Tokyo Olympics: Midwestern Athletes Set to Shine in Track and Field Events

The United States track and field squad for the upcoming Tokyo Olympics has been set, and the Midwest will be well-represented in the quadrennial event, with more than two dozen participants hailing from the area.

Here is the list of qualifiers, and how they did in their respective events:

Track Event Qualifiers:

100 Meter Dash –  

Ronnie Baker, Louisville, KY

A total of six US athletes qualified for the Tokyo games, with Baker finishing in second place with a 9.85 time.

Javianne Oliver, Attended University of Kentucky

Oliver finished second in the 100 meters in the trials, running a 10.99.

100 Meter Hurdles –

Christina Clemons, Attended Ohio State University

Clemons finished in third place with a time of 12.53, edging out Gabbi Cunningham for a spot in Tokyo.

110 Meter Hurdles –

Daniel Roberts, Attends University of Kentucky

Roberts finished one-hundredth of a second behind Devon Allen in the race, but still qualified for Tokyo with his time of 13.11.

200 Meter Dash –

 Avania Battle, Inkster, MI

Battle finished third in the trials with a time of 21.95, just edging out Tamara Clark.

Kenny Bednarek, Rice Lake, WI

Bednarek finished in second place with a time of 19.78 in the trials.

400 Meter Hurdles –

David Kendziera, Mount Prospect, IL

Kendziera finished in third place in the trial race, putting up a time of 48.38 seconds.

800 Meters –

Clayton Murphy, New Paris, OH

Murphy claimed the top spot in the trials, with a time of 1:43.17 in the race.

1,500 Meters –

Yared Nuguse, Louisville, KY

Nuguse was one of two runners to reach Olympic standards in the lead-up to the Games, putting up a time of 3:36.19 in trials.

3,000 Meter Steeplechase –

Hillary Bor, Attended Iowa State University

Bor snatched the top spot in the steeplechase, putting up a time of 8:21.34.

Mason Ferlic, St. Paul, MN

Ferlic finished less than a second behind Bor in the race, but still wound up in third place behind Benard Keter.

5,000 Meters –

Karissa Schweizer, Urbandale, IA

Schweizer finished in second place in the event, with a time of 15:28.11.

10,000 Meters –

Joe Klecker, Minneapolis, MN

Klecker’s time of 27:54.90 was good enough for third place in the race, edging out Ben True by less than four seconds.

Alicia Monson, Amery, WI

Monson qualified for Tokyo by finishing third in the trials, putting up a time of 31:18.55.

Karissa Schweizer, Urbandale, IA

Schweizer will compete in two distance-running events in Tokyo, finishing in second during the trials in the 10,000 meter race.

Decathlon –

Steven Bastien, Saline, MI

Bastien finished in second place in the decathlon at Olympic trials, and is one of three American athletes to qualify in the discipline.

Field Event Qualifiers:

Discus –

Rachel Dincoff, Waterloo, IN

Dincoff’s 60.21 meter toss earned her a spot in the Tokyo Games.

Reggie Jagers III, Cleveland, OH

Jagers finished just behind Mason Finley in the discus, but his throw of 62.51 meters was tied for second-best at the trials.

Hammer –

Gwen Berry, St. Louis, MO

Berry finished in third place during trials, with a throw of 73.5 meters.

Deanna Price, Moscow Hills, MO

Price set the high watermark for the hammer in the trials, with a throw of 80.31 meters.

High Jump –

Darryl Sullivan, Marion, IL

Sullivan tied for first with JuVaughn Harrison at the trials, with a jump of 2.33 meters.

Javelin –

Kara Winger, Attended Purdue University

Winger narrowly lost to Maggie Malone, but still met Olympic standards with her throw of 61.47 meters.

Pole Vault –

Sandi Morris, Born in Downers Grove, IL

Morris cleared a height of 4.6 meters to punch her ticket to Tokyo.

Katie Nageotte, Olmsted Falls, OH

Nageotte set the standard at the trials, with a jump of 4.95 meters.

Chris Nilsen, Kansas City, MO

Nilsen nabbed the top spot in the trials with a jump of 5.9 meters.  

Shot Put –

Payton Otterdahl, Rosemount, MN

While Ryan Crouser set a new world record with a 23.37 meter toss, Otterdahl acquitted himself well, with a 21.92 throw that earned him a spot in Tokyo.

Triple Jump –

Tori Franklin, Evanston, IL

Franklin finished in second place in the triple jump, with her 14.2 meter effort finishing just behind Keturah Orji for the top spot.