• printer friendly
• mail this article
• iPod format
• digg

Despite running what Jon Rankin felt was one of his best races ever, it wasn’t enough for him to earn a trip to Helsinki, Finland for the World Championships. Rankin, the Pac-10 Champion in the 1500 meters this past year, finished sixth in the same race on Saturday at the U.S. Track and Field Championships in Carson with a time of 3:43.41. Running his typical race, the senior looked to break from the middle of the pack on the final stretch. Though he had been able to separate himself in the college ranks when making his move, the more seasoned veterans were able to stay with him and distance themselves just enough on the home stretch. Near the back of the pack for the first three laps, Rankin crept up into a top three position that would have landed him a spot on the national team. However, he could not sustain his push over the final turn. Allan Webb, the defending U.S. Champion, came in first at 3:41.97 while his training partner, Christopher Lukezic, placed second at 3:42.06. “It would have been better if I had waited 50 meters later,” Rankin said of his move. “It was a rookie mistake.” Despite fading at the tail end of the race, Rankin was still pleased with the overall result. “It was my best race in terms of patience, execution and commitment,” Rankin said. Rankin’s surge to the front of the pack appeared to be successful and he acknowledged that a trip to the World Championships team seemed like a very real possibility. “I felt like I had a spot on the team,” Rankin said. “But they were very strong and unafraid. I could feel that.” His time avenged a frustrating NCAA Championships, in which he failed to qualify for the finals despite being one of the favorites. Saturday’s race marked a return to the form Rankin had displayed for much of the year. “Right now is where I should have been at three years ago,” Rankin said.

COMING UP SHORT: Brandon Johnson may not have expected to gain a spot on the national team, but he was certainly disappointed to not earn a spot in the 400 meter hurdles finals. The UCLA junior clipped the second hurdle and never completely recovered, finishing sixth in his semifinal heat with a time of 49.60 seconds. He also had trouble cleanly clearing four other hurdles, contributing to his struggles. “I got out a little too fast,” said Johnson, who had run a lifetime-best 48.59 seconds at the NCAA Championships two weeks ago. “I clipped the second one and it became more mental.” His former teammate, recent UCLA grad Jonathan Williams, didn’t fare much better, finishing seventh in the first heat at 49.97 seconds. “I was trying a new step pattern and it took a lot out of me,” said Williams, who will now try to gain Belizian citizenship in the hopes of qualifying for that country’s national team.