SIFUENTES, PIERCE, VAN DALEN ALL HIT OLYMPIC "A" STANDARD IN SAN DIEGO
By David Monti
(c) 2012 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved - used with permission

(20-Jun) -- With Samsung Diamond League 1500m champion Morgan Uceny to pace them, Nicole Sifuentes, Anna Pierce and Lucy Van Dalen all bettered the Olympic Games "A" standard for 1500 meters at a low-key meeting at Mesa College in San Diego tonight.

Sifuentes, a Canadian, won the race in 4:04.74, followed by the American Pierce (4:05.52) and New Zealander Van Dalen (4:05.76), all under the IAAF Olympic Games "A" standard of 4:06.00.  For both Sifuentes and Van Dalen, their marks were also personal bests.  For Pierce, it was her best mark since August, 2010, and gives her an extra advantage heading into the USA Olympic Trials in Eugene, Ore., which open on Friday.

Other finishers in the race were Canadians Sheila Reid (4:07.77 PB) and Malindi Elmore (4:11.62).  Uceny jogged to the finish in 4:26.17.

ENDS