Dawn Harper did it.
An East St. Louis native and former Flyerettes state champion, Harper earned a berth on the U.S. track and field team for the 2008 Beijing Olympics on Sunday when she placed third in the 100-meter high hurdles at the U.S Olympic track and field trials in Eugene, Ore.
A 2002 graduate of East St. Louis High, where she won six state championships in the hurdle events, Harper finished with a time of 12.62 seconds, identical to the time posted by Nichole Denby.
But it was determined Harper had outleaned Denby in a photo finish for the third and final berth on the Olympic team.
Lolo Jones won the race in 12.29, followed by Damu Cherry in 12.58.
Harper is the first East St. Louis athlete since Jackie Joyner-Kersee to make an Olympic team.
Harper's achievement was an emotional one for East St. Louis girls track coach Nino Fennoy.
Long one of the nation's top track and field coaches, Fennoy played an important part in Harper's development as an athlete.
"All the years of hard work for her. All the years of training. It just paid off. Now Dawn's got one more step," Fennoy said. "I'm just so happy for and her parents. It's a great moment for her, her family, the school and the community. We're all very proud her."
Harper is a graduate of UCLA.
