Coming into Sunday’s 1,500 meter final, each of the men in the 13-man field was prepared for a fast pace.

Only five of the runners had achieved the Olympic qualifying standard prior to Sunday, and each of the eight men on the outside looking in were aware that their finish position didn’t matter if they didn’t hit the standard.

Six of the runners in the field had University of Oregon ties, and Sunday represented their last chance of the season — and for some of them, the last chance of their career — to grasp an Olympic berth.

In the end, Matthew Centrowitz of Nike Oregon Project sat patiently and survived a torrid opening pace before he turned on the jets with 200 meters to go and buried a group of runners he has been racing against since his college days.

Centrowitz won in a season-best time of 3:34.09 to capture his fourth U.S. title in the past six years. The victory also provided a personal milestone for the former University of Oregon star: with the win, Centrowitz matched his father, Matthew Centrowitz Sr. in both U.S. titles and Olympic appearances.

“It’s awesome,” Centrowitz Jr. said after the race. “I finished second here in 2012. I was joking with my dad last night… he was a two time Olympian, and I am now. So he can’t really have that over my head.

“Kind of a cool stat was that his first team he made, he finished second, and his second team he won as well. Just another reason for me to follow in his footsteps. Like father like son.”

As soon as the starting gun went off, any idea of running a slow pace went out the window for the 13 competitors. Nike Oregon Track Club Elite’s Jordan McNamara took the race out at a 42.95 300 meter pace with the idea to reach the qualifying standard or die trying.

By the 800 meter mark, McNamara, a former UO standout, had faded to sixth place and would go on to finish last.

Centrowitz jockeyed for position with a group of frontrunners, and by the 1,100 meter mark, had worked his way into second. Then, just before passing the East Grandstand, he was gone. Centrowitz tore through the final 400 meters in 53.95 seconds and unleashed a signature flamboyant celebration as he crossed the finish line.

“For me, personally, I like to prepare for a little bit faster race,” Centrowitz said. “If it turns tactical or slow, for me it feels a little bit easier versus preparing for a tactical race and feeling like I wasn’t prepared for it.”

Centrowitz was one of only two runners who ran the last 400 meters in under 56 seconds. The other was Robby Andrews, who moved from fifth to second on the last lap and careened down the backstretch to pass Ben Blankenship to finish second in 3:34.88.

“Matthew likes to be in the front to see where he’s going,” Andrews said. “I’m more at ease when I can see where everybody else is going… For me, I get more confidence if I can just sit in the back and relax for a little bit.”

Blankenship, another OTC Elite athlete, finished third and also qualified for Rio. The 26-year-old Blankenship missed out on the 2012 trials while recovering from injury. While Centrowitz was competing in London, Blankenship was working an excavation job.

Blankenship used a late surge to hold off 2012 U.S. gold medalist Leo Manzano and claimed the last qualifying spot in 3:36.62.

“Somebody once told me you have to have three gears on the last 200,” Blankenship said. “One to go, another to go and one to maintain.”

Former Ducks Johnny Gregorek, Colby Alexander and Daniel Winn finished sixth, seventh and eighth respectively.

The Last Oregon alum, Andrew Wheating, placed 12th in what could potentially be his last Olympic Trials appearance. Wheating reached the Olympics in the 800 in 2008 and in the 1,500 in 2012, but has struggled to find his form over the past few season as he’s endured a series of injuries.

“I had the perfect mentality,” Wheating said. “I had it exactly where I wanted to be in my head. It was the body that was kind of missing a bit of training.

“Hayward has this unbelievable draw; this attraction this magic. It doesn’t matter how out of shape I am, I can find the confidence just by walking around this track.”

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After a heavy rainstorm soaked the runway and thinned out the men’s high jump field on Friday, a familiar face emerged as the American champion on Sunday.

Erik Kynard, a 25-year old Kansas State alum now competing for Brand Jordan, emerged victorious with a winning leap of 7 feet, 6 inches. It was Kynard’s fourth straight U.S. title, and he is now headed to his third Olympic games after winning silver at the 2012 London Summer Games.

“I don’t feel like I jumped high enough,” Kynard said. “I keep my season averages, and 2.29 (meters) is going to put a damper on it. I’m going to have to make a higher bar sometime soon before the Games start to get my average up.”

Kynard cleared each of the first four heights on his first attempt, and along with Kyle Landon of Southern Illinois, was one of just two competitors to clear 7-5 and advance to 7-6. Kynard easily cleared the height on his first jump, but Landon failed to register a successful attempt and would finish second.

From there, Kynard passed on 7-7 1/4 and elected to move the bar straight to 7-8 1/2 which would have matched the meet record. However, Kynard missed on all three of his attempts and ended with a winning height of 7-6, the second-lowest winning mark since 1980.

“I wasn’t thinking about that meet record,” kynard said. “I was thinking about making the team, first and foremost. I didn’t even know what the meet record was. I had a garbage bag, preparing for the rain.

“I was trying to figure out if I needed to bring some scuba gear, because the qualifying was a little wet.”

Of the three athletes who earned a podium spot, only two qualified for the U.S. Olympic team. The Olympic standard for the high jump is 7-6, and a handful of athletes had already met the mark prior to the meet, but Landon was not one of them.

Joining Kynard on the Olympic team will be third place finisher Bradley Adkins, who reached the standard with a jump of 7-6 in February while competing for Texas Tech. Accompanying Kynard and Adkins will be Ricky Robertson, who finished sixth on Sunday while competing unattached, but met the standard on June 19 at the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, Calif.

The only local athlete in the event’s final wasn’t a current Duck or OTC Elite member, but rather Lane Community College redshirt sophomore Dakarai Hightower. A two-time Northwest Athletic Conference champion, Hightower registered the second-best jump by a junior college athlete in American history with a leap of 7-5 at the NWAC Championships in May.

The 21-year-old Hightower came to Lane when his childhood friend, former Lane sprinter Jemiel Lowery, convinced Hightower to join him in Eugene after academic troubles prevented him from attending a Division I school.

“I learned to not worry about what everyone else is doing,” Hightower said. “You’ve just got to go out there and make adjustments for yourself and just jump.”

Partially due to the rainy conditions during Friday’s preliminary round, some of the biggest names in the event failed to make the final and did not compete in the final. Notable athletes who missed out on a spot in the finals were USC standout and 2016 NCAA champion Randall Cunningham (personal-best of 7-5), East Carolina’s Avion Jones (personal-best of 7-7) and 2012 gold medalist Jesse Williams of OTC Elite (personal-best of 7-8 3/4).

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After winning the biggest race of his life, all Devon Allen wanted to do was find his family.

A two-sport star who has already registered too many big moments to count on both the track and football field, Allen delivered the the most dramatic performance of his career Saturday evening with a win in the 110 meter hurdles at the U.S. Olympic Trials at Hayward Field.

Allen’s winning time of 13.03 seconds was the third fastest in the world this year, and after crossing the finish line he celebrated for all of ten seconds before his eyes darted towards the crowd beyond the finish line. He dashed over to the stands and scaled the fence as he tried to find his parents.

“He just was elated,” Devon’s father, Louis Allen, said. “For one, I was looking for him, trying to figure out where he was going… He knew the general area I was in, but he was trying to get to the area where the closest fence was and come back to where we were sitting.”

Just 18 months after a knee injury at the Rose Bowl wiped out his 2015 track season and hindered his football season the following year, Allen became the first active Duck to qualify for the Olympics since Andrew Wheating and Galen Rupp each did so in 2008.

He used a leaning surge after the final hurdle to pull away from runner-up Ronnie Ash and third place Jeff Porter, and as Allen crossed the finish line, the Hayward crowd went ballistic.

“I couldn’t even hear,” Allen said “It felt like a football game; it felt like Autzen Stadium.”

Allen’s victory margin of 0.18 seconds was the largest ever at the U.S. Olympic Trials. When he heads to Rio, he will become the first collegian to represent America in the event in almost four decades.

Regardless of his performance at the Olympic games, Allen will have a choice to make when he returns to Eugene. A redshirt sophomore, Allen has two years of football eligibility remaining. Should he return to play for Oregon and head coach Mark Helfrich this fall, Allen figures to be an integral member of the Ducks’ wide receiver unit.

Devon Allen and Louis Allen both said they don’t know what Devon’s future will hold once he returns from Rio.

“Devon loves the sport that’s in season,” Louis Allen said. “I would assume that when track is over, when the Olympic are over, he’ll probably focus on football again and he’ll be out here on Saturday playing with his teammates.”

Allen said it himself that there are a lot of moving parts to factor into the decision. He is in a league of his own this year as far as the football-Olympic doubles goes. Buffalo Bills wideout and former Olympic finalist Marquise Goodwin failed to qualify for Rio in the long jump, and USC multi-sport star Adoree Jackson finished tenth in the same event.

Pro football players such as Goodwin, Jeff Demps and Lawrence Okoye all competed at the Olympics in 2012, but Allen is the first football player in recent memory who would be considered a heavy candidate to medal at the games.

“I’m just excited to have the opportunity,” Allen “I still love football; I still love playing… It’s a big passion for me, I’ve been playing since I was five. It’s hard for me to think about that yet.”

As for now, Allen is undefeated at Hayward Field and a two-time U.S. champion at the age of 21. He’s looking forward to traveling outside the U.S. again — he said he’s only been to Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.

A win in Rio could ultimately shift his career path, but Allen simply has his sights set on reaching another PR as his family watches on, just as they always have.

“Today was a really exciting moment for me,” Allen said. “Something that I want to share with my family. I’m glad that they could come and be here. They’re gonna be in Rio too, so hopefully I can share that same moment with them there.”

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LaShawn Merritt ran the fastest 200 meter time in the world on Friday evening, but it was two athletes who are nearly half his age that stole the show.

The 2008 Olympic champion at 400 meters, Merritt cruised to victory in heat three with a wind-legal time of 19.74 seconds. It was the fastest time by an athlete at the U.S. Olympic Trials since Michael Johnson in 1996, and faster than any athlete during the 2016 calendar year.

Still, Merritt’s feat flew relatively under the radar on Friday, as it followed breakout performances from high school seniors Michael Norman and Noah Lyles.

Norman, a high school senior from Murrieta, Calif., won the first heat of the event in 20.21 seconds — just ahead of former Olympic gold medalist Justin Gatlin. Minutes later, Lyles, a senior from Alexandria, Va., won the second heat in 20.26 seconds. Each of them was born in 1997; one year after Johnson set the American record that they are now chasing.

“It’s definitely an exciting moment,” Lyles said. “I’m really excited to come out here and face the big boys I’ve been watching on TV. A year ago I was watching the world championships thinking ‘dang, if I was out there, I’m definitely sure I could be doing what I’m doing right now.”

Norman finished with the fourth fastest overall qualifying time, and Lyles finished with the sixth fastest.

Ameer Webb was the only other man to go sub-20, and qualified with the second fastest time (19.97). Two-time world champion Tyson Gay finished third in qualifying with a time of 20.16 seconds. Walter Dix owns the fourth-fastest 200 time in American history, but finished 14th and did not qualify for the final.

Competing unattached, but still wearing his high school jersey, Lyles also ran in the 100 meter event on July 2, but failed to reach finals. Both Lyles and Norman won their respective state championships in the spring,

“Hell… I’ve never seen kids that young run so well under pressure.” Gay said. “It’s amazing.”

When Norman and Lyles step into the blocks for Sunday’s final, they will battle some of the top sprinters in American history for a spot on the U.S. Olympic team. Gay owns the fastest American 100 meter time ever, Gatlin holds the second-fastest 200 meter time and Merritt holds the fifth-fastest 400 meter time. Each is over 30 years old and potentially competing in their last Olympic Trials.

Merritt, fresh off a 200 meter personal-best, isn’t even sure if he’ll compete at Rio in the 200 should he qualify. He has mainly competed in the 400 meter throughout his career, and already picked up a gold medal and an Olympic qualifying spot in the event.

“I’m not sure yet,” Merritt said. “Still not sure yet. I’m just trying to take it a race at a time… I’ve got another race coming up to actually make the team, so I just have to stay humble, stay grounded, get some rest and come out tomorrow and do it all over again.”

The men’s 200 meter final will take place at 5:42 p.m. on Saturday.

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After initially being told that he had qualified for the U.S. Olympic Trial 1,500 meter final at Hayward Field Friday afternoon, Jordan McNamara’s hopes were left in limbo for approximately 90 minutes.

McNamara, a former standout at the University of Oregon who now competes for Eugene-based Oregon Track Club Elite, clinched what was supposed to be the final qualifying spot in the 1,500 semifinal, until it was temporarily yanked out from under him.

McNamara finished in 3:45.01 to place seventh in the second and final heat, and while he did not place high enough to earn an automatic qualifying spot, his time was good enough to earn the last at-large spot for Sunday’s 12-man final. He finished with the seventh-fastest overall time, faster than the 3:47.67 that Izaic Yorks won the first heat with.

“That was a deathly heat to get through,” McNamara said following the race. “I was wondering how many beers the guy had had when he made the selections for the heat. But hey, that’s the nature of the sport. Happy to move on, it shows I deserve to be in the final. Let’s do it.”

Until, apparently, he didn’t deserve to be in the final.

Minutes after McNamara addressed the media, it was announced that he had been disqualified for impeding another runner.

There was no official reason given as to why he had been disqualified, simply a “DQ” next to his name in the results. Former Duck Johnny Gregoreck finished just behind McNamara in 3:45.59 and was slotted into the last qualifying spot as a result.

An hour and a half after the race ended, USATF announced via email that the jury of appeals had decided to not disqualify McNamara, and that he and Gregoreck would both run in Saturday’s final, which is now expanded to 13 runners.

“I think it was a premature decision,” McNamara said in a phone call with the Emerald after he was reinstated. “But I appreciate the fact that they were just trying to make sure they had it right.”

At the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials, McNamara finished seventh, less than a second behind third place Andrew Wheating, and missed out on a spot to the U.S. Olympic team.

During Friday’s semifinal, McNamara uncorked a furious kick down the backstretch to ensure that the most important week of his career didn’t come to a similar end. Right alongside him was Wheating, who finished sixth in 3:44.73.

“I thought he deserved it,” McNamara said of Wheating, following the race. “Because I gave him a healthy push from 300 out to create space for myself. We’re teammates, we’re friends, but as soon as that gun goes off we’re not doing anyone any favors.

“He deserves to be in the final and so do I, so I’m glad we both made it through.”

After surviving a stacked field of competitors and a bizarre misunderstanding, McNamara lives to fight another day.

The 1,500 meter final will take place Sunday at 5:20 p.m.

Follow Jarrid Denney on Twitter @jarrid_denney

Prep standout Drew Hunter competed at the Prefontaine Classic alongside a field of the best milers in the world earlier this year.

The race represented what many Oregon fans expected to be the first of many big performances at Hayward Field from Hunter, who was the top high school runner in the class of 2016 and thought to be one of the best high school runners to come along in decades. In fall of 2015 Hunter committed to spend his collegaite career at the University of Oregon.

However, the next time Hunter runs at Hayward, it won’t be in an Oregon kit.

Per Chris Chavez of Sports Illustrated, Hunter will forgo his collegiate career and run professionally. According to Chavez, Hunter is the first male high school distance runner to turn professional.

“I’m just really excited to take a different route than most people,” Hunter told Sports Illustrated. “It’s unique and will have its learning curve but I’m ready for the adventure ahead. I wrestled with the thought of passing up on the opportunity at Oregon for several months because it was a dream for me. It took me a while to open up to the new option. It was really hard because I love [Oregon cross country] coach [Andy] Powell and there’s no greater program out there.”

Hunter ran a 3:58.86 indoor mile last winter to break the U.S. record set by Allen Webb in 2001. Two weeks later, he reset his record with a time of 3:57.81.

Hunter was slated to join a young core of returning distance runners at Oregon that includes freshman Matthew Maton, sophomore Blake Haney, junior Sam Prakel and junior Travis Neuman. Defending NCAA champion Edward Cheserek is also weighing the possibility of going pro, but could return for his senior season.

“I love the college system,” Oregon associate head coach Andy Powell told reporters at the U.S. Olympic Trials on Friday. “It’s the best way to develop; I think that’s why you see so many runners continue to do well after they leave Oregon… But at the same time, it’s kind of like professional baseball; if you have an offer out there, whatever it is, before college, after college, you just have to weigh the pros and cons.”

Hunter has not yet announced when he will make his professional debut.

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Coming into the U.S. Olympic Trials, there was a sense that for the first time in a long time, Ashton Eaton may be vulnerable.

The 2012 Olympic gold medalist and decathlon world record holder strained his quad at a Diamond League meet in Ostrava, Czech Republic, in late May and his training was limited from that point on.

Eaton’s coach, Harry Mara, stated before the trials that the prime age window for a decathlete is 26 to 28 years old. Eaton, now 28, found himself battling a major injury for the first time in his career.

The track and field world may never know how much the injury limited Eaton this weekend — he said he was performing at 90 percent health and insisted that every decathlete is dealing with some sort of injury at this point. At the end of the day, none of the speculation mattered.

Eaton, relying on experience more than pure athleticism this time around, expertly navigated his way to a winning score of 8750 points to capture his fifth U.S. title at Hayward Field on Sunday. The final score fell well short of the 9045 he posted in Bejing last summer, but Eaton picked his spots and won or tied in five of the ten events.

“Physically, I’m a bit older,” Eaton said to reporters. “I’ve seen a lot and been in a lot of situations. So in that sense, if I’m in a situation in the decathlon, I have confidence that I’ll know how to handle it, because I’ve been in a lot of them.

“I was just a little more confident in this one.”

Jeremy Taiwo of Brooks finished second at 8,425, and recent Wisconsin graduate Zach Ziemek took third with 8413. Oregon junior Mitch Modin soared up the leader board on the final day and hit hit a 229 point lifetime-best to finish seventh at 7785.

Eaton tallied the most points in the long jump (25 feet, 8 1/4 inches) and the 110 meter hurdles (13.60 seconds) and fought off some early jitters in the discus to distance himself from a field of young competitors. During his record-setting performance in Bejing last summer, he ran the 1,500 4:17.52 and then collapsed in exhaustion. With no record on the line this time, he cruised to a 4:25.15 finish, good for fourth.

When it was all over, Eaton took time to enjoy the moment. While celebrating, he jumped into the steeplechase pool and turned his victory lap into a victory bath.

In a press conference that took place two days before the start of the trials, Eaton said that he began taking track seriously when he attended the Prefontaine Classic at Hayward and watched athletes such as Justin Gatlin and Allyson Felix compete.

“I had no idea track could be like this,” Eaton said at the press conference. “I think it was at that point that I realized that’s what I wanted to do; I wanted to be like these athletes.”

On Sunday, he found himself on the opposite end of that scenario.

Modin also spent his prep career at Mountain View and grew up idolizing Eaton. Tate Mecalf coached both athletes during their prep careers, and was in attendance on Sunday to celebrate another world title for Eaton and a massive PR for Modin.

“It’s been my dream to compete with him since high school,” Modin said. “So it was kind of a dream fulfilled to do a victory lap with Ashton Eaton after he qualified for the Olympics. …He’s far and above any athlete ever. To be able to break the world record over and over again is insane.”

On Sunday, Eaton proved that he is still one of the few constants in the event as he watches his field of competitors rapidly evolve. Of the top seven finishers, only Eaton and Taiwo were competing under professional contracts. The other five athletes all wore college jerseys and were age 23 or younger. Trey Hardee, the 32 year old former Olympic silver medalist who finished as runner-up to Eaton at the 2012 Olympic games in London, withdrew after five events due to foot and hamstring injuries.

Mara has already said that this will be his last Olympics coaching Eaton, and by the time 2020 rolls around, Eaton will be 32, well past what Mara considers to be his prime years. For now, the elder statesmen and unquestioned king of the decathlon gets to enjoy one last run to Rio.

“The Olympic games are so much different than anything else,” Eaton said. “You don’t even talk about world records, in a way. I mean, if it’s there at the very end, I’m sure I’ll try to run and get it.”

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Members of the University of Oregon women’s sprinting unit are adamant that they want Oregon to be recognized as more than just a distance running school. Oregon has produced four NCAA outdoor champions in the 100-  and 200-meter events in the past four years, but to some, Oregon still isn’t considered an elite sprinting program.

On Saturday, the Ducks current runners and alumnus may have finally made their message clear.

Six different runners with Oregon ties navigated their way through the preliminary round of the U.S. Olympic Trials 100-meter dash and punched their tickets to the semifinals at Hayward Field Saturday afternoon.

Over a quarter of the 21 total women who qualified were either current Ducks or former Ducks.

“It’s fun,” said Jenna Prandini, a Puma sprinter who turned pro after winning the 100-meter title for Oregon in 2015. “It’s like a reunion when we’re in the call room. We’re all talking to each other and making sure we’re relaxed.”

Prandini finished in 10.81 seconds to clinch the fastest overall qualifying time, and former Oregon standout English Gardner, who now runs with Nike, finished in 10.90 seconds for the second fastest time.

Oregon freshman Ariana Washington, fresh off a dazzling NCAA Championship debut in which she swept the 100 and 200, finished with the seventh fastest qualifying time at 11.01. It was a lifetime best for Washington.

“My goal was just to go out there and try to get my jitters out,” Washington said. “Just have fun with it and get through to tomorrow. Goal accomplished.”

Brand Jordan athlete Mandy White, a two-time All-American at Oregon who last competed for the Ducks during the 2010-11 season, posted the 11th fastest preliminary time (11.11) and qualified despite finishing fourth in her heat.

Oregon’s Deajah Stevens earned the 15th qualifying spot in a time of 11.18 seconds. Stevens was the runner-up to Washington in the NCAA 200-meter championship.

Jasmine Todd earned the 21st and final qualifying spot, finishing in 11.26 seconds to edge her way into the semifinals. Todd owned the fifth fastest American time this season entering the meet, but on Saturday, she took three attempts in the long jump final before rushing to the starting blocks for the 100.

The long jump began at 11:45 a.m. and the 100 started only 48 minutes later.

“I literally did my last jump and then it was heat five of the hundred,” Todd said. “And then I went over to heat six. It was kind of a rushed thing, but I mean it happens and you get used to it doing the duo.”

“Definitely not the first rodeo having to do both, but I was definitely in a lot better shape than I am this year.

Todd was a five time All-American at Oregon and was expected to earn points for the Ducks at this year’s NCAA Championship meet, but her Oregon career was halted early due to an an academic misunderstanding.

Todd wore University of Oregon gear during the opening day on Friday, but chose not to on Saturday.

“Yesterday was the last time that I will be wearing the Oregon uniform,” Todd said. “I asked coach Johnson if I was able to wear it and he allowed me to wear the uniform one last time. It kind of ended in the right way.”

Todd said she is leaning towards turning pro at this point, but did not rule out the possibility of returning to Oregon for her senior season.

“There are so many things that could happen, and I mean, if I change my mind, who wouldn’t want to be a Duck again?” Todd said.

With all six Oregon athletes finding their way to the semifinals, they will now focus their efforts on navigating through one more round of qualifiers and then possibly turn around to run the final in the same day.

The semifinal starts at 4:02 p.m. Sunday, and the final will follow at 5:44 p.m.

“It’s gonna be a tough one,” Gardner said. “I remember last semis, I had to drop a 10.79 to beat Jenna Prandini … The times I’m running in practice, I’ve never ran in my life. There’s something in there. I don’t know what it is but I’m telling you, if I run the right way, you’ll see something special.”

Galen Rupp won his eighth consecutive 10,000 meter U.S. Championship and punched his ticket to Rio once again with a time of 27:55.04 at Hayward Field Friday evening.

Rupp toyed with the field for the entire race, surging 20 meters ahead at the 1,200 and 7,000 meter marks before falling back to the pack. Shadrack Kichirchir hung tight with Rupp until 200 meters to go before the former Olympic silver medalist turned on the jets and kicked his way to victory.

With the win, Rupp has now secured a spot for two events at Rio — the 10,000, and the marathon.

However, according to Rupp and Nike Oregon Project head coach Alberto Salazar, the 5,000 could also still be on the table for Rupp as well.

“He’s not gonna run all three,” Salazar said. “He’ll run the five here and he wants to keep his options open. He’d have to do something incredible there that made him think ‘you know what, I wanna go with the ten and the five now.’

“He’s definitely running the ten, and if he makes it in the five, he’ll make a decision between the five and the marathon.”

Rupp won the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials on February 13 in 2 hours, 11 minutes and 12 seconds in what was his marathon debut. He owns the fifth fastest 5,000 meter time for an American in the Olympic Trials qualifying period, but has yet to declare his intention to compete in the event.

“I’m keeping my options open,” Rupp said. “I’m gonna run the (5,000 meter) prelim, definitely run the final — if I make the final… If I run really well in the five, it’s a possibility; it’s not out of the question.”

The 5,000 will take place on July 9 at 5:20 p.m.

Follow Jarrid Denney on Twitter @jarrid_denney

Oregon has produced as much Olympic-caliber track and field talent as any school in the nation over the past decade.

The U.S. Track and Field Olympic Trials kick off Friday, July 1, and while the final entry lists will be littered with the names of former University of Oregon standouts, there will be plenty of current Duck athletes competing a well.

The official list of entries for the Trials have not yet been announced, and athletes still have a few more days to make their case for a qualifying spot. Each event of the trials has a different declaration deadline, and deadlines for some events do not occur until after the first day of the Trials. After the deceleration deadline for an event passes, the final field will be set. There are several Oregon athletes who are currently on the outside looking in for an automatic qualifying spot but could be added to the entry list nonetheless in order to fill the recommended number of entries for each event.

As of Saturday, June 25 eight Oregon athletes have met the qualifying marks in nine different events. All but one of them have declared their intention to compete at the trials.

Here they are:

Ariana Washington and Deajah Stevens — 100 meter dash, 200 meter dash

Oregon sprinter Ariana Washington reacts after winning the 100 meters. The NCAA Track & Field National Championship is held at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon on June 11, 2016. (Kaylee Domzalski/Emerald)

Washington burst onto the national track and field scene when she won both the 100 and 200 meter events at the NCAA Championships at Hayward Field earlier this month, and Stevens finished second in the 200. Neither of the 100 meter times  Washington or Stevens ran was wind-legal, but the pair of Duck sprinters still met the qualifying marks in the event earlier in the spring.

Marcus Chambers — 400 meter dash

Oregon sophomore Marcus Chambers gets a quick start off the starting block during the men’s 400 meter dash. The University of Oregon hosts the annual Oregon Relays at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore. on Saturday, April 18, 2015. (Ryan Kang/Emerald)

Chambers, who finished fourth at the the NCAA Championships this year and second in 2015, owns a season-best time of 45.27 seconds. He ran a 44.95 at the USTAF Outdoor Championships last summer, and that time leaves him as the seventh fastest athlete in America. Chambers has not accepted his entry, and declared after the NCAA Championships that one of his main goals at the trials would be to break Mike Berry’s 400m school record.

Raevyn Rogers — 800 meters

Oregon’s Raevyn Rogers celebrates her win in the 800m. The NCAA Track & Field National Championship is held at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon on June 11, 2016. (Kaylee Domzalski/Emerald)

Rogers captured her second consecutive 800m NCAA title earlier this month, and may have the best chance of any athlete to advance to the Rio De Janeiro Olympics. Rogers owns the fastest time of any collegiate runner this year (1:59.71) and the fifth fastest time for any American runner.

Sasha Wallace, Alaysha Johnson — 100 meter hurdles

Oregon’s Sasha Wallace runs towards the last hurdle. The NCAA Track & Field National Championship is held at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon on June 11, 2016. (Cole Elsasser/Emerald)

Wallace, who placed third at the NCAA Championships and owns a season-best of 12.95 seconds, is currently ranked 26th in the nation. Johnson ranks just behind her with a season-best of 12.97 seconds and will be looking for redemption after she failed to qualify for the final at the NCAA Championships.

Devon Allen — 110 meter hurdles

Oregon sprinter Devon Allen jumps over the final hurdle to win the 110 meter hurdles. The NCAA Track & Field National Championship is held at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon on June 10, 2016. (Kaylee Domzalski/Emerald)

Even after winning titles at the NCAA Indoor and Outdoor Championships within the past sixth months, Allen insists that he is still not at 100-percent health following the knee injury he suffered during the 2015 Rose Bowl. Football is now on the back burner for Allen as the two-sport star focuses his efforts on qualifying for Rio. With a season-best of 13.32 seconds, Allen is ranked eighth in the nation.

Brianna Nerud — 3,000 meter steeplechase

Oregon’s Brianna Nerud rests after crossing the finish line during the women’s 3000 meter steeplechase. The Oregon Ducks host the Pepsi Invitational at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore. on April 9, 2016. (Kaylee Domzalski/Emerald)

Nerud may end up being the only Duck whose last-ditch effort results in a successful qualifying mark. A redshirt junior, Nerud finished third with a time of 9:50.90 at the Stumptown Twilight in Gresham, Oregon on June 24 to meet the U.S. Olympic standard time. The time was a 13 second PR for Nerud and topped her previous best from 2011, when she was still competing as a prep athlete. As of Sunday, June 26, Nerud had not yet accepted her entry.

These are Oregon athletes who have not met qualifying marks, but could be added to field later:

Brooke Feldmeier (800 meters — 2:03.13), Matthew Maton (1,500 meters — 3:38.62), Sam Prakel (1,500 meters — 3:40.11), Blake Haney (1,500 meters — 3:40.46),  Alli Cash (1,500 meters — 4:14.18) Cole Walsh (Pole Vault — 5.41 meters), Brittany Mann (Shot Put — 17.49 meters), Ryan Hunter-Sims (Discus — 57.48 meters), Greg Skipper (Hammer Throw — 71.39 meters) Cody Danielson (Javelin — 76.74 meters) John Nizich (Javelin — 71.89 meters) Mitch Modin (Decathlon — 7,578)

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