Consuella Moore's hopes to go from wearing the blue and white of Penn State to the red, white and blue of the U.S. Olympic team were halted in yesterday's 200-meter finals -- at least temporarily.

Moore, the former Penn State track and field standout and Nike professional, took fifth in the eight-athlete field with a time of 22.65 seconds. The top three in the race -- Allyson Felix, Muna Lee and Torri Edwards -- qualified for the U.S. Olympic team in the event. Felix took first with a time of 22.28.

Despite not qualifying for the Olympics in the 100- or 200-meter dashes, Moore still has a chance to head off to Athens, Greece this summer.

By making it to the finals of the 200-meter, Moore will be considered for a spot on the 4 x 100 relay team.

Penn State women's track and field coach Beth Alford-Sullivan said before the trials began that Moore had a decent chance at making the Olympic squad because of the possibility that she could qualify for the relay team.

Moore improved upon her semifinal time of 22.77, but was still off of her Penn State record time of 22.45, which won her this year's 200-meter dash at the East Regional.

She finished just a hundredth of a second behind fourth-place finisher and NCAA Outdoor 200-meter champion LaShaunte'a Moore.

The women's 200-meter was the final event of the eight-day trials that saw a dozen current and former Penn State athletes compete for a spot in the Olympics.

Thus far, only 1999 Penn State graduate Shakeema Walker is in a position to go to Athens, having placed second in the women's triple jump finals last weekend.

This year's 200-meter field was muddled with surprises and controversy. Five-time Olympian Marion Jones surprisingly dropped out of the semifinals after a sluggish qualifying run that saw her place fifth in her heat, but still advance to the next round.

Jones, who is under investigation for charges of doping, finished a disappointing fifth place in the 100-meter final, missing the Olympic team and a chance to defend her gold medal in the event.

Jones has qualified for the U.S. team in the long jump.

A former Big Ten sprinting rival of Moore's, Indiana alumnus Rachelle Boone, said that the issues surrounding Jones did not serve as a distraction.

"We're aware of it, but it doesn't affect us other athletes," Boone said. "We're here to run our race, and I'm just trying to focus on what I'm here for. My prayers go out to [Jones], but I've got my race to run."

In addition to Jones, Edwards -- who was also the second-place finisher in the 100-meter finals and current champion in the event -- has been put under the microscope after it was revealed last week that she failed a drug test in April.

Edwards currently faces a possible two-year ban after she tested positive for the banned supplement nikethamide.

Both Jones and Edwards have denied ever using performance-enhancing drugs and are fighting the allegations against them.