Felix, 35, makes fifth Olympic team with clutch performance to finish behind 29-year-old Hayes in 400; Cunningham celebrates significant victory with father and coach, as Orji wins fifth straight triple jump title and Harrison erases 2016 disappointment with 100 hurdles crown, with McNeal’s status uncertain

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

Vashti Cunningham celebrated Father’s Day by giving her dad and coach, Randall Cunningham, a meaningful present with a victory in the women’s high jump at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials.

But the biggest storyline Sunday at Hayward Field came from a pair of mothers in the 400-meter final.

Quanera Hayes, 29, captured her second national title in 49.78 seconds, with an exceptional surge from 35-year-old Allyson Felix in the final 30 meters helping her secure second place in 50.02 and earn a fifth consecutive Olympic berth.

Wadeline Jonathas, 23, who was fourth at the 2019 World Championships, earned her first Olympic berth by taking third in 50.03.

Hayes celebrated on the track with 2-year-old son Demetrius, joined by Felix and her daughter Camryn, also 2.

BUILDING THE TEAM GRAPHIC

“Honestly, it’s unreal and it means everything. I know I can speak for Allyson that our kids are why we do this and it gives us so much strength and so much power to know we have these little ones looking up to us and to know as they get older, they get to see my mom was pregnant with me and my mom went through so much with me, but she did not give up and she fought to the end and she made the Olympic team,” Hayes said. “That, right there, is just a feeling that you can’t explain, because this is something they will look at for the rest of their lives, and for the rest of your life, you always have the memory of that. They will know my mom fought for this, so that means I should fight for things and never give up. It’s stuff like this that makes it all worthwhile.”

Hayes made the Trials final in 2016 and placed eighth, despite not being able to train, or in some cases, walk, in the days prior to the meet because of a leg injury. Felix won five years ago in 49.68, but needed to summon one of the great comebacks of her career Sunday in order to extend her Olympic legacy.

“I told myself before the race that when it comes down to it, I have to fight. That’s been a theme of mine for the past couple years. I’ve constantly found myself in those positions and I was just going to give my all and leave it all on the track,” Felix said. “It was really special. I knew that this was gonna be my last Olympic Trials and I knew that I wanted to compete in this beautiful stadium. Having my daughter here was just like icing on the cake.”

Felix joins Amy Acuff, Willie Davenport, Gail Devers-Roberts, Bernard Lagat and Willye White among the American track and field athletes with at least five Olympic appearances.

“I am proud of just making it to this moment,” Felix said. “There has been so much that has gone into this and there were many times where I wasn’t sure this would be possible. I’m proud of just fighting and making a way, somehow.”

Hayes acknowledged the sacrifices Felix has made in recent years in order to provide mothers more security, opportunities and sponsorships in the sport, and was grateful to be able to share the experience Sunday with her and Camryn.

“Just her paving the way for me as an athlete and for all she has done for the sport. I just thanked her for being who she was and for never giving up and paying homage to her,” Hayes said. “I said, ‘Are you sure this is your last one, that this is your last go ‘round?’ And she was like, ‘Yes, I’m sure.’ But I was honestly just telling her, ‘thank you,’ because I have looked up to Allyson for a very long time and to be there with her and to go through this experience with her as a mom, it makes that even more special to just be there next to her.”

Cunningham, 23, joined Hayes and Felix as an Olympic Trials winner, being able to earn the one domestic victory that has eluded her since turning professional in 2016.

The world leader this season at 6-7.50 (2.02m), Cunningham needed to only clear 6-5 (1.96m) to capture a fourth consecutive outdoor national title and ninth overall.

“The feeling is just amazing,” said Cunningham, who placed second to Chaunte Lowe at the 2016 Trials.

“I was looking at pictures of us over the years and before I came out here, I sent them to him and I said, ‘Happy Father’s Day.’ Honestly, I just know that making him happy makes me feel so good and I was just so blessed to have my family here and my dad and I’m happy it was on Father’s Day.”

Despite placing fourth with a 6-4 (1.93m) clearance Sunday, Rachel McCoy will have the opportunity to compete in Tokyo, along with Jelena Rowe, who missed clearing the first height in qualifying Friday. Cunningham, McCoy and Rowe are the only American athletes with the Olympic standard, giving the latter two competitors priority over runner-up Inika McPherson and third-place finisher Nicole Greene, who both cleared 6-4 as well.

Keturah Orji secured a fifth straight outdoor triple jump title, setting the meet record in the sixth round with a 47-7.75 (14.52m) performance, eclipsing the 47-5 (14.45m) effort achieved in 2004 by Tiombe Hurd.

Orji, who placed fourth in 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, will be joined by first-time Olympians Tori Franklin and Jasmine Moore. Franklin soared out to 47-1.50 (14.36m) on her final attempt, with Moore jumping 46-5.25 (14.15m) in the third round to make the American roster with fellow Georgia athlete Orji.

“I’m so happy that we have three athletes again. I think that women’s triple jump is an area that a lot of people look at as being weak, so it’s exciting to have three people with the standard going to the Olympics,” Orji said. “I think it was amazing what we did in 2016, and I’m happy to do it again. It’s just leading the way for younger athletes. Seeing Jasmine Moore making the team too. Go Dawgs! I’m so happy for her and I can’t wait to see her progression. And, as always, thankful to Tori for always pushing me to my best jumps.”

Following a sixth-place finish at the 2016 Trials, Keni Harrison finally achieved her Olympic dream in the 100-meter hurdles, clocking 12.47 seconds to prevail against reigning gold medalist Brianna McNeal (12.51). Christina Clemons earned her first Olympic berth, edging Gabbi Cunningham by a 12.521 to 12.526 margin.

“Just to come out here and do what I knew that I could do, I’m so glad I could put the past behind me and just move forward,” said Harrison, who rebounded from her Trials setback five years ago by running the world record 12.20 that summer in England.

“I tried not to think of it as pressure. I know what I’m capable of and just to come out here and execute and come across the line first and get the opportunity to go to the Olympics, it means everything.”

Gabbi Cunningham, no relation to Vashti, still has the possibility of making the Olympic team, with McNeal appealing a potential five-year ban for allegedly “tampering of doping control,” a decision that was handed down earlier in the month by the Athletics Integrity Unit. But McNeal was grateful just to place herself in Olympic contention once more in her first meet of the outdoor season.

“I can celebrate. I’m just happy that I had the opportunity to be able to compete here and I just thank God for that,” McNeal said. “It’s been a long journey, so for the next few weeks I’m just going to continue to pray and trust in God to see me through and hope that all things work out for my good. I’m just going to take it day by day.”