The Top Nine All Run Personal Bests Chasing Constien, Who Recovered From ACL Surgery In Time To Make Second Olympic Team

By Keenan Gray of DyeStat

Tim Healy photos

EUGENE – Valerie Constien didn’t picture herself racing at this year’s Olympic Trials.

The 2021 Tokyo Olympian had shifted her focus to the 2025 U.S. Championships, saying “next year” will be her time after suffering an ACL tear in May of 2023.

But “next year” will have to wait. Her time is now.

Constien not only won Thursday’s women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase final to punch her ticket to Paris, but she also ran herself to No. 3 on the U.S. all-time list with a 9-minute, 3.22-second performance to set a meet record at the Olympic Team Trials at Hayward Field.

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And not only was her performance memorable, eight other women ran themselves onto the U.S. top 20 list in what was one of the greatest steeplechase races in American history.

“It’s been a crazy journey the last year just fighting my way back into fitness and confidence,” Constien said. “I’m just so happy to be here and I didn’t think I was going to be here. Maybe in 2025 I can participate, but I don’t know, I’m just happy.”

Constien, representing Nike, will head to Paris for her second Olympics, alongside first-time Olympians Courtney Wayment of On Athletics and Marisa Howard of TrackSmith.

Wayment moved to No. 4 on the U.S. list, running 9:06.50 to finish second to Constien, with Howard right behind her at No. 5 in 9:07.14 to finish third.

It’s the first time since 2008 that the U.S. Olympic women’s steeplechase team will not feature the 10-time national champion Emma Coburn on it. It’s also first time since 2012 that American record holder Courtney Frerichs won’t be on the team.

“They both, individually, are regarded as the best American steeplechasers,” Constien said. “Courtney has the American record, and Emma is the most highly decorated U.S. runner. It’s sad that they're not there, but we’ve all been inspired by them, so in a sense, they would be there. I was on the Olympic team with both of them last time I got to go.”

Gabbi Jennings and Kaylee Mitchell were another pair that cracked the all-time top 10 list, with Jennings climbing to No. 7 in 9:12.08 to place fourth and Mitchell rounding out the top 10 in 9:14.05 for fifth place.

Olivia Markezich moved to No. 11 on the U.S. list after running 9:14.87 to place sixth, with Allie Ostrander moving to No. 14 in 9:21.82 for seventh, Annie Rodenfels rising to No. 16 in 9:22.66 for eighth and Lexy Halladay-Lowry bumping to No. 18 in 9:22.77 for ninth.

Rodenfels' early efforts from the gun helped set up a fast race. The former Division 3 All-American from Centre College left the pack well behind her with an aggressive first couple of laps.

Through 800, Rodenfels managed 2:23.76, with the chase pack behind by four seconds, led by Wayment, Markezich and Constien.

“That took a lot of courage,” Constien said. “Not a lot of people decide to just run 70s from the gun, but I kind of thought we would catch her at some point because she was running, like, 9:00 pace.”

Rodenfels' lead would stay out front through one mile at 4:53.57, but the gap began to dwindle as racing continued.

After running through the water barrier on the fifth lap, Wayment, Howard and Constien passed Rodenfels on the home straightway with three laps remaining.

Through the next lap, it remained Wayment, Howard and Constien single file, with Markezich starting to hunt them down.

Heading into the bell lap, Howard swung wide of Constien and Wayment and began surging away. Constien didn’t hesitate to go with the move.

Along the backstretch, Constein fought her way to the lead with a surge of her own that couldn’t be countered by Howard, Wayment and Markezich in the last 300 meters.

“I just tried to stay super calm,” Constien said. “Obviously it was hard, like, it wasn’t a walk in the park. I had to dig pretty deep there in the end to do that and, you know, the mental fortitude to be like, ‘Okay, this is fine,’.”

As Constien was racing against the clock in the closing stages, Markezich, Howard and Wayment battled for the final two spots. Markezich, going over the last water barrier, slipped up on top of the hurdle and buckled her knee when she landed.

Losing all momentum, Wayment and Howard reacted to Markezich’s mistake and flew past her in final turn.

Once Markezich collected herself, the former Notre Dame standout found herself back in the final 100 meters, seconds away from making an Olympic team. 

Then, Markezich tripped again, only to fall in the last 50 meters.

“The last 200 I got pretty lactic,” Markezich said. “The last water jump, obviously I didn’t land great and I think my form was just wobbly since then. I don’t think I hit anything on the last barrier, but my legs gave out. It’s not the ending I hoped for, but I still get a PR even though I was basically walking it in.”

Constien’s winning time moved her up two spots on the World Athletics top list, just behind Peruth Chemutai of Uganda (8:55.09) and Beatrice Chepkoech of Kenya (8:55.40), with Wayment moving to No. 5 and Howard to No. 6.

“I think that I’ve worked really hard,” Constien said. “I mean, you can’t not work hard and not run that fast. At first I thought there was something wrong with the clock because I was like, ‘Was that really 9:03?’”

Grant Holloway Cruises Through 110m Semifinals

Preliminary racing continued with a whole bunch of other events, including Grant Holloway dipping under 13 seconds in the men’s 110 hurdles for the second time during the week, running 12.96 to advance to Friday’s final. Holloway ran a world-leading 12.92 on Monday.

Freddie Crittenden, Daniel Roberts, Michael Dickson, Cordell Tinch, Devion Wilson, Ja’Qualon Scott, Trey Cunningham and Cameron Murray also advanced to the final.

Elle St. Pierre, already champion of the 5,000 meters, had another close battle in the women’s 1,500 first round, beating New Balance Boston teammate Emily Mackay at the line to secure the top overall time of 4:06.41.

Sha’Carri Richardson followed her 100 win with a seasons-best run of 21.99 in the women’s 200 first round.

Gabby Thomas was second overall in 22.11 and Abby Steiner finished third in a season-best 22.29.

Noah Lyles and Erriyon Knighton won their respective heats of the men’s 200, with Lyles running the top time of 20.10 and Knighton running the second fastest in 20.15.

Texas A&M’s Sam Whitmarsh led all qualifiers in the men’s 800 first round, running 1:46.13.

Indoor world champion Bryce Hoppel won his heat in 1:46.83 to advance.

Bowerman finalist Caleb Dean of Texas Tech ran 49.45 for the fastest time in the men’s 400 hurdles first round.

Rai Benjamin coasted to a 49.56 effort to win his heat.

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone effortlessly dominated the first round of the women’s 400 hurdles to move on, running 53.07 to win her heat by over three seconds.

Woody Kincaid led all qualifiers in the men’s 5000 with a time of 13:23.91.