EUGENE, Ore. -- Queen Harrison, a former Hermitage High School standout, yesterday became the first Virginia Tech track athlete to qualify for any U.S. Olympic team with a second-place finish in the 400-meter hurdles.

Harrison, who will be a junior at Tech in the fall, had to clear an extra hurdle on the way to her personal-best 54.6 clocking at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials. Running in Lane 8, Harrison had to avoid Latosha Wallace, who fell into Harrison's lane as they cleared the final hurdle. Harrison then surged to edge Sheena Tosta (54.62) for second place behind winner Tiffany Ross-Williams (54.03).

Harrison's previous best in the event was 54.69 at the NCAA East Regional meet at Florida State on May 31.

"I had to go around her and jump at the same time, so it was my extra hurdle," Harrison said. "Stuff like that happens all the time."

Williams had the best time in the world in 2007 (53.28). Tosta finished fourth four years ago at the Athens Olympics.

Failing to qualify was Lashinda Demus, the 2005 world silver medalist and 2006 national champion who gave birth to twins in 2007. She finished fourth.

The top three finishers earned Olympic team berths for the Summer Games scheduled for Aug. 8-24 in Beijing.

Harrison is the first Tech female to make an Olympic team in any sport and just the second Hokie to do so, joining basketball player Bimbo Coles, a 1988 Olympian.

Harrison had to withdraw from the NCAA Outdoor Championships earlier this month because of her hamstring injury.

"It's amazing," said Dave Cianelli, Tech director of track and field, after the race. "Especially after what happened at NCAAs, we didn't even know if she'd be able to run. She wasn't even at 100 percent, and it was just incredible."

Harrison will try for another Olympic spot July 5, when she joins Tech teammates Sherlenia Green and Kristi Castlin in the preliminaries of the 100-meter hurdles.