Track and field is a brutal business. Most prospects burn out. But Jaslyn Gardner, the Enterprise, Utah native who just wrapped up her run at BYU, managed to turn some heads in New York on Friday. She lined up against the fastest women in the country at the USA national championships and didn’t blink. Gardner crossed the line in fifth place in the 100-meter dash. Her time? A blistering 11.02 seconds. It’s likely the best finish a Utah sprinter has ever managed at this level. Of course, Sha’Carri Richardson took the crown at 10.77. Nobody is catching her right now. Still, Gardner proved she belongs.
She wasn’t the only local product making waves. The women with Utah roots had a decent day in the dirt. Meghan Hunter, another BYU alum, cruised through the 800-meter semifinals. She clocked a 2:00.32. That was the second-fastest time of the round. Only Roisin Willis went faster, dipping under the two-minute mark at 1:59.83. Hunter moves on. The real test lies ahead.
Then there is Sami Oblad. She survived the cut in the 400-meter dash. Oblad grabbed the seventh spot in the semifinals, stopping the clock at 51.95. It was enough. She gets a lane in the finals. In this sport, surviving is winning.
