Duncan Hamilton qualifies for final; Dani Aragon places 8th at U.S. Olympic Trials

EUGENE, Ore. -- Duncan Hamilton will run in the final of the men's 3,000-meter steeplechase at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials.

Hamilton, a Bozeman native and Montana State runner, qualified for the final by placing seventh in the semifinals on Monday at Hayward Field. Hamilton set a new personal-best time in the event, crossing the finish line in 8 minutes, 25.70 seconds. He ran in the first -- and fastest -- of two heats. Isaac Updike won the first heat in 8:21.01 to take the fastest qualifying time into the final.

The top five runners in each heat, plus the next four fastest runners, qualified for the final. The first heat, which included Hamilton, advanced nine runners to the final, as Benard Keter won the second semifinal with a time of 8:29.04.

The final of the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the Olympic Trials is scheduled for 5:42 p.m. (MDT) on Friday.

Monday's performance is just the latest in a sensational 2021 for Hamilton, who set the Montana State record in the 3,000-meter steeplechase and earned first-team All-American honors at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships earlier this month.

Dani Aragon, meanwhile, ran to a personal-best time of 4:05.09 in the final of the women's 1,500-meter run at the Trials on Monday. Aragon finished in eighth place in an incredibly fast race paced by Elle Purrier St. Pierre, who set the meet record with a time of 3:58.03 and will be the United States' top competitor in the event at the Tokyo Olympics.

Aragon is a Billings Senior High and Notre Dame grad who now runs competitively for Empire Elite Track Club. She qualified for the 1,500 final by winning her preliminary heat last Friday and then placing third in her semifinal heat on Saturday.