Former Arizona State All-American Shelby Houlihan won the 5,000-meter Friday at the U.S. Outdoor Track Championships in Sacramento.

Houlihan, 11th in the 5,000 at the 2016 Rio Olympics, won in 15 minutes, 13.87 seconds, outkicking Shannon Rowbury (15:14.08) and 10,000 champion Molly Huddle (15:15.29) to qualify for the World Championships, Aug. 4-13 in London.

Also advancing to Worlds were Olympians Will Claye, who grew up in Phoenix, and another former Sun Devil Chris Benard. They finished 1-2 in triple jump with three-time Olympic medalist Claye reaching 58 feet, 9 1/4 inches and Benard hitting a personal best 57-4 1/4. Olympian Christian Taylor had a foul and two passes and did not make it to the eight-man final. 

Two-time Olympian Lopez Lomong, who ran in college at Northern Arizona, was fifth in the men’s 5,000.

Allen, Merritt will due in hurdles at U.S. Outdoor Track

Rio Olympian Devon Allen, coming back from a second major knee surgery, is among those with Arizona ties competing for World Championships berths this week at the U.S. Outdoor Track Championships.

Allen of Phoenix and Aries Merritt, who trains with Altis in Phoenix, have the top two qualifying times in the 110-meter hurdles, one of the feature events in the meet.

Competition is Thursday-Sunday at Sacramento State’s Hornet Stadium. 

Allen was fifth at Rio then returned to Oregon football only to suffer a second ACL tear, this time in his left knee. In November, he announced he was turning professional in track and giving up the rest of his college eligibility in football.

Allen ran 13.11 seconds in late May, third fastest in the world this year. Merritt, world record holder (12.80) and 2012 Olympic gold medalist, has a season best 13.13 (fifth fastest).

Others with Arizona ties in contention for top-three finishes and berths at Worlds, Aug. 4-13 in London, include Will Claye (triple jump/long jump), Ryan Whiting (shot put), Ameer Webb (200), Bryan McBride (high jump), Shelby Houlihan (5,000), Liz Patterson (high jump), Georganne Moline (400 hurdles), Maggie Ewen (hammer throw) and Queen Harrison (100 hurdles).

Ewen recently won the NCAA Outdoor hammer throw for Arizona State, whose alums include Whiting, McBride and RIo Olympian Houlihan. Claye is a three-time Olympic medalist from Phoenix; Rio Olympian Webb and Harrison train with Altis; 2012 Olympian Moline of Phoenix and Patterson were collegians at Arizona.  

Claye and Harrison are engaged and planning to marry in May 2018.