Quinley claims U.S. trials title in long jump to earn Olympic berth

June 29, 2008

For the second day in a row, an athlete with ties to the Arizona State University track and field program earned a berth into the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games as former All-American <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/quinley_trevell00.html"… Quinley</a> won the men's long jump at the 2008 U.S. Olympic Trials - Track & Field Sunday afternoon at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore. Quinley, a member of Team USA at the 2007 IAAF World Championships in Athletics in Osaka, Japan, improved upon his third-place finish from last year with a personal-best jump to join <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/johnson_jacquelyn00.htm… Johnson</a> on the 2008 Olympic Team after Johnson placed second in the heptathlon on Saturday.<separator></separator>Quinley, who had two of his best jumps last year to aid him to a third-place finish last year in Indianapolis, Ind., was in fifth place heading into the final three jumps of this year's competition and was in second heading into the final round where he popped a mark of 8.36m (27-05.25) to take the lead for good. His new personal best mark surpasses the wind-legal jump of 8.22m (26-11.75) set last year and all moves past his wind-aided jump of 8.24m (27-00.50), also set in Indianapolis.<separator></separator>Quinley will represent Team USA in the Olympics and give ASU a long jumper in the Summer Games for third Olympiad in a row, following <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/phillips_dwight00.html"… Phillips</a>, who won gold in Athens in 2004 after placing eighth in Sydney in 2000. Phillips competed in this year's Trials and hit a jump of 8.20m (26-11.00), but earned the unenviable placement of fourth, meaning he is the first one not on Team USA. Recent Sun Devil senior <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/turner_matt00.html">Matt Turner</a> also competed in the event and hit a wind-aided personal record of 8.12m (26-07.75) to finish fifth after entering the final three rounds in sixth.<separator></separator> In the only track race on the day for the Sun Devils, <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/wallace_latosha00.html"… Wallace</a> ran a personal-best time of 55.85 in the finals of the women's 400m hurdles and placed fifth overall. Wallace ran a sub-56 for the first time in her career and bettered her previous time of 56.35 which earned her fourth-place at the 2007 NCAA Outdoor Championships. The final Sun Devil to compete on the day as <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/battle_tai00.html">Tai Battle</a>, who finished eighth in the discus with a toss of 54.22m (177-11).<separator></separator> Monday will mark the final day of the first half of the Trials before off days on Tuesday and Wednesday with the remaining four days of competition picking back up on Thursday. On Monday, a trio of women with ties to the program will compete, including Lisa Galaviz (formerly Aguilera) and Kelly Strong (formerly MacDonald) in the semifinal of the 3,000m steeplechase while <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/hastings_amy00.html">Amy Hastings</a> will run in the semifinal of the 5,000m run. Galaviz enters the meet as the American record-holder in the steeplechase with all three women looking to earn a berth into the Olympics for the first time in their careers.<separator></separator> U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Track & Field - Day Three (Sunday, June 29) Men's Long Jump - Final 1. <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/quinley_trevell00.html"… Quinley</a> - 8.36m (27-05.25)(+1.6) - advances to 2008 Beijing Olympics 4. <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/phillips_dwight00.html"… Phillips</a> - 8.20m (26-11.00)(+2.2) 5. <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/turner_matt00.html">Matt Turner</a> - 8.12m (26-07.75)(+3.0)<separator></separator> Women's 400m Hurdles - Final 5. <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/wallace_latosha00.html"… Wallace</a> - 55.85<separator></separator> Women's Discus - Final 8. <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/battle_tai00.html">Tai Battle</a> - 54.22m (177-11)