EUGENE, Ore. — Billings Senior grad Christina Aragon and Montana State alum Drake Schneider each advanced into the semifinal round of their respective events Thursday at the U.S. Olympic Team Track and Field Trials at Hayward Field.
Aragon qualified for the semis in the women's 1,500 meters while Schneider advanced in the men's 400-meter hurdles.
Running in the second of three first-round heats Thursday, Aragon, a former Stanford runner who now competes with the Nike/Bowerman Track Club, finished her race in fifth place with a time of 4:10.04, earning her spot in Friday's semifinals, which will be held Friday at 6:58 p.m. Mountain time.
Aragon's older sister Dani, also a Billings Senior alum, ran in the third heat and placed 11th among her group with a time of 4:08.44. However, Dani Aragon, a Notre Dame grad now competing for Puma Elite Running, did not qualify for the semis because the top-seven finishers in each heat plus the next three fastest times advanced.
Though it was a season best, Dani Aragon got passed on the backstretch and missed qualification by just .19 seconds. Her time was the fastest of all non-qualifiers.
The overall winner of the first-round 1,500 meters was Elle St. Pierre of New Balance Boston, who crossed with a time of 4:06.41.
Meanwhile, Schneider, from Eau Claire, Wisconsin, placed fifth in the fourth of five heats in the 400 hurdles, finishing with a time of 51.50 seconds. Schneider came out fast and faded late but still had enough to qualify. His time was good for 26th place overall.
The top-five finishers in each heat plus the next two fastest times advanced to the semifinals in the 400 hurdles, which begin Friday at 7:21 p.m. Mountain time. The overall winner of Thursday's first round was Caleb Dean of Texas Tech, who was timed at 49.45 seconds.
Here is a schedule of events still remaining for Montana athletes (* indicates athletes must qualify):
Friday, June 28
Women's javelin, quarterfinals, 5 p.m. — Alysa Keller, Billings (BYU)
Women's 1,500-meter run, semifinals, 6:58 p.m. — Christina Aragon, Billings (Stanford)
Men's 400-meter hurdles, semifinals, 7:21 p.m. — Drake Schneider, Eau Claire, Wis. (Montana State)
Sunday, June 30
*Women's javelin, finals, 5:10 p.m. — Alysa Keller, Billings (BYU)
*Women's 1,500-meter run, finals, 6:09 p.m. — Christina Aragon, Billings (Stanford)
*Men's 400-meter hurdles, finals, 6:20 p.m. — Drake Schneider, Eau Claire, Wis. (Montana State)
