Murray State sprinter Alexis Love’s bid to make the London Olympic games came to an end in the 100 meter semifinals Saturday at the USA Olympic Track & Field Trails Friday at Hayward Field at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Ore.
On another rainy and cold evening in Oregon, Love ran from the outside lane seven in the first heat. She started slower than in her first-round run and crossed the finish line in a time of 11.88, outside the top eight spots that advanced to the finals.“I’m not happy with the race,” Love said. “But I’m turning my attention now to competing in the 200 meters.” Indeed, Love gets another shot to make the USA Olympic team Thursday when she runs in the 200 meter preliminaries at 8:45 p.m. CT. If the junior from Palmetto, Fla., can advance, she’ll run in the semifinals Friday at 5 p.m. CT. The finals are Saturday (June 30) at 8:50 p.m. CT.
Love’s remarkable spring in the 100 meters comes to an end, but not without proving herself worthy of running with the nation’s finest. Love was the Ohio Valley Conference Female Track and Field Athlete of the Year and ran some of the fastest times in the nation along the way. Her best time was an 11.28 at the OVC Championship in May.
MSU Head Coach Jenny Severns spoke after the race and was more than pleased to think about the progress Love made in the last year. “A year ago we never would’ve imagined Alexis would be here at the Olympic Trials,” Severns said. “Today just wasn’t the race she had hoped and prepared for, but I’m so proud that she made it this far. This has been a great year for her. Now she gets the chance to race again this week in the 200, so we’re all looking forward to that.”
Love’s heat and lane assignments for the 200 prelims will be posted later at the home of USA Track & Field at: tracktown12.gotracktownusa.com.
