EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — Canyon High graduate Alysia Montano is headed to the 2012 Summer Olympics after winning the 800-meter in 1 minute, 59.08 seconds at the U.S. track and field trials on Monday.

The 2004 Canyon graduate will be making her first Olympic appearance after a stress fracture in her foot prevented her from making the 2008 U.S. Olympic team.

“I’m so happy that I got here,” Montano said during a TV interview on NBC Sports Network. “I’m so happy that it’s over.”

Montano, a three-time U.S. champion who previously went under the name Johnson, led wire-to-wire while wearing her trademark flower in her hair.

In addition to her U.S. titles, she also took a bronze medal in the 2011 World Championships in Athletics and won two NCAA championships in the 800  with University of California, Berkeley, and a CIF state title in the event in 2004 while she was at Canyon.

Geena Gall was second in 1:59.24, and Alice Schmidt was third in 1:59.46 on Monday night for the two other spots on the U.S. team for the London Games.

Shortly before Montano's race, another Canyon High graduate Lauren Fleshman advanced to the finals of the 5,000-meters.

Competing in the second heat of the evening, Fleshman finished sixth in 15 minutes, 51.53 seconds, which was good enough to  automatically qualify her for Thursday’s final.

The top six spots in each heat advanced.


SCV swimmers go 0-for-3 on day one

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — On the first day of the U.S. Olympic swimming trials on Monday, three athletes with Santa Clarita Valley ties failed to qualify for the 2012 Summer Games.

Canyons Aquatics Club swimmer Andrea Kropp came the closest, finishing  13th overall in the 400-meter individual medley in 4:45.77 for her heat. Only the top eight finishers advanced.

Also competing was West Ranch graduate Riley Mita, who took 27th in the  400 freestyle, coming in at 3:59.19 in his heat.

Hart graduate Nick Korth was 78th (1:04.35) in the 100 breaststroke.

Both Mita and Korth will compete in additional events later this week.