EUGENE, Ore. — Take it from a couple of Indiana women: The steeplechase is unforgiving.
(NOTE: The video above is from a previous report on IU Athletics celebrating swimming and diving athletes going to the Paris Olympics.)
Notre Dame’s Olivia Markezich thought she was on her way to the Paris Olympics. Angelina Ellis, a Butler graduate from Zionsville, thought she might be out of the race altogether.
The thing is, there are water jumps and barriers in the way.
“You never know what can happen in the last 200 of a steeplechase,” Markezich said. “Someone could fall. I never thought I would fall.
“You never think it’s going to happen to you. But it does.”
An untimely fall cost Markezich a spot on the Olympic team during the fifth night of the U.S. trials Thursday, June 27 at Hayward Field. She finished sixth.
Ellis, who fell in Monday’s heats, had a swollen ankle but made it to the final. She was in the mix, too, but finished 11th.
“I had one bad water jump. With that group of women, it’s really hard to have one bad water jump or hurdle,” Ellis said. “You just can’t mess up. The field is so deep.”
It was the deepest field the United States has ever assembled in the women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase — even without Emma Coburn, the 2017 world champion, and Courtney Frerichs, Olympic silver medalist and American record-holder.
Top three were under the trials record of 9:09.41 set by Coburn in 2021. Top nine were under the Olympic standard of 9:23, all in personal bests.
Markezich cleared the barrier in the last water jump but then stumbled. Two women passed her, and she went from second to fourth. Her ankle wobbled after clearing the final barrier, and Markezich fell before she could summon one last burst.
She rose to her feet and finished, but fourth became sixth. If she is going to run in an Olympic Games, she must wait until Los Angeles 2028.
“It was right there,” said Markezich, 23. “It’s my first meet as a pro, and I will have years left.
“I’ll be back.”
Val Constien, coming off ACL surgery one year ago, was first in 9:03.22 to secure a return to the Olympics. Courtney Wayment was second in 9:06.50. Marisa Howard, 31, mother of a 2-year-old son, was third in 9:07.14.
Markezich, the NCAA champion last year and runner-up this year, had a time of 9:14.87, making her the third-fastest collegian ever. Ellis’ time was 9:28.19.
Ellis had a breakout season after joining the Under Armour Dark Sky club in Flagstaff, Ariz. Last year, she won three Big East titles and was ninth in the steeple at NCAAs.
“I’m happy I took that risk,” Ellis said. “Otherwise, I wouldn’t be where I am today. I felt like I should keep running.”
In the only other final, former Indiana University thrower Jayden Ulrich finished second in the discus.
Valarie Allman, the defending Olympic champion, won with a distance of 232 feet. Ulrich, of the University of Louisville, was second at 205-5. Vanderbilt’s Veronica Fraley, who beat Ulrich to win the NCAA title, was third at 205-2.
Former Purdue thrower Micaela Hazlewood, second at the 2021 trials, finished seventh at 193-4.
After Ed Beathea took over as IU’s head coach last July 1, he did not retain Cory Martin as throws coach. Martin, an NCAA shot and hammer champion while at Auburn, was subsequently hired by Louisville coach Joe Franklin, a former Butler coach.
Ulrich followed Martin and transferred.
Elsewhere, Hoosier runners Cole Hocker and Camden Marshall qualified for semifinals.
After winning Monday’s 1,500 in a trials record of 3:30.59, Hocker won his heat of the 5,000 in 13:33.45. He conceded he felt effects of running three rounds of the 1,500.
He was 12th in this 5,000 with two laps left, moved to the lead with one left and closed in 53.11. The 1,500 remains his focus for the Paris Olympics.
“But I believe I can make this team as well,” Hocker said. I don’t want to short-sell myself in a big year like this.”
Ben Veatch was eighth in that semifinal in 13:37.37, or .37 from reaching Sunday’s final. Veatch, 26, a five-time Big Ten champion at IU and five-time state champion at Carmel, is weeks away from medical school.
“I’m satisfied with how I ran, how I competed,” Veatch said. “Just really blessed to be able to do this sport.”
In a heat of the 800, Marshall, an IU junior from Corydon, was third in 1:46.33. That was also third overall.
Women moving onto semifinals included Addy Wiley, of Huntington, sixth in a heat of the 1,500 in 4:10.61, Ashley Spencer, of Indianapolis, sixth in a heat of the 400 hurdles in 57.04, and Lynna Irby-Jackson, seventh in heat of the 200 in 23.28.
Contact WTHR correspondent David Woods at dwoods1411@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter: @DavidWoods007.