Illinois State University

Glover finishes Olympic trials qualifying round on top; 1 step closer to London

[June 25, 2012]  EUGENE, Ore. -- Illinois State junior javelin thrower Tim Glover finishes the 2012 U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials as the No. 1 qualifier, throwing 263 feet, 4 inches (80.26 meters) in the qualifying round on Saturday, a full 7 feet farther than anyone else in the competition at Hayward Field.

Glover launched his best mark to open his qualifying round in flight one, the best opener he has thrown all season, taking a commanding lead right off the bat. His second throw soared just 241 feet, 8 inches, failing to improve upon his first. His last throw landed 252 feet, 9 inches from the runway, again not enough to improve.

The second flight followed, with the three throwers who have already hit the Olympic A standard this season: Cyrus Hostetler, Sean Furey and Craig Kinsley. Kinsley finished the qualifying round in fourth (254 feet, 4 inches), Furey in sixth (249 feet, 4 inches) and Hostetler in eighth (245 feet, 2 inches). The collegiate one-two finished the same in the qualifying round, with Sam Humprheys of Texas A&M taking the second position with a throw of 256 feet, 3 inches.

The throws from Saturday afternoon will not carry over into Monday's trials and finals; however, Glover will get a new set of three throws to do some damage with. If he sits in the top nine after those three, he will advance to the finals, where he will have an additional three throws to work with. If he were to hit the 82-meter (269-foot) Olympic A standard, all he has to do is beat one of the three above who have already hit the mark to make it on to the 2012 Summer Games in London.

Monday's javelin trials and finals are slated for 8 p.m. CST and can be watched on NBC Sports Network at that time. Prior to Glover's competition on Monday, recent graduate Aisha Praught will run in the 3,000-meter steeplechase qualifying round of 24 at 6:50 p.m. CST. Those wishing to follow these two, along with the other two Redbirds competing later in the week, can do so on GoRedbirds.com or Twitter via @ISURedbirds or @ISU_Track_XC.

[Text from news release received from Illinois State University]