Nelson, McAdams also earn Beijing trips
By Parker Morse, Running USA wire
EUGENE, Ore. - (July 5, 2008) - Anthony "Fam" Famiglietti won his second-ever national title in the 3000 meter steeplechase Saturday afternoon, running away from the field to make his second Olympic team at the U.S. Trials. Famiglietti ran 8:20.24 for the victory at Hayward Field, following up on his 2002 title.
Famiglietti, 29, will be joined on the Olympic Team by recent Colorado grad Billy Nelson (8:21.47), who finished 2nd in this spring's NCAA championship steeple, and 2007 USA champion Josh McAdams (8:21.99), himself an NCAA champion in 2006.
Fam sprinted out from the gun to take the lead immediately and appeared ready not only to run away with the race but to chase Daniel Lincoln's 8:15.02 Trials record from 2004 (a race in which Fam finished second). Brian Olinger and Daniel Huling, training partners and understudies of two-time Olympic steeplechaser Robert Gary in Ohio, set out to follow him, but found the pace too hot to sustain. By halfway, Fam's pace predicted approximately an 8:16 finish, and Huling and Olinger were being overhauled by McAdams and University of Texas star Jacob Morse.
"I got out and ran aggressively like I always do," said Famiglietti who lives in New York City. "Whether that meant finishing dead last with dead legs or finishing first with dead legs. I wanted to try to take the kick out of some of the younger guys."
Olinger was unrepentant about following Famiglietti. "I had my mind full made up that wherever [Fam] went, I would have strings attached. An even pace wouldn't have helped. The steeple is a grinding race, kind of like the 10K. You've got to press from the gun; it has to be frantic from the start. It's got to be like that and I'll never look back on this race and think I should have done differently."
As McAdams overtook Olinger with about 600 meters remaining, he was joined by Nelson, who was closing quickly. Unlike Famiglietti and McAdams, Nelson did not already have the Olympic "A" standard, and needed to run it in the final to have a hope of making the team. By now, Fam, a Tennessee grad, was also showing the effects of his aggressive running, and Nelson and McAdams were gaining ground on him.
"I knew where I needed to be," said Nelson. "Every time I came around, I saw the clock and so I knew I was on [track for the "A" standard] and only had to worry about getting top three."
"I have some experience with going out fast, and it just doesn't work for me," explained McAdams, "so I stuck with my game plan. I knew Fam would take it out, and I wanted to run my own race and pass guys on the barriers and the water jumps, and keep working my way up. It worked. I was hoping to close a little more on Fam at the end, but he saved more for the final than he did in the prelim."
By the homestretch, Fam found himself needing to check over his shoulder as McAdams, who once considered himself a miler, and Nelson kicked hard for the finish. Fam still had the legs to protect the win, but found himself almost too exhausted to celebrate on crossing the line.
Nelson, on the other hand, punched his ticket to Beijing by beating the "A" standard in the final. Both Nelson and McAdams made their first Olympic teams.
"I didn't know how I would feel once we got going," Fam reported, "but I decided it's more about mental state. I just put my head down and went into that place. Anything can happen in the steeple."
Steve Slattery of Team Running USA, one of the pre-race favorites, injured his Achilles during the race and did not finish.
U.S. Men's Olympic Trials 3000m Steeplechase - Eugene, OR, Saturday, July 5, 2008
1) Anthony Famiglietti (NY), 8:20.24
2) Billy Nelson (CO), 8:21.47
3) Josh McAdams (UT), 8:21.99
4) Jacob Morse (TX), 8:34.48
5) Daniel Huling (OH), 8:35.30
6) Michael Spence (CA), 8:35.48
7) Brian Olinger (OH), 8:36.09
8) Jordan Desilets (MI), 8:38.84
9) Jacques Sallberg (CA), 8:40.49
10) Corey Nowitzke (MI), 8:47.10
Complete Olympic Trials results and more at: USATF.org.
Ryan Lamppa, Running USA Media Director
(805) 696-6232; Fax = (805) 659-0016
Ryan@RunningUSA.org
www.RunningUSA.org.
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