BYU track was one spot away from having a Cougar make it to Tokyo.
In total, 16 current and former BYU track and field athletes and two current swimming and diving athletes competed in the U.S. Olympic Trials, which concluded on Sunday.
The best chance of landing someone on the team came in the women’s steeplechase, where 2019 BYU graduate Courtney Wayment finished in fourth (9:23.09). Three other Cougars made it to their respective finals.
There will be Cougars at the Olympics, though. Three former Cougars are headed to the Tokyo Olympics with USA Volleyball.
Taylor Sander made the roster for a second Olympics, alongside former Cougar and assistant coach Mike Wall. The pair won a bronze medal in the 2016 Rio Olympics. Luka Slabe is on staff with the women’s team as an assistant.
Here’s a complete list of how BYU athletes fared in the trials:
Track & Field
Anna Camp-Bennett competed in the women’s 1,500 meters. After advancing from the first round, Camp-Bennett was unable to advance out of the semifinal round. The long-distance runner finished in 16th place.
Whittni Orton was set to run in both the women’s 1,500m and women’s 5,000m races. The Panguitch, Utah, native did not start in the 5,000m race but did advance to the semifinals in the 1,500m. Orton was unable to make it to the finals, finishing in 14th place.
Michael Bluth ran in the men’s 400m, but didn’t advance out of the first round. He finished in 20th place.
Abraham Alvarado competed in the 800m and 1,500m races. Alvarado was able to advance from the first round in the 800m, but was unable to make it to the finals — finishing in 14th place. In the 1,500m, Alvarado finished in 29th place.
Conner Mantz ran in the 5000m and 10,000m races. Mantz made it to the final round of both races, finishing in eighth in the 5000m and in fifth in the 10,000m race.
Cameron Bates finished 14th in the men’s javelin qualifying round.
Zach McWhorter tied for 19th place in the men’s pole vault qualifying round.
Courtney Wayment competed in the women’s steeplechase and finished just shy of making the Olympic team, coming in fourth place in the final.
Garrett Marsing ran the men’s steeplechase, but was unable to advance out of the first round and finished in 25th place.
Talem Franco ran the men’s 1,500m and advanced to the semifinals, where he finished in 21st place.
Lauren Ellsworth-Barnes finished in 36th place in the first round of the women’s 800m.
Claire Seymour ran in the women’s 800m, where she finished in 38th place.
Colton Yardley competed in the men’s 400m hurdles but was unable to advance out of the first round, finishing in 22nd place.
Casey Clinger ran in the men’s 5,000m, in which he advanced to the final, but finished in 12th place.
Ashton Riner competed in the women’s javelin, where she finished in 20th place.
Zach Blackham competed in the men’s high jump and finished tied for 17th place.
Makenna Myler finished in 12th in the women’s 10,000m final.
Swimming & Diving
Mickey Strauss competed in the men’s 3-meter springboard, but was unable to qualify for the team and finished in 31st place.
Tyler Edlefsen swam in the 200m IM and 400m IM races, finishing in 45th and 38th, respectively.