The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Track & Field’s Davis punches ticket to Tokyo at U.S. Olympic Trials
06.27.2021 | Track & Field / Cross Country
Record-setting Longhorn Tara Davis continued her historic year by earning a spot on Team USA in the women’s long jump.
EUGENE, Ore. – Another spectacular performance from Tara Davis, who punched her ticket to Tokyo in the women's long jump, highlighted Texas Track & Field's Saturday at the U.S. Olympic Trials in Eugene, Ore. Davis joined a pair of former Longhorns in Teahna Daniels, who earned an Olympic bid in the 100m on Sunday, and Texas Ex Ryan Crouser, who broke the World Record in the shot put and will return to defend his Gold Medal, as members of Team USA.
Davis, the NCAA Indoor and Outdoor Long Jump Champion and Collegiate Indoor and Outdoor Record Holder, turned in a historic day for a Longhorn and a collegiate jumper at the trials. Davis started her Saturday with a leap of 6.92m/22-8.5 that carried her to the finals, then popped off back-to-back 23-foot jumps on her fifth (7.04m/23-1.25) and sixth (7.02m/23-0.5) attempts to finish second and become the first Longhorn to earn a Team USA Olympic bid in the women's long jump. UT All-American Nicole Devonish competed in the long jump for Canada in 1996, but no Longhorn woman had ever made the team in that event for the USA. All of Davis' five legal jumps on Saturday were over 22-feet and she now holds the top 13 outdoor long jump efforts in school history. She is the only Longhorn woman ever to clear 22-feet, and now has surpassed 23-feet three times this year, including her Collegiate Record mark of 7.14m/23-5.25 at the Texas Relays.
"I can't put into words how I'm feeling right now, there just are so many emotions," Davis said. "I say it all the time, I didn't think I was going to be here. I was going through so much I just didn't ever think I was going to be at the Olympic Trials. But here I am, and I was so grateful for the opportunity, and I took advantage of it. Once I got into the finals, I was not going out, I was not going miss out on making the team. So here I am, and I'm an Olympian! I couldn't be happier!"
A former Longhorn 400m National Champion, Ashley Spencer moved one step closer in her quest to return to the Olympic Games in the women's 400m hurdles on Saturday. The 2016 400m hurdles Bronze Medalist posted the seventh-fastest semifinal time (55.25) and is on to Sunday's final. In the men's 400m hurdles, Aldrich Bailey, Jr., came up just short. But it was three days and three personal bests for the former Longhorn 200m and 400m All-American who recently took up the hurdles race. Bailey, Jr. ran a then personal-best of 49.99 in the prelims, lowered that to 49.20 in the semis and dropped it even more to 48.55 to finish fourth in the finals. His performance in the finals came up less than two-tenths of a second short of third place and an Olympic bid in his new event.
2016 Olympic Gold Medalist in the 4x100-meter relay Morolake Akinosun advanced all the way to the finals in the women's 200m before finishing eighth in Saturday's race with a time 22.49. Akinosun ran a personal-best of 22.44 in the semifinals and her time in the final was the second-best time of her career in the 200m.
Still competing is former Longhorn Ashtin Zamzow-Mahler, the 2019 NCAA Heptathlon Champion, who finished day one of that event in eighth place with 3,669 points. She started the day by clocking 13.79 in the 100m Hurdles (2nd place heat/10th overall) for 1,008 points, added 916 points with by clearing 1.75m/5-8.75 in the high jump (t-9th place), finished second in the shot put with a personal best toss of 14.23m/46-8.25 (809 points) and closed out the day with a 24.47 clocking in the 200m (5th place heat/10th overall) for 936 points. She'll be back in action on Sunday, beginning with the long jump at 3 p.m. CT and closing out the multi-event competition with the javelin throw and 800m.
In addition to the U.S. Olympic Trials, Rhasidat Adeleke, a three-time All-American as a freshman (4x100, 4x400, 200m), sprinted away from the field to win the 100m at the Irish National Championships in personal-best time of 11.29 on Saturday. The 2021 Big 12 Outdoor 100m runner-up posted her previous best of 11.31 in the prelims of the conference meet. Kathryn Gillespie, the 2021 Big 12 Women's Outdoor 1500m Champion, finished eighth in the 1500m final at the British Championships, clocking 4:17.34. Stacey Ann Williams, an All-American in the 400m and 4x400 as a freshman, also advanced to the finals of the 400m at the Jamaican Olympic Trials, clocking her second-best collegiate time in the 400m of 50.84 to finish second overall in the prelims. Another Longhorn All-American freshman, Kevona Davis, advanced to the finals of the 200m in Jamaica with a time of 20.23. Earlier in the week, Davis recorded her collegiate-best of 11.19 (No. 8 on the UT all-time outdoor performers list) to advance to 100m semifinals, but posted an 11.35 and did not make the final round. O'Brien Wasome also finished 10th in the long jump (7.24m/23.9) at the Jamaican Trials.
The final day of the U.S. Olympic Trials will take place on Sunday with three Longhorns still in action. Current All-American Steffin McCarter will compete in the final round of the long jump, along with Spencer in the 400m hurdles, and Zamzow-Mahler in the heptathlon.
Longhorns Results at U.S. Olympic Trials:
Current Longhorns
Qualified for Olympics
Women's Long Jump: Tara Davis (7.04m/23-1.25/2nd place)
1st Round (Advanced to Semifinals)
Women's 100mH: Chanel Brissett (20.80/4th place, Heat 4)
Women's 200m: Kynnedy Flannel (22.31/2nd place, Heat 4)
Men's 400mH: Charles Brockman III (49.98/3rd place, Heat 4)
Qualifying Round (Advanced to Final)
Men's Shot Put: Tripp Piperi (20.77m/68-1.75/4th place)
Women's Long Jump: Tara Davis (6.68m/21-11/4th place)
Men's Long Jump: Steffin McCarter (8.10m/26-7/2nd place)
Did Not Advance
Men's Shot Put Final: Tripp Piperi (19.96/65-6/11th place)
Women's Discus Qualifying: Elena Bruckner (55.12m/181-10.0/14th place)
Men's 800m 1st Round: Crayton Carrozza (1:50.04/26th place overall)
Women's Triple Jump Qualifying: Sophia Falco (12.99/42-7.5/15th place)
Women's 100mH Semifinal: Chanel Brissett (20.71/6th place, Heat 2)
Men's 400mH 1st Round: Paramveer Chohan (52.70/6th place, Heat 1)
Men's 200m 1st Round: Micaiah Harris: (20.90/4th place, Heat 3)
Men's 400mH Semifinal: Charles Brockman III (49.54/7th place, Heat 2)
Women's 200m Semifinal: Kynnedy Flannel (22.46/6th place, Heat 1)
Former Longhorns
Qualified for Olympics
Women's 100m: Teahna Daniels (11.03/3rd place)
Men's Shot Put: Ryan Crouser (23.37m/76-8.25 WR/1st place)*
*World Record
Qualifying Round (Advanced to Final)
Men's Shot Put: Ryan Crouser (22.92m/75-2.5/1st place)+
+Stadium Record
Semifinals (Advanced to Final)
Women's 100m: Teahna Daniels (10.84/2nd place, Heat 1)
Men's 400mH: Aldrich Bailey, Jr. (49.20/4th place, Heat 2)
Women's 400m Semifinals: Ashley Spencer (55.28/4th place, Heat 2)
1st Round (Advanced to Semifinals)
Women's 100m: Teahna Daniels (11.02/3rd place, Heat 2)
Women's 1,500m: Sarah Lancaster (4:13.60/3rd place, Heat 2)
Women's 200m: Morolake Akinosun (22:48/2nd place, Heat 5), Teahna Daniels (22:54/2nd place, Heat 1)
Men's 400mH: Aldrich Bailey, Jr. (49.99/4th place, Heat 1)
Women's 400mH: Ashley Spencer (55.92)/2nd place, Heat 2)
Did Not Advance
Women's 400m 1st Round: Courtney Okolo (52.37/4th place, 1st Round Heat 4), Kendall Baisden (53.17/8th place, 1st Round Heat 3)
Women's 100m Semifinals: Morolake Akinosun (11.16/7th place, Heat 2)
Women's 1,500m Semifinals: Sarah Lancaster (4:11.05/7th place, Heat 1)
Men's 400m 1st Round: Aldrich Bailey, Jr. (46.03/4th place, 1st Round Heat 4)
Men's Pole Vault Qualifying: Reese Watson (No Height/Qualifying Round)
Men's 3000m Steeplechase Qualifying: Alex Rogers (8:49/9th place, Heat 2)
Women's 800m 1st Round: Kendra Chambers (2:02.73/4th place, Heat 4)
Men's Long Jump Qualifying: Marquise Goodwin (7.57m/24-10/19th place)
Women's 200m Semifinals: Teahna Daniels (22.62/4th place, Heat 2)
Women's 10,000m Finals: Marielle Hall (34:35.79/36th place)
Men's 400mH Finals: Aldrich Bailey, Jr. (48.55/4th place)
Women's 200m Finals: Morolake Akinosun (22.49/8th place)
Longhorns remaining in competition at U.S. Olympic Trials (3 participants)
Current Longhorns
MEN (1 participant)
Long Jump: Steffin McCarter (Final, 6/27)
Former Longhorns
WOMEN (2 participants)
400m Hurdles: Ashley Spencer (Final, 6/27)
Heptathlon: Ashtin Zamzow-Mahler (Final, 6/27)
Longhorns Results at non-U.S. National Championships:
Current Longhorns
1st Round (Advanced to Semifinals)
Women's 100m, Jamaica: Kevona Davis (11.19, 3rd place, Heat 4)
Qualifying Round (Advanced to Final)
Women's 1500m, Great Britain: Kathryn Gillespie (4:20.04, 4th place, Heat 2)
Women's 100m, Irleand: Rhasidat Adeleke (11.41/1st place, Heat 1)
Women's 200m, Jamaica: Kevona Davis (23.20/3rd place, Heat 3)
Women's 400m, Jamaica: Stacey Ann Williams (50.84/2nd place)
Did Not Advance
Women's 100m Final, Ireland: Rhasidat Adeleke (11.29/1st place)
Women's 100m Semifinals, Jamaica: Kevona Davis (11.35, 6th place, Heat 2)
Men's Triple Jump Final, Jamaica: O'Brien Wasome (15.69m, 4th place)
Women's 1500m Final, Great Britain: Kathryn Gillespie (4:17.34, 8th place)
Men's 800m Qualifying, Great Britain: Yusuf Bizimana (1:48.30/4th place, Heat 2)
Men's Long Jump Final, Jamaica: O'Brien Wasome (7.24m, 10th place)
Longhorns remaining in competition at non-U.S. National Championships:
Women's 200m, Ireland: Rhasidat Adeleke (Qualifying, 6/27)
Women's 200m, Jamaica: Kevona Davis (Final, 6/27)
Women's 400m, Jamaica: Stacey Ann Williams (Final, 6/27)
Players Mentioned
