Ann Gaffigan Makes Steeplechase Finals!

With a great performance in the semi-finals on Monday night, the SRRC's very own Ann Gaffigan qualified for the finals of the women's steeplechase at the U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials on Thursday evening. (click here for Monday's results)

Join your SRRC friends and supporters of Ann as we cheer her on with a "Go Ann Go!" party at Sammy's Sports Bar on Thursday night. The Trials coverage begins at 10:00 pm CDT with Ann's race scheduled to be run at 11:45 pm CDT. Hey...come on out...Friday's a holiday...and let's cheer on Ann as she "goes for the gold!"

Thanks to the State Journal-Register for tremendous coverage on Ann's semi-final race.

Gaffigan qualifies for Olympic steeplechase finals
DeShasier comes up short in javelin final

By STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

EUGENE, Ore. — When Sacred Heart-Griffin High School graduate Ann Gaffigan won the women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase at the 2004 U.S. Olympic Track and Field trials, it was only an exhibition event.This time there’s a berth in the Beijing Games at stake, and Gaffigan took the first step Monday night by qualifying for the finals at the U.S. trials. She finished ninth in the semifinals in 9 minutes 55.24 seconds and will try to earn one of three spots on the American team in a race at 11:45 p.m. CDT Thursday.Gaffigan won the event — which combines running, hurdling and water hazards — at the 2004 trials in 9:39.35 at Sacramento, Calif., but didn’t advance to the Athens Games because women’s steeplechase was not yet an Olympic sport.

“I was fresh out of college, happy to be where I was,’’ Gaffigan said after Monday’s race. “This time I have much more of a purpose in mind. I’m not the kid in the candy store anymore.’’The semifinals were run in two heats, and Gaffigan finished fifth in the second heat. “I felt amazing,’’ said Gaffigan, a professional who runs for Team New Balance. “It was my best time of the season. I was very much in control — the position I started in was the position I finished in. (Late in the race) I was able to put it on cruise control, make sure not to trip.’’

Gaffigan, 26, was a three-time state champion at SHG, winning Class AA state track titles in the 3,200 meters in 1998 and 2000 as well as the 1998 Class AA girls state cross country meet. She went on to the University of Nebraska, winning the Big 12 Conference steeplechase title as a senior and being named the Huskers’ most valuable cross country runner three years in a row.

The University of Colorado’s Jennifer Barringer, who ran in Gaffigan’s heat, won Monday’s steeplechase semifinals in 9:48.50. Nicole Bush of Michigan State had the second-fastest time (9:49.53), and Nike-sponsored Lindsey Anderson finished third in 9:49.71.

Another competitor from The State Journal-Register area, Carrollton’s Alicia DeShasier, finished fifth in the women’s javelin finals and didn’t qualify for an Olympic berth.DeShasier, 24, was attempting to qualify for the Olympics after throwing the javelin for the first time less than two years ago. She advanced out of Saturday’s preliminaries with the third-best throw of 176 feet 6 and had a best effort 175-5 in the finals.

Kara Patterson of Purdue won the event at 191-9, Dana Pounds of the U.S. Air Force took second at 189-9, and the University of Oregon’s Rachel Yurkovich was third at 185-1. Patterson qualified for the Olympics by virtue of winning the trials, but Yurkovich and Pounds didn’t make it because they hadn’t thrown the required “A’’ standard distance of 198-6 for Olympic qualification. The second berth went to fourth-place finisher Kim Kreiner, whose best effort Monday was 183-5. Kreiner, sponsored by Nike, had achieved the “A’’ standard in a previous competition. No other competitor had achieved the “A” standard, so a potential third berth went unfilled.Each of the 12 javelin finalists got three attempts Monday before the field was cut to nine, and DeShasier’s best throw came on her second attempt. She made the cut to nine and got three more attempts, but she fouled twice and couldn’t better her mark of 175-5.