Pair of Utahns fall short in bid to make men’s 3000-meter steeplechase final at the U.S. Olympic trials

Runners compete during first heat of the men’s 3000-meter steeplechase at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials Monday, June 21, 2021, in Eugene, Ore. Jordan Cross, a former Weber State runner from Ogden, and Garrett Marsing, a BYU senior from Price, finished 17th and 25th overall. | Charlie Riedel, AP

Jordan Cross, a former Weber State runner from Ogden, and Garrett Marsing, a BYU senior from Price, finished 17th and 25th overall, respectively.

Two native Utahns competed in the first round of the 3,000-meter steeplechase on Day 4 of the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials and failed to advance to the finals.

Jordan Cross, a former Weber State runner from Ogden, and Garrett Marsing, a BYU senior from Price, competed in the second heat and finished sixth and 11th, respectively — 17th and 25th overall. Cross clocked 8:35.58, Marsing 8:53.37.

A number of local athletes will compete Thursday evening when the trials resume after a two-day break. Former Utah athlete Grayson Murphy will join BYU’s Courtney Wayment and Weber State’s Summer Allen in the finals of the women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase. Murphy and Wayment had the third and fourth fastest times in Sunday’s first-round race and were well under the Olympic qualifying standard.

Several other locals will compete in first-round races Thursday:

• 1,500-meter run — Talem Franco (BYU, Heber), Abraham Alvarado (formerly of BYU) and Dillon Maggard (formerly of Utah State).
• 800-meter run — Claire Seymour (BYU) and Lauren Ellsworth (BYU).
• 5,000-meter run — Conner Mantz (BYU, Smithfield) and Casey Clinger (BYU, American Fork)

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