EUGENE, Ore. — Rory Quiller’s father would have been so proud. Quiller competed in the pole vault finals at the Olympic Trials here four months after his father, Jerry, died of multiple myeloma. Jerry Quiller was a beloved track coach at Colorado, Colorado State and Army.
“He’s a really big fan of mine,” Quiller said after finishing eighth, his voice catching with emotion. “I think he wanted me and my brothers to be good people first. … I would love to jump high and make a team, but he said you can be a great athlete and a good person, that was the important thing.”
Nelson falls short. Former Buff Billy Nelson made the Olympic steeplechase team four years ago but finished eighth Thursday.
“I just never got comfortable, the pace was kind of an accordion early on,” Nelson said. “I wasn’t in the position I wanted to be in. I wanted to be more up in the pack, top five, but I felt like whenever I got there they surged.”
John Meyer, The Denver Post
