Mortimer finished second in her semi heat and had the third-best time overall: 4 minutes, 12.49 seconds.
“I was pretty happy with the race,” Mortimer said. “I’m excited for the final, to get in there and see what I can do.”
Mortimer’s personal best in the 1,500 is 4:06.55, which she ran two years ago.
“I feel like I’m more fit now than I was when I ran that,” she said. “I haven’t had a good race opportunity yet to match that.”
That might come Sunday in the final, which she hopes will be a very fast race. But she’ll be ready for anything.
“I feel like my tactics have been good,” she said, “and that I can run with whatever situation comes up.”
In the second women’s 1,500 semifinal, teen sensation Jordan Hasay made the final and set a national high school record with a time of 4:14.50. Hasay, a 16-year-old rising high school senior from California, came to the Olympic trials not sure if she’d get the chance to run.
Even when she learned that she had qualified for the field, she still figured she would race in the quarterfinal and then be on a plane Friday to Poland for the upcoming World Junior Championships.
Instead, she advanced Thursday night to the semis, prompting some scrambling from USA Track and Field to get her flight changed to Monday.
•WENTLAND SEVENTH: Former K-State athlete Gwen Wentland finished seventh in the women’s high jump final. It was won by Chaunte Howard at 6 feet, 5 1/2 inches.
Wentland, 36, jumped 6 feet, 1/2 inch and said this might be it for her in high-level track and field.
“This was kind of a gamble,” she said. “Lot of experience — I was hoping that would be to my advantage. But things didn’t come together for me. I felt good, but the top four jumpers were just on another level today. I’m glad we’re going to send a really good team (to the Olympics).
“I can’t say for sure I’m done. I’ve said it before and come back. But I think I’d like to move on to other ventures.”
•HASTINGS’ FINISH: Leavenworth graduate Amy Hastings placed 14th in the women’s 5,000 meters (16:07.03). Kara Goucher won the final in 15:01.02; she is joined on the team by Jennifer Rhines and Shalene Flanagan. Goucher and Flanagan also qualified in the 10,000 meters.
•10,000 FINAL: Abdi Abdirahman (27:41.89) held off hometown favorite Galen Rupp in the men’s 10,000 final. Jorge Torres also qualified.
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