Nine current and former Penn State track and field athletes are set to compete for the United States in this month’s USATF Olympic Trials in Eugene, Oregon in their counties road to Paris. The meet will take place at the University of Oregon’s Hayward Field from June 21-30.
Hammer throw school record holder Samaria McDonald, as well as 800-meter runner Darius Smallwood, will represent the 2023-24 Nittany Lions in Eugene, with competition set to begin Friday. The duo joins Penn State track & field legends [autotag]Joe Kovacs[/autotag] (Shot Put), Isaiah Harris (800m), Tyler Merkley (Hammer), Morgan Shigo (Hammer), Rachel Fatherly (Shot Put), Brannon Kidder (800m, 1500m), and Rachel Gearing (800m) in competition at the Olympic Trials.
Penn State will also be represented on the coaching side with throws assistant Nathan Ott guiding McDonald and Merkley in their quest for Paris. Ott will also coach 2024 World No. 1 women’s hammer thrower Brooke Andersen.
In a most events at the Olympic Trials, athletes who finish in the top three of their respective events and also achieved the Olympic standard in their event during the qualifying period, will advance to the Olympic Games this summer. Special circumstances arise where this is not the only way to qualify, however, achieving the standard and placing in the top three at the trials is a U.S. athlete’s best shot to be named to the Olympic team. Track & field events at the Paris games are slated to take place August 1-11 and will include nearly 50 medal events.
Kovacs, one of the greatest shot putters in world competition, aims for his third-straight Olympic berth, having won silver medals in the shot put at both the 2016 and 2020 Olympics. His 23.13m throw is this year’s No. 1 mark and the No. 7 mark all-time.
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Watch the group of current and former Nittany Lions, compete in Eugene over the next ten days using the info below.
- Dates: June 21-30
- Time: Begins at 1 p.m. on Friday
- TV Channel: NBC, USA Network, Peacock (Full TV schedule)