Olympic hopeful Jim Spivey turned it on...

Olympic hopeful Jim Spivey turned it on in the final 50 meters and came from fourth place to run his second fastest 800-meter race and win the event at the Health Chicago MidAmerica track and field meet in Napierville, Ill.

Spivey’s time of 1:47.95 was just 1.45 off his previous best.

“I just flew over from London after running a 3:50 mile, but I wanted to do well in the 800 meters and at least finish fifth or sixth before going on to Indianapolis (and this week’s Olympic trials),” Spivey said.

Two other Olympic hopefuls, Craig Virgin in the 5,000 meters and Stephanie Hightower in the 100-meter hurdles, were unimpressive.

Virgin had hoped to better the Olympic trial qualifying mark of 13:41.58 but had to drop out after three laps with tendinitis. “I’ve now got to sit and decide this fall if I am going to retire,” Virgin said. “If I don’t get better, I’ll call it quits.”

Hightower, a former Ohio State hurdler, ran a disappointing fifth in the event won by Donna Waller in 13.48 seconds.