EUGENE, Ore. — Duncan Hamilton stood out among Montana's batch of competitors Friday at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials at Hayward Field.
Bozeman's Hamilton, a Montana State alum now with the Nike/Bowerman Track Club, finished the race in 8:27.20, good for eighth place in his heat and 13th overall.
The top five in each of the two heats plus the next four fastest times advanced to the final, which is scheduled for Sunday at 8:07 p.m.
Rob McManus, a Washington native who just wrapped up his junior year at MSU, finished the steeplechase in 8:41.83 to finish in 23rd place overall.
Corvallis' Sadi Henderson of the Atlanta Track Club finishing in seventh place in the first heat of the 800 meters with a time of 2:02.94. At 29th overall, Henderson did not qualify for the semifinals on Sunday.
Evan Todd of Kalispell and the University of Montana took 16th in the first round of the javelin on Friday. Todd's top throw was 67.44 meters (221 feet, 3 inches) but he was unable to crack the top 12 to advance.
Competing in the men's decathlon, Whitefish's Lee Walburn, formerly of Carroll College and Washington State, ran a personal-best time of 10.85 in the 100 meters, finishing sixth in his heat and 13th overall. He placed 14th in Friday's long jump competition at 6.74 meters (22-1½).
Walburn also threw the shot put 14.49 meters (47-6½) for 10th place in Friday's flight, and hit 1.98 meters (6-6) in the high jump, another PR. Walburn finished his day by finishing second in his heat in the 400 meters with a time of 48.44, which was good for seventh overall.
Walburn, with 4,078 points and in 10th place overall after Day 1, will continue with the decathlon competition on Saturday.
Missoula's Ashley McElmurry, from the University of Nebraska, took 16th in the women's triple jump, hitting 12.98 meters (42-7) but landing outside of the top 12 to miss the cut for the finals.
In the 10,000-meter finals, Helena High alum Aidan Reed, now with the Roots Running Project in Boulder, Colorado, placed 16th with a time of 28:59.54. Kalispell's Ben Perrin, a senior at Montana State in 2023-24, came in 21st with a clocking of 30:09.11.
The 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Track and Field Trials run through June 30 and will be broadcast on NBC, Peacock and USA Network (View the complete television and webcast schedule).
Here is a schedule of events still remaining for Montana athletes (* indicates athletes must qualify):
Saturday, June 22
Men's decathlon — Lee Walburn, Whitefish (Carroll College, Washington State)
- 110-meter hurdles, 11 a.m.; discus, 12:08 p.m.; pole vault, 2:17 p.m.; javelin, 6:15 p.m.; 1,500-meter run, 8:38 p.m.
Sunday, June 23
Men's 3,000-meter steeplechase, finals, 8:07 p.m. — Duncan Hamilton, Bozeman (Montana State)
Monday, June 24
Men's 110-meter hurdles, first round, 6:05 p.m. — Derrick Olsen, Helena (Montana State)
Thursday, June 27
*Men's 110-meter hurdles, semifinals, 6:01 p.m. — Derrick Olsen, Helena (Montana State)
Women's 1,500-meter run, first round, 6:23 p.m. — Dani Aragon, Billings (Notre Dame), and Christina Aragon, Billings (Stanford)
Men's 400-meter hurdles, first round, 7:20 p.m. — Drake Schneider, Eau Claire, Wis. (Montana State)
Friday, June 28
Women's javelin, quarterfinals, 5 p.m. — Alysa Keller, Billings (BYU)
*Women's 1,500-meter run, semifinals, 6:58 p.m. — Dani Aragon, Billings (Notre Dame), and Christina Aragon, Billings (Stanford)
*Men's 400-meter hurdles, semifinals, 7:21 p.m. — Drake Schneider, Eau Claire, Wis. (Montana State)
*Men's 110-meter hurdles, finals, 8:50 p.m. — Derrick Olsen, Helena (Montana State)
Sunday, June 30
*Women's javelin, finals, 5:10 p.m. — Alysa Keller, Billings (BYU)
*Women's 1,500-meter run, finals, 6:09 p.m. — Dani Aragon, Billings (Notre Dame), and Christina Aragon, Billings (Stanford)
*Men's 400-meter hurdles, finals, 6:20 p.m. — Drake Schneider, Eau Claire, Wis. (Montana State)
