EUGENE, Ore. – For 13 Hokies, the journey to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics begins tomorrow at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials. Hosted by U.S. Track & Field (USATF) at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore. the meet will run from June 18 until June 27 with multiple rounds of competition in each event.
For most events, a finish in the top three and a qualifying mark better than the Olympic standard will see the athlete qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, retaining their original name but being contested in the summer of 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
NBC and its sport networks will cover the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in their duration, featuring six primetime streams on NBC. Streams dedicated to several field events including the shot put, discus, and pole vault can be found on the NBC Sports app and NBCOlympics.com.
On the first day of competition, Essence Henderson and Drew Piazza '17 feature for the Hokies in the women's discus qualifying and the first round of the men's 800m. Henderson takes the field in the first flight at 7:00 p.m. ET followed by Piazza in the third heat of the 800m at 8:26 p.m. ET.
Five current athletes, six alumni, and two assistant coaches qualified to the meet and will compete among the nation's best athletes for a chance at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
HOKIES SELECTED
Current Athletes
Rachel Baxter – Pole Vault
Cole Beck – 100 Meters
Chauncey Chambers – Triple Jump
Essence Henderson – Shot Put, Discus Throw
Fitsum Seyoum – 3000m Steeplechase
Alumni
Vincent Ciattei '18 – 1500 Meters
Queen Harrison-Claye '10 – 100m Hurdles
Hanna Green '17 – 800 Meters
Drew Piazza '17 – 800 Meters
Jordan Roach '16 – Discus
Deakin Volz '19 – Pole Vault
Assistant Coaches
Willy Fink – 5,000 Meters
Bridget Guy – Pole Vault