EUGENE — Nia Akins zoomed away with the 800-meter title Monday in the U.S. Olympic trials at Hayward Field, and she left trouble in her wake.

U.S. record-holder Athing Mu, the reigning Olympic gold medalist, went down in the midst of a scrum at the end of the first lap’s back straight. Mu pushed herself up and continued, but she was effectively out of the race.

Akins, the 2023 U.S. champion, had a strong performance. She crossed the finish line in a time of 1 minute, 57.36 seconds, a personal record. Joining her on the U.S. team for next month’s Summer Olympics are Allie Wilson, second in 1:58.32, and Stanford’s Juliette Whittaker, third in 1:58.45.

Former Oregon Ducks star Raevyn Rogers, who earned a bronze medal in the last Summer Olympics, appeared to get her legs tangled with Mu just before Mu crashed. Rogers kept her feet, but eventually would finish seventh. Mu jogged in last, tears on her face.

Akins said the race went by in a blur.

“I’m in shock,” she said. “I was focused on getting to the finish line the best I could, the fastest I could.”

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When Akins made her strong move to take the lead, she said, “I wasn’t even thinking. I just kind of felt it in my spirit to go for it. And I went.”

For Wilson, everything fell neatly into place, starting with a start that was slightly slower than she wanted.

“For a second I thought I was going to be spit out the back,” she said. “But I ended up being right where I wanted to be at 200.”

That’s when the trouble started, but Wilson steered clear of it, both physically and mentally.

“I’ve never been more focused in my entire life,” she said. “I just tuned everything out and followed whoever is right in front of me. I tried to make moves when everyone else did. I just tried to nail the last 150, give it everything I had, and give myself a chance.”

It worked out strategically. Confidence played a part, too. Wilson won the 800 at the 2024 U.S. Indoor Championships, and picked up a Nike sponsorship afterward.

She said she has been reminding herself “it doesn’t have to be perfect. It doesn’t have to be pretty. You just have to get it right on this day. I tried to navigate the rounds as best I could. I’ve made a lot of mistakes over the years, and I’ve learned from them. I think I applied every single one of those lessons to my race today.”

Everything broke right for Whittaker as well, especially after she got through the traffic at the end of the back straight on the first lap.

“It was definitely chaotic,” she said. “I tried to keep my cool and remember the big goals I had. I’m so happy, very much in shock. It feels like a dream.”

Mu and Rogers did not make themselves available in the interview area.

Here are results from the Olympic trials.

-- Ken Goe for The Oregonian/OregonLive