Anna Pierce’s bid to make the U.S. Olympic Team in the 1,500-meter run fell just short Sunday as the Greenwood native and Telstar High School graduate placed fifth in the finals of that discipline at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Eugene, Ore.

Morgan Uceny won the race in 4 minutes, 4.59 seconds Sunday for a place on the Olympic Team.

“I didn’t know what to expect. Today was a little more windy so I didn’t want to take the lead,” Uceny said after the race. “So I stayed tucked in around second and third the entire race. I was being really aware of who was around me and also in making sure I was OK. Once I saw I had the top three I went for the win. They didn’t make it easy on me, but I gave it a shot.”

Shannon Rowbury was second in 4:05.11, and Jenny Simpson earned the third spot on the team for the London Games in 4:05.17 at Hayward Field.

“I’m so ecstatic to make the team and represent USA with these ladies,” Rowbury said. “Relief has to be the biggest emotion. All three of us wanted to visualize August…I can’t think of a better women’s 1,500-meter team to be sending. Watch out, world.”

It was Uceny’s second straight U.S. title.

Simpson has the American record in the 3,000 steeplechase, but switched to the 1,500 and is the reigning world champion in the event.

“It was a difficult race,” Simpson said. “I remember at one point I was in a compromised position. I found a way out with 800 meters to go. I kept my cool and got to the outside.”

Pierce was looking for a second bid to the Olympics after competing for the United States in the steeplechase in Beijing in 2008.

A year later, she started to concentrate on the 1,500, and at the World Championships in Berlin, she placed sixth.