Cougars conclude competition at U.S. Olympic Trials

Hayward Field, Eugene, Oregon - 2021 NCAA Track and Field Championships BYU

EUGENE, Ore. – BYU track and field star Conner Mantz finished eighth and fellow BYU standout Casey Clinger placed 12th in the men’s 5000m final at the U.S. Olympic Trials on Sunday.

With three laps to go, Mantz put himself in contention by moving up from 11th to the front of the pack. His move to first place accelerated the pace and strung out the pack. He completed the 5000m in 13:32.69 while Clinger finished the race in 13:50.20.

Doubling in the 5000m and 10,000m at the trials, Mantz placed in the top eight in both finals. He took fifth in the men’s 10,000m final last week and concluded his Olympic Trials with his eighth-place performance in the 5000m final.

BYU alumna Makenna Myler was the lone athlete with ties to BYU to compete on Saturday. She finished 14th in the women’s 10,000m final with a time of 32:44.72.

Friday’s events featured three athletes connected to BYU, including two members from this year’s track and field squad.

After clocking a 3:40.58 in the first round on Thursday, Talem Franco finished 10th in his heat of the semifinals and 21st overall with a time of 3:46.37.

Ashton Riner competed in the qualifying round of the women's javelin throw. She finished 20th overall with a throw of 46.73m/153-3.

Zach Blackham competed in the qualifying round of the men’s high jump. The BYU alumnus finished tied for 17th with a clearance of 2.14m/7-0.25 after missing his three attempts at 2.19m/7-2.25.

The Cougars had a total of 17 athletes connected to the track and field program compete at the U.S. Olympic Trials. Results specific to athletes with BYU ties can be found in the table below while complete results can be found on usatf.org.

Recaps: Day One | Day Two | Day Three | Day Four/Five

BYU Men - U.S. Olympic Trials Qualifiers

Name	Event	Qualifying Mark	Status [Round Reached, Place, Time/Mark]
#Abraham Alvarado	800m	1:46.15*	DNQ [Semifinals, 14th place, 1:47.46]
#Abraham Alvarado	1500m	3:36.82*	DNQ [First Round, 29th, 1:47.88]
Cameron Bates	Javelin	77.17m/253-2	DNQ [Qualifying Round, 14th place, 67.55m/221-7]
#Zach Blackham	High Jump	2.20m/7-2.5	DNQ [Qualifying Round, T-17th place, 2.14m/7-0.25]
Michael Bluth	400m	45.13*	DNQ [First Round, 20th place, 46.05]
Casey Clinger	5000m	13:24.90*	DNQ [Final, 12th place, 13:50.20]
Talem Franco	1500m	3:37.55	DNQ [Semifinals, 21st place, 3:46.37]
Conner Mantz	5000m	13:24.78*	DNQ [Final, 8th place, 13:32.69]
Conner Mantz	10,000m	27:41.16*	DNQ [Final Round, 5th place, 27:59.37]
Garrett Marsing	Steeplechase	8:31.54*	DNQ [First Round, 25th place, 8:53.37]
Zach McWhorter	Pole Vault	5.80m/19-0.25*	DNQ [Qualifying Round, T-19th place, 5.40m/17-8.5]
Colten Yardley	400m Hurdles	50.04	DNQ [First Round, 22nd place, 52.32]

*Met USATF Qualifying Standard
#BYU track and field alumni

BYU Women - U.S. Olympic Trials Qualifiers

Name	Event	Qualifying Mark	Status [Round Reached, Place, Time/Mark]
Anna Camp-Bennett	1500m	4:08.58	DNQ [Semifinals, 16th place, 4:12.05]
Lauren Ellsworth-Barnes	800m	2:02.49*	DNQ [First Round, 36th place, 2:05.59]
#Makenna Myler	10,000m	32:02.62*	DNQ [Final, 14th place, 32:44.72]
Whittni Orton	1500m	4:09.31	DNQ [Semifinals, 14th place, 4:10.70]
Whittni Orton	5000m	15:12.91*	DNQ [First Round, DNS, DNS]
Ashton Riner	Javelin	57.31m/188-0	DNQ [First Round, 20th place, 46.73m/153-3]
Claire Seymour	800m	2:01.91*	DNQ [First Round, 38th place, 2:06.67]
Courtney Wayment	Steeplechase	9:31.37*	DNQ [Final, 4th place, 9:23.09]

*Met USATF Qualifying Standard
#BYU track and field alumni

Ashton Riner - W Track & Field Makenna Smith Athlete Profile - WTRACK