Shelby Greany didn’t get an auto Q but she did move into the final of the World Junior steeplechase, after finishing fifth in her heat on Tuesday morning in Moncton, New Brunswick.
“I don’t think I did very well at all,” said Greany, the Suffern native who recently finished her freshman season at Providence College. “I was 18 seconds off my personal record. It’s all part of steeple. Some days you have it, some days you don’t.”
Greany ran 10:18.74 for fifth in Heat I. The top four finishers qualified automatically from each heat, with four others advancing on time. Greany was the fastest of the time qualifiers.
The winner of the heat was Purity Cherotich Kirui of Kenya, who ran 9:52.77. “I did my best,” Kirui said, then confidently added, “I am going to win tomorrow.” That however is not likely, because the steeple final is not until Thursday evening.
Heat II was won by Bertukan Adama of Ethiopia, in 10:01.46, just ahead of Genevieve Lalonde, who broke the Canadian national Junior record, running 10:03.88.
“It was a little bit too fast, but it was a really good race,” Lalonde said. “Now I look forward to the final…. It’s awesome to run at home,” said Lalonde, who lives in Moncton.
The U.S. advanced both of its competitors in the men’s 100 and the women’s 400 in first-round action Tuesday morning. Charles Silmon of TCU and Michael Granger of Ole Miss won their heats in the 100, while Stacy Ann Smith of the University of Texas and Regina George of the University of Arkansas each finished second in their heats of the 400.
Peter Callahan, the Princeton freshman, had a big finish in his heat of the men’s 1,500 but came up just short of advancing. Callahan ran a lifetime best of 3:45.04, finishing sixth in his heat. It took 3:44.45 to advance.
Rachel Roberts of the University at Buffalo did not advance in the women’s shot, putting 43-7. In the women’s javelin, Allison Updike (Tamaqua, Pa.) threw 160-6 on her third attempt to make the final, while Avionne Allgood (Legacy, North Las Vegas) fell short, throwing 157-6. /JP/