EUGUENE, Ore. –  Former University of Colorado standout Billy Nelson punched his ticket to Beijing on Saturday afternoon by placing second in the men’s 3,000-meter steeplechase.

Nelson will join Jenny Barringer (3,000m steeplechase), Jorge Torres (10k), Kara Goucher (5k, 10k) and Dathan Ritzenhein (marathon).

“This was my dream,” Nelson said. “I’m going to the Olympics. This is what I have been waiting for since I started running in 1997. The final played out exactly like I need it to.”

Nelson ran a gusty race to earn a spot on the Olympic team. Not only did he have to finish in the top three, but he also had to attain the Olympic A Standard of 8:24 in the process. Nelson did that and more as he raced to a personal record of 8 minutes and 21.47 seconds, bettering his former pr by more than five seconds.

“Billy was really paying more attention to the clock than the leader,” head coach Mark Wetmore said. “He knew there was a certain time he had to get and finish in the top three. He was balancing second and third and the clock more than he was focused on the leader.”

Nelson took the lead to start but Famiglietti over took him after the first 20 meters. Nelson then fell back to fourth and former Buff Steve Slattery was fifth heading into the second lap. Famiglietti made quick work, setting a quick pace to stretch out the field. The quick pace played part in Nelson earning the A standard.

Nelson fell back to fifth with five laps to go and Slattery moved up to fourth. After the 4:15 mark, Nelson was sixth and Slattery was seventh. Nelson kept working his way up and wasn’t going to give up knowing that he has a great kick and if he was in position, he could outkick his opponents. Nelson got back up to fourth with two laps remaining and then moved up to second with 600 to go. 

Josh McAdams challenged Nelson for the second spot, but Nelson’s kick in the final 100 gave him his spot on the Olympic team.

 “(Anthony) Famiglietti was going for it, all or nothing, like he usually does,” Nelson explained. “I hoped he would take it out hard so all I would need to concentrate on is being third. I owe him just as much gratitude as anyone else. As we were coming down the straight away I knew I was going to get the “A” standard. Coach (Mark) Wetmore has been training us to peak at the right time, that’s what he’s good at. The four (CU distance runners) who were all here peaked at the right time.”

Slattery did not finish the race. According to Wetmore it seemed that Slattery tweaked something in the water jump and was not able to finish the race.

CU senior-to-be Jeremy Dodson finished 17^th overall in the quarter finals of the 200-meter dash at the U.S. Track & Field Olympic Trials at Hayward Field on Saturday afternoon.

Dodson ran a mark of 20.97 seconds and finished fourth in the second heat.

“Jeremy just missed the next round by two-hundredths of a second,“ Wetmore said. “He was in lane eight, so you don’t know what anyone else is doing until the first 100-meters of the race are over. I think he might have been a little slow over the first 100; he closed well, catching two guys, but just missed moving on.”

The Olympic Trials conclude on Sunday. CU assistant coach Casey Malone will complete in the finals of the Discus Throw. Malone was a member of the 2004 Olympic Team and currently is eighth heading into the finals.

“Casey is going to have a big cheering section tomorrow because all of us have nothing to do but make noise for him,” Wetmore said. “We can’t wait to get another person on the (Olympic) team.”

U.S. Track & Field Olympic Trials

Hayward Field (University of Oregon)

Eugene, Ore.

Men’s 200m (quarterfinals): 17. Jeremy Dodson, 20.97

Men’s 3,000-meters steeplechase (finals): 2. Billy Nelson, 8:21.47; Steve Slattery, DNF

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