Moving on: Goodman advances to 200 semifinals in Olympic Trials
By CHRIS GOLTERMANNcgoltermann@newnan.com
One down, two to go.
Chalonda Goodman’s dreams of making the U.S. Olympic team took another small step on Thursday night when the Newnan native and University of Texas junior qualified for the semifinals of the 200 meters during this year’s Olympic trials at Oregon’s Hayward Field.
The top three finishers from the six heats made up 18 of the 21 qualifiers. Goodman was among three at-large runners to finish with the remaining top times in the field.
The effort was a personal best for the 2012 season, bettering a mark of 23.14 established at the NCAA Championships.
The effort placed her 14th among the event’s 21 semifinalists, which will be split equally among three heats starting tonight at 6 p.m.
Goodman was among three college sprinters among the top 15 qualifiers, joining LSU’s Kimberlyn Duncan and Central Florida’s Aurieyall Scott, who finished fifth and sixth, respectively.
Former Tennessee track star Tianna Madison, who has already made the U.S. Olympic team with a second place finish in the 100, led all runners in the preliminaries with a mark of 22.57.
The top-three placers in Saturday’s final will advance to the 2012 Summer Games in London.
Goodman has previously turned in top times at Hayward Field while winning three gold medals at the USA Junior Olympics in 2009 including a time of 22.74 in the 200.
