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Basten and Ali Advance to Olympic Final
6/21/2021 6:59:00 PM | Men's Cross Country, Men's Track & Field, Women's Cross Country, Women's Track & Field
The Maroon & Gold will have two representatives in Friday's 3,000-meter steeplechase final at the U.S. Olympic Trials.
EUGENE, Ore. -- The Maroon & Gold will have two representatives in the final of the men's 3,000-meter steeplechase at the U.S. Olympic Trials as University of Minnesota redshirt senior Alec Basten and Gophers alum Obsa Ali both secured their places in Friday's final as automatic qualifiers through Monday's first round competition.
Basten finished fourth in his heat and fourth overall in a career-best time of 8:22.22 to set a new Minnesota program record and automatically qualify for Friday's final. He improved on his previous PR of 8:29.03, which he ran as NCAA runner-up at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships just 10 days ago. The 2021 Big Ten Conference champion in the event, Basten surpassed the previous record held by none other than Ali, a record of 8:28.49, which Ali ran during the 2019 season.
Meanwhile, Ali, the 2018 NCAA champion and two-time B1G champion in the event, finished third in the second of two first-round heats to secure his own automatic qualification to Friday's final at the U.S. Olympic Trials. His time of 8:31.54 was good for 13th overall in the first round. Earlier this season, Ali set a new career-best time at 8:22.67.
The top five finishers in each of two first-round heats and the next four fastest athletes advanced to Friday's final; all four of the time qualifiers came from Basten's heat. Notably, both Basten and Ali now have PRs just shy of the Olympic standard of 8:22.00 in the event.
Action continues for the Gopher representatives at the U.S. Olympic Trials with alumni Ben Blankenship (1,500 meters) and Hassan Mead (5,000 meters) competing in first-round heats for their respective events on Thursday evening.
Upcoming Schedule of Events
Thursday, June 24
8:04 p.m. CT - Men's 1,500 meters (First Round): Ben Blankenship
10:04 p.m. CT - Men's 5,000 meters (First Round): Hassan Mead
Friday, June 25
6:05 p.m. CT - Men's 1,500 meters (Semifinals): TBD
6:42 p.m. CT - Men's 3,000-meter steeplechase (Final): Alec Basten, Obsa Ali
Sunday, June 27
6:30 p.m. CT - Men's 5,000 meters (Final): TBD
7:10 p.m. CT - Men's 1,500 meters (Final): TBD
U.S. Olympic Trials - Gopher Finishes
8th: Shane Streich, men's 800 meters
19th: Abby Kohut-Jackson, women's 3,000-meter steeplechase
23rd: Heather Kampf, women's 1,500 meters
27th: Madeline Strandemo, women's 3,000-meter steeplechase
No Mark: Sean Donnelly, men's hammer throw
###
Basten finished fourth in his heat and fourth overall in a career-best time of 8:22.22 to set a new Minnesota program record and automatically qualify for Friday's final. He improved on his previous PR of 8:29.03, which he ran as NCAA runner-up at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships just 10 days ago. The 2021 Big Ten Conference champion in the event, Basten surpassed the previous record held by none other than Ali, a record of 8:28.49, which Ali ran during the 2019 season.
Meanwhile, Ali, the 2018 NCAA champion and two-time B1G champion in the event, finished third in the second of two first-round heats to secure his own automatic qualification to Friday's final at the U.S. Olympic Trials. His time of 8:31.54 was good for 13th overall in the first round. Earlier this season, Ali set a new career-best time at 8:22.67.
The top five finishers in each of two first-round heats and the next four fastest athletes advanced to Friday's final; all four of the time qualifiers came from Basten's heat. Notably, both Basten and Ali now have PRs just shy of the Olympic standard of 8:22.00 in the event.
Action continues for the Gopher representatives at the U.S. Olympic Trials with alumni Ben Blankenship (1,500 meters) and Hassan Mead (5,000 meters) competing in first-round heats for their respective events on Thursday evening.
Upcoming Schedule of Events
Thursday, June 24
8:04 p.m. CT - Men's 1,500 meters (First Round): Ben Blankenship
10:04 p.m. CT - Men's 5,000 meters (First Round): Hassan Mead
Friday, June 25
6:05 p.m. CT - Men's 1,500 meters (Semifinals): TBD
6:42 p.m. CT - Men's 3,000-meter steeplechase (Final): Alec Basten, Obsa Ali
Sunday, June 27
6:30 p.m. CT - Men's 5,000 meters (Final): TBD
7:10 p.m. CT - Men's 1,500 meters (Final): TBD
U.S. Olympic Trials - Gopher Finishes
8th: Shane Streich, men's 800 meters
19th: Abby Kohut-Jackson, women's 3,000-meter steeplechase
23rd: Heather Kampf, women's 1,500 meters
27th: Madeline Strandemo, women's 3,000-meter steeplechase
No Mark: Sean Donnelly, men's hammer throw
###
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