July 4, 2008

EUGENE, Ore. - Former Tar Heel National Champion Adam Shunk was one of just three athletes in the high jump to clear the opening two heights on two attempts as he punched his ticket for Saturday's final at the US Olympic Trials in Eugene, Ore. Erin Donohue placed second in her heat in the 1500 meter run to move on to Friday's semifinals, while Brie Felnagle was unable to finish in her heat.

Shunk needed just two jumps to move on in the qualifying round of the high jump as he cleared 7-0 1/2 on his first attempt before clearing 7-2 1/2 in his second to easily move on to Saturday's finale. Shunk has a top jump of 2.25m (7-4 1/2) which is shy of the Olympic A Standard of 2.28 (7-5 3/4). As a result, Shunk will need to set a new personal best and finish in the top three on Saturday to earn his first trip to the Olympics.

Erin Donohue ran a solid race in the 1500 quarterfinals as she finished second in her heat with a time of 4:16.84 to move on to the semifinal round on Friday. Donohue owns an Olympic A Standard time and entered the trials with the third-best time to date with a personal best of 4:05.55. Meanwhile, in the first heat of the 1500 current North Carolina Tar Heel Brie Felnagle was unable to finish the race in her first Olympic Trials.