put
Cassie Wertman (Tennessee) - No. 20 qualifying mark - 17.68m
Qualifying: Thursday, July 7, at 11 a.m. PT/2 p.m. ET
Final: Thursday, July 7 at 6:15 p.m. PT/9:15 p.m. ET
