1st Round of Women’s 800: Alysia Montaño and Brenda Martinez Look Good, No Real Casualties

*Did you read our 800 preview? If not, catch it here.

by LetsRun.com
June 20, 2013

Des Moines, IA – There were zero big surprises in the first round of the women’s 800 at the 2013 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships as the top 10 seeds based on 2013 performances all advanced to the semifinals. All told, 11 of the 12 runners who came with a 2013 time under 2:02 advanced with the lone casualty being NCAA fourth placer Charlene Lipsey of LSU.

Quick Thought (QT) #1: In our preview, we felt that Alysia Montaño and Brenda Martinez were near locks for the Moscow team and we certainly still feel that way. It’s wide open for third.

Heat 1

There were five tightly bunched runners heading into the final 100 and the big news was that Phoebe Wright, who had led the entire race and had won the ‘B’ 800 at Prefontaine prior to USAs, only ended up third, but she would advance on time. Chanelle Price and Kate Grace took the automatic qualifying spots.

Also advancing on time were the NCAA 7th placers from the 800 in Cydney Ross of Duke and 1500 in Arizona State’s Shelby Houlihan. Houlihan whacked .70 off of her pb.

Splits: 28.6, 400: 60.24, 600 1:31.5.

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Price looked good here winning the heat and has a lot of experience in this situation as she said she ran her first US Championship when she was 16 when she made the final. Since then she’s had some injuries, but has “stuck with it” and things are “falling into place” for her this year.

In talking about the decision to do the 800 over the 1500, Grace (who is the Road US Mile champ this year) said she felt strong in both, but felt more comfortable in the 800 because she has the speed, but also the strength to get through the rounds. On the 1500 she said, “Truthfully, the 15 I’ll run eventually in the coming years, but I just have more experience in the 8 right now. … At this level I realized I’m very young in the 15; I need some more race experience.”

Place Ht Pl Athlete Time          
3 1 Chanelle Price
Unattached
2:02.05 Q
4 2 Kate Grace
Oiselle / NJNYTC
2:02.14 Q
9 3 Phoebe Wright
Nike
2:02.61 q
10 4 Cydney Ross
Duke University
2:02.77 q
13 5 Shelby Houlihan
Arizona State University
2:03.15 q [2:03.144]
28 6 Nijgia Snapp
Tenn-Chattanooga
2:05.88
33 7 Rebecca Addison
University of Michigan
2:10.20

 

Heat 2

Benita Taylor had 2-3 meters on the field at 400 but in the last 100 there were two people who were way better than everyone else – 2012 US Olympian Geena Gall and LaTavia Thomas (formerly of LSU).

Splits: 200: 28.4. 400: 59.70

After the race Gall said “My training has been going really well. I’m just waiting for that big race to come out of me. I know it’s there, I just haven’t had it this season so far.”

Thomas said she felt good and that this was the “first time after a race I didn’t feel I was going to puke.”

Place Ht Pl Athlete Time          
11 1 Geena Gall
Nike
2:02.85 Q [2:02.845]
12 2 Latavia Thomas
Nike
2:02.85 Q [2:02.850]
20 3 Charlene Lipsey
Louisiana State University at
2:03.91
25 4 Benita Taylor
Unattached
2:05.19
29 5 Brigitte Mania
Connecticut
2:05.97
30 6 Christina Rodgers
University of Arizona
2:07.00
31 7 Kelsey Brown
Brigham Young University
2:07.30

Heat 3

Brenda Martinez, the 2nd fastest woman in the world so far in 2013, took the lead on the backstretch of the second lap and by 600, she and Heather Kampf were clear of everyone else as 2012 world junior champ Ajee’ Wilson tried to rally to get one of the automatic qualifying spots. Wilson would end up moving on automatically as she’d pass Kampf late and finish second.

Splits: 29.0, 61.13.

Post-race, Martinez said, “The plan today was just to race to win.”  She also said that’s the plan each round. When asked why she’s running the 800 instead of the 1500, she said it’s because she’s higher ranked in the 800 than the 1500.

Interview with Wilson below who says watching Cain do well gives her confidence that she can as well.

Place Ht Pl Athlete Time          
2 1 Brenda Martinez
New Balance
2:01.96 Q [2:01.960]
5 2 Ajee’ Wilson
adidas
2:02.15 Q
8 3 Heather Kampf
Asics / Team USA Minnesota
2:02.23 q [2:02.229]
19 4 Bethany Praska
Unattached
2:03.78
23 5 Lauren Wallace
Cal Davis
2:04.20
24 6 Chelsea Cox
Georgetown University
2:05.00
27 7 Jesse Carlin
Unattached
2:05.44

Heat 4

Alysia way out front on lap #1 Alysia way out front on lap #1

Olympic finalist Alysia Montaño did her normal thing and took it out very fast as she gapped the field in the first 200. She’d cruise in for victory after splits of 27.90, 58.27, 1:30.1. NCAA runner-up Laura Roessler grabbed the second qualifying spot in this heat where the top four ended up moving on.

Splits: 27.90, 58.27, 1:30.1.

Interviews with Montano and Roesler below. Roesler says she wants to make the final as she’s been really close the last few years.

Place Ht Pl Athlete Time          
1 1 Alysia Montano
Asics
2:01.96 Q [2:01.957]
6 2 Laura Roesler
Oregon
2:02.16 Q
7 3 Lea Wallace
Nike / SRA Elite
2:02.23 q [2:02.224]
16 4 Megan Malasartie
Georgia
2:03.56 q
21 5 Greta Feldman
Princeton University
2:03.98
22 6 Christina Cazzola
Wisconsin-Oshkosh
2:04.08
26 7 Kendra Chambers
Texas
2:05.42

Heat 5

1st Lap 1st Lap

Our eyes were firmly focused on 2011 world championship finalist Maggie Vessey who was running just her second 800 of the year. Vessey, who is known for coming from way back, led wire to wire here and won this heat which started off very slowly. Stanford freshman Amy Weissenbach, who was sixth at NCAAs, got the final qualifying spot.

Splits: 29.4, 62.97, 133.0.

 

Place Ht Pl Athlete Time          
14 1 Maggie Vessey
New Balance
2:03.15 Q [2:03.150]
15 2 Amy Weissenbach
Stanford University
2:03.39 Q
17 3 Erica Moore
Nike
2:03.60
18 4 Shannon Leinert
Big River Running Company
2:03.74
32 5 Bienna Freeman
Jacksonville Athletic Club
2:09.43
DNS DNS Stephanie Brown
University of Arkansas

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