Smock lives up to father’s prediction

— Four years ago at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials, triple jumper Amanda Smock failed to qualify for the Beijing Games. Her father, Glen Thieschafer, accompanied her on that trip to Hayward Field and when they returned home to Minnesota, he took the credential from around his neck, scratched out “2008” and scribbled “2012.”

He must have known something. Thieschafer died of cancer not long after the 2008 trials, but Smock, 29, kept that credential with her father’s scrawled prediction hanging in her closet in the months and years since.

It served as daily motivation and paid off Monday evening, when Smock, a native of Melrose, Minn., qualified for the Olympics, jumping a total of 45 feet, 9 inches. She finished well ahead of the second-best finisher, Sheena Gordon, who jumped 45- 41/2.

It was another busy day at Hayward Field, as Team USA continued to grow. The competition will break for two days and resume Thursday.

In the women’s 800 meters, Alysia Montano is set to make her Olympic debut in London. She won Monday’s final in 1 minute, 59.08 seconds. Montano is the defending national champion and was the bronze medalist at the 2010 world championships.

Geena Gall finished second in 1:59.24 and Alice Schmidt was third, finishing in 1:59.46.

In the men’s 5,000 qualifying race, Alan Webb, who holds the U.S. record in the mile, failed to advance to the final. Competing primarily in the 1,500 this year, Webb successfully petitioned his way into the 5,000 and finished in 14:01.25, last among the finishers in his heat and well behind race winner Andrew Bumbalough, who advanced in 13:46.80, just two hundredths of a second faster than Galen Rupp.

But Webb said he won’t compete in the 1,500 at these trials. A member of the 2004 Olympic team in Athens, Greece, this marks the second consecutive Summer Games for which Webb has failed to qualify.

Eye on Arkansans

How athletes with Arkansas ties are doing at the U.S. Olympic trials for track and field: MONDAY’S RESULTS MEN JEREMY SCOTT (UA) Finished third in pole vault qualifying by clearing 17 feet, 8 1/2 inches and advanced to Thursday’s final round.

ANDREW IRWIN (UA) Did not clear the opening height of 17 feet, 4 1/2 inches in the pole vault qualifying round.

ON TAP TODAY None

Sports, Pages 22 on 06/26/2012

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