Former Montgomery Viking runner Kim Conley made the USA Olympic team today.
Conley needed to not only place in the top three but also run under 15:20.00.
She did both placing third in 15:19.79 just .04 seconds ahead of fourth place.
Photo by Brad Zanett
Watch the race
Post race video interview
The mark is also a new Empire record passing Sara “Bei” Hall’s mark who will be attempting to make the Olympic team tomorrow night in the Steeplechase.
Old Empire Record
15:24.74 Sara Bei, Stanford (Montgomery ‘01) at USATF 6/23/05
Larry Meredith was the high school coach of both Sara and Kim of the Montgomery 2000 state championship team.
He was at Kim’s 5000 race tonight and messaged me tonight with this note.
“Saw it in person and still don’t believe it. The MOST amazing comeback in the last 300 I have ever seen. And I have seen many, most of them by Bei”
I believe Conley just became the first female track athlete to ever make the US Olympic team.
Another story about the race with videos
1 Julie Culley Asics/N Y A C 15:13.77
2 Molly Huddle Saucony 15:14.40
3 Kim Conley New Balance/SRA Elite 15:19.79
4 Julia Lucas Nike / Oregon TC Elite 15:19.83
5 Abbey D’Agostino Unattached 15:19.98
6 Lisa Uhl Nike / Oregon TC Elite 15:24.17
7 Elizabeth Maloy New Balance 15:24.85
8 Emily Infeld Georgetown 15:28.60
9 Alisha Williams Boulder Running Company/adidas 15:32.98
10 Tara Erdmann Unattached 15:33.96
11 Magdalena Lewy Boulet Saucony 15:34.31
12 Emily Sisson Unattached 15:34.68
13 Deborah Maier Unattached 15:37.56
14 Kellyn Johnson adidas/McMillan Elite 15:39.60
15 Kathy Kroeger Stanford 15:40.55
16 Lauren Fleshman Nike / Oregon TC Elite 15:54.14
Kim Conley lunges to cross the finish line for third place past Abbey D'Agostino and Julia Lucas during the women's 5,000 meter final at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials Thursday, June 28, 2012, in Eugene, Ore. (Photo by MATT SLOCUM / Associated Press
Photo by Brad Zanett
Photo by Brad Zanett
Photo by Brad Zanett
