Matthew Wilkinson did not officially clinch a spot in the Paris Games with his second-place finish in the 3,000-meter steeplechase Sunday night at the U.S. track and field Olympic trials in Eugene, Ore. But his reaction as he crossed the finish line sure made it seem as if he knows he's headed to France this summer.
"Am I dreaming? Somebody come and wake me up, because I can't believe it. It's unreal," the former Minnetonka High School, Carleton and Gophers athlete told NBC Sports after he finished in 8 minutes, 23 seconds flat, behind Kenneth Rooks' 8:21.92. Brigham Young's James Corrigan placed third.
The 25-year-old Wilkinson, whose time of 8:20.61 in Friday's first round was the fastest of all qualifiers, is short of the Olympic standard of 8:15, but it is expected he will be going to Paris based on his world ranking. The full U.S. Olympic track and field delegation is not scheduled to be set until July 7.
Wilkinson said as the race wound down, he figured his goal should just be to stick with Rooks, last year's steeplechase winner in the U.S. outdoor championships.
"I was like, he looks really, really good," Wilkinson said afterward. "I felt also really good, but not that good. So I was like, man, he's moving. If I can stay close to him, he's going to take me to the line, he's going to take me to Paris. I just knew I had to stay as close to him as possible."
Alec Basten, another ex-Gopher, finished 14th at 8:44.81. And in the women's hammer throw, the Gophers' Shelby Frank placed seventh at 225 feet, 4 inches.
