EUGENE, Ore. -- Adam Goucher knew what it looked like to the fans at Hayward Field and those watching around the country Monday night.

He quit.

And he "despised" what he did.

But Goucher couldn't allow his pride to block a path to Beijing. He had to be smart if he wanted to join his wife in the Olympics, so he stepped off the track.

The former University of Colorado star didn't finish the men's 5,000-meter race at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials, instead saving energy for the 10,000 meters.

Goucher needed to finish third in the 5K and reach the Olympic "A" standard of 13 minutes, 21.5 seconds to qualify for Beijing. When he realized his pace wasn't going to get him that time, he called it a night and quit the race.

"I had to hedge my bets," a visibly upset Goucher said after the race. "I had to run 13:21, and it wasn't going to happen, so I'll come back in the 10."

Goucher was leading two miles into the race and had a good shot to finish third. When he dropped out it allowed America's other top runners to take control of the race.

Former Kenyan citizen Bernard Lagat was first in 13:27.47, Matt Tegenkamp was second in 13:29.68 and Ian Dobson was third in 13:29.68.

Boulder's Brent Vaughn already had the "A" standard and had the second-fastest time in the country for much of the season. He ran 13:18.46 earlier this year for CU, and attempted to do it again Monday night.

He burst off the start line and was still leading halfway through the race. Goucher was the first to overtake him, and he eventually fell back to finish ninth in 13:39.15. But the plan was to stay in front the entire way.

"I was gonna try. I had ran 13:18 early this year, and I was going to see if I could do it again if they let me go," the newly signed Nike athlete said. "I'm still young, and if they let me do that again in a couple years it will be a different story."

Vaughn's teammate at CU, Stephen Pifer, was seventh in 13:37.46 after coming into the meet with the 28th-best time in the country. Both look to have bright post-collegiate careers after Monday night.

"I feel blessed to be running against these runners and in this stadium," Vaughn said. "I was hoping to give them a show, but it'll be next time."

In the women's 5K semifinals on Monday night, former CU star Kara Goucher qualified for the finals to keep her two-race Olympic goal alive. She finished third in Friday night's 10,000-meter final to qualify for Beijing and had the top time in Monday night's prelims, crossing the line in 15:32.22.

Former CU star Sara Slattery also qualified and ran in Goucher's heat. She started off in front and led for most of the race.

She dropped back but made sure to stay in sixth, which assured her a spot in Friday's final.

"I think it's easier for me to run at the front of the pack, and as long as you know the time (needed to qualify) you can just run that pace," said Slattery, who recently moved from Lafayette to Mammoth Lakes, Calif.

Slattery said she felt she could have done better in last Friday's 10,000 meters, where she failed to qualify for Beijing. But now that she can still qualify, she doesn't plan on taking it easy in Friday night's 5K final.

"I've been deciding back and fourth, and I felt like in the 10K I should have been top 3," she said. "But now it's gung-ho for the 5K."

Renee Metivier-Baillie, a national champion in her time at CU, also will be in Friday's final. She finished in 15:44.44 and was 13th overall.

U.S. track trials

At Hayward Field

Eugene, Ore.

(all race distances in meters)

Finals and local results only

MEN

5,000 final

1. Bernard Lagat, Nike, 13:27.47; 2. Matt Tegenkamp, Nike, 13:29.68; 3. Ian Dobson, adidas, 13:29.76; 4. Bolota Asmerom, Oregon TC Elite, 13:31.24; 5. Chris Solinsky, Nike, 13:32.17; 6. Robert Curtis, Reebok, 13:35.00; 7. Stephen Pifer, Colorado, 13:37.46; 8 Matthew Gabrielson, Reebok, 13:38.06.

9. Brent Vaughn, Nike, 13:39.15; 10. Thomas Morgan, ZAP Fitness, 13:47.76; 11. Kyle King, ZAP Fitness, 13:51.03; 12. Ryan Vail, Oklahoma State, 13:54.77; 13. Jonathon Riley, Nike, 13:57.58; Adam Goucher, Nike, DNF; Galen Rupp, unattached, DNS; Josh Rohatinsky, Nike, DNS.

800 final

1 Nicholas Symmonds OTC/Nike 1:44.10; 2 Andrew Wheating Oregon 1:45.03; 3 Christian Smith OTC/Nike 1:45.47; 4 Khadevis Robinson Nike 1:45.53; 5 Lopez Lomong Nike 1:45.58; 6 Duane Solomon U S C 1:45.78; 7 Jebreh Harris Reebok 1:46.21; 8 Jonathan Johnson Reebok 1:48.11.

WOMEN

3,000 steeplechase semifinals

Heat 1

1 Nicole Bush Michigan State 9:49.53Q; 2 Lindsey Anderson Nike 9:49.71Q; 3 Lisa Galaviz Nike 9:52.66Q; 4 Kara June Asics Aggie 9:53.01Q; 5 Delilah DiCrescenzo Riadha/Puma 9:56.44q; 6 Sariah Long unattached 9:56.72q; 7 Kristin Anderson Nike 9:59.62q; 8 Lesley Higgins New York A C 10:02.88q.

9 Dawn Cromer Brooks 10:21.77; 10 Brittany Somers unattached 10:22.34; 11 Liz Wort Brooks 10:29.37; 12 A Havahla Haynes Wisconsin R R T 10:48.81.

Heat 2

1 Jenny Barringer Colorado S 9:48.50Q; 2 Anna Willard Nike 9:52.06Q; 3 Carrie Strickland Bowerman A C 9:53.43Q; 4 Carrie Messner-Vickers Asics 9:53.78Q; 5 Ann Gaffigan New Balance 9:55.24q; 6 Amanda Lorenzen Team Indiana Elite 9:58.92q; 7 Lindsay Allen Stanford 10:04.47.

8 Bridget Franek Penn State 10:11.56; 9 Kelly Strong Asics 10:13.70; 10 Sarah Madebach Georgia 10:14.10; 11 Lindsay Sundell Florida 10:19.57; 12 Kathryn Andersen Nike 10:37.23.

5,000 semifinals

Heat 1

1 Shalane Flanagan Nike 15:35.86Q; 2 Maureen McCandless New Balance 15:36.52Q; 3 Lauren Fleshman Oregon TC Elite 15:36.79Q; 4 Melissa Cook New Balance 15:37.07Q; 5 Molly Huddle Saucony 15:37.60Q; 6 Tasmin Fanning Virginia Tech 15:37.73Q; 7 Renee Metivier Baille Nike 15:44.44q; 8 Angela Bizzarri Illinois 15:45.78q.

9 Emily Brown T USA Minn/N Bal 15:57.34; 10 Mandi Zemba New Balance 16:15.72; Nicole Blood Oregon DNF; Katrina Rundhaug Wisconsin DNS.

Heat 2

1 Kara Goucher Nike 15:32.22Q; 2 Jennifer Rhines adidas 15:32.31Q; 3 Arianna Lambie Nike 15:32.56Q; 4 Julie Culley New York A C 15:36.50Q; 5 Rebecca Donaghue New Balance Boston 15:38.95Q; 6 Sara Slattery adidas 15:40.24Q; 7 Teresa McWalters Stanford 15:49.54q; 8 Amy Hastings adidas 15:53.90q.

9 Catherine Ferrell Oregon TC Elite 16:23.04; Julia Lucas Reebok DNF; Amy Rudolph adidas DNS; Amy Begley Nike DNS.

800 final

1 Hazel Clark Nike 1:59.82; 2 Alice Schmidt adidas 2:00.46; 3 Kameisha Bennett Nike 2:01.20; 4 Nicole Teter Oregon TC Elite 2:01.30; 5 Maggie Vessey unattached 2:02.01; 6 Morgan Uceny Reebok 2:02.16; 7 Geena Gall Michigan 2:02.35; 8 Becky Horn Western Michigan 2:03.87; 9 Katie Waits Reebok 2:04.60; 10 Laura Hermanson North Dakota State 2:05.01; 11 Latavia Thomas L S U 2:05.15; 12 Nikeya Green Reebok 2:07.05.

Javelin final

1 Kara Patterson Purdue 58.44; 2 Dana Pounds U.S. Air Force 57.83; 3 Rachel Yurkovich Oregon 56.41; 4 Kim Kreiner Nike 55.90; 5 Alicia DeShasier unattached 53.48; 6 Katie Coronado New Mexico 53.06; 7 Kayla Wilkinson Nebraska 52.73; 8 Lindsey Blaine Nike 51.38; 9 Ruby Radocaj unattached 51.04; 10 Amy Backel Oklahoma 50.08; 11 Samantha Ford unattached 48.46; 12 Mallory Webb unattached 47.36.