2024 U.S. Olympic Trials include 36 athletes with UA affiliation

EUGENE – A total of 36 athletes with ties to the University of Arkansas will compete in the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials at Hayward Field from June 21-30. The group includes 16 UA alums, 10 current Razorbacks, along with 10 professionals who train in Fayetteville.

The ultimate goal during the Trials is to finish among the top three in respective events to earn a place on Team USA for the Paris Olympic Games. Also required is an Olympic qualifying standard or a high enough position on the Road to Paris world rankings.

Current Razorbacks entered in the U.S. Olympic Trials include:

Arkansas alums entered in the Trials include:

Members of the pro group training in Fayetteville include:

On the first day of the Olympic Trials this Friday, June 21, the decathlon starts things off with Daniel Spejcher (7,750 points) among the field of 18. The first Razorback to compete in the U.S. Olympic Trials occurred in 1924 with UA sophomore Herman Bagby in the decathlon.

Events involving Arkansas connections on the opening day of the Trials include eight entrants in the men’s (3) and women’s (5) 400m, women’s 800m, women’s 100m, men’s shot put, and women’s 5,000m.

Arkansas freshman Kaylyn Brown enters her first Olympic Trials as the top seed in the 400m with a career best of 49.13 as the NCAA silver medalist. The time makes Brown the fastest 19-year-old ever in the world and equaled the previous collegiate record set by Razorback Britton Wilson in 2023. This outdoor season Brown has generated sub-50 times in six of her seven races.

Joining Brown in the 400m field is teammate Rosey Effiong as the third seed. Effiong produced a 49.72 for her first sub-50 clocking to place fourth in the Arkansas 1-2-3-4 super sweep for 29 points in the NCAA Championships. Shamier Little, the second seed in the 400m at 49.68, is also entered in the 400m hurdles.

Alexis Holmes (50.24) and Paris Peoples (51.95) are also entered in the event along with future Razorback Isabella Whittaker, who placed fifth in the NCAA 400m final with a career best of 50.17 while representing the University of Pennsylvania.

Chris Bailey, who recently set a career best of 44.42 while racing in his hometown of Atlanta, Georgia, is seeded fifth in the men’s 400m as Michael Norman (44.21) and Bryce Deadmon (44.22) hold the top two seed times.

Bailey recently finished second in the New York Grand Prix, just behind 2012 Olympic champion Kirani James of Grenada and just edging ahead of world record holder and 2016 Olympic gold medalist Wayde Van Niekerk of South Africa. The times for the top three places were 44.55 – 44.73 – 44.74.

Also contesting the 400m with Bailey are Razorbacks James Benson II (44.85) and TJ Tomlyanovich (45.27), who both established career best times this season.

World record holder Ryan Crouser, the two-time defending Olympic shot put gold medalist, goes through the qualifying round along with Jordan West (65-7 | 19.99) on Friday with the final scheduled for Saturday. Crouser has set career best marks in winning the past two U.S. Olympic Trials.

Crouser leads the field with a seed mark of 77-1.75 (23.51), his winning mark from the 2023 World Championships. Following Crouser are Joe Kovacs (75-10.75 | 23.13) and Payton Otterdahl (73-6.25 | 22.41).

Sandi Morris, the 2016 Olympic silver medalist in the pole vault, will be attempting to make her third Olympic team. The qualifying round in the pole vault occurs on Friday, June 28, with the final taking place on the final day, Sunday, June 30, of the Olympic Trials.

Morris is seeded third at 15-9.75 (4.82) behind Tokyo Olympic gold medalist Katie Nageotte (16-0.75 | 4.90) and Bridget Williams (15-10 | 4.83).

Tara Davis-Woodhall is the top seeded entry in the long jump at 23-6.75 (7.18) over Quanesha Burks (22-10.75 | 6.98) and Jasmine Moore (22-9 | 6.93).

In the women’s 400m hurdles, four of the top six seeds are coached by either Arkansas women’s head coach Chris Johnson or Razorback assistant coach Boogie Johnson.

Top seed at 52.70 is world record holder Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone. She is followed by Little (52.80) and USC’s Jasmine Jones (53.15).

In addition to Little, the Arkansas group also includes Anna Cockrell (53.34), Dalilah Muhammad (53.53), and Rachel Glenn (53.80), who is the top seed in the high jump with her indoor mark of 6-6.75 (2.00) that claimed the NCAA title this season.

Taliyah Brooks is the fifth seed in the heptathlon, which will be held on Sunday, June 23, and Monday, June 24, with her career best score of 6,330 which she achieved twice over the past two seasons. Annie Kunz, the 2021 Trials champion, also has a seed score of 6,330.

Anna Hall, who enters with the top seed with a 6,988 tally, has been competing this season while recovering from surgery she underwent following the 2023 World Championships. The top three seeds behind Hall are Michelle Atherley (6,465), Chari Hawkins (6,366), and Timara Chapman (6,339).

Alex Gochenour-Brondyke joins Brooks in the heptathlon (5,920) and is also entered in the 100m hurdles (13.10) along with Destiny Huven (12.85) and Gabbi Cunningham (13.00).

Lance Lang, who produced a career best 20.04 and a wind-assisted 19.99 this season, is seeded ninth in 200m where Noah Lyles has a top seed of 19.47. Lang ranks as the second best collegian among 18 sprinters in the field of 36 behind a 19.95 for Alabama State’s Jamarion Stubbs.

Krissy Gear, the 2023 USATF champion, is the top seed in the 3,000m steeplechase with a 9:12.81 over Valerie Constien (9:14.29) and Courtney Wayment (9:14.48). The steeple field also includes Logan Jolly (9:26.23). In other distance races, UA entrants include Lauren Gregory (15:17.99) in the 5,000m and Katie Izzo (32:22.47) in the 10,000m.

Nikki Hiltz (3:59.61) is seeded fifth in the 1,500m. The top three seeds include Elinor St. Pierre (3:56.00), Elise Cranny (3:58.88), and Addison Wiley (3:59.17). Stephanie Brokaw (2:02.05) is in entered in the 800m.

Jada Baylark will contest the 100m (11.16) and 200m (22.89). Ariane Linton (11.07) joins Baylark in the 100m while Effiong (22.51) is also in the 200m field.

Brittany Brown is seeded fifth in the 200m with a 22.05 while the top three seeds all have sub-22 times with he Gabby Thomas (21.60), McKenzie Long (21.83), and Sha’Carri Richardson (21.92).

Jarrion Lawson has a seed mark of 26-8.25 (8.13) in the long jump, which ranks fifth behind four collegians as USC’s Johnny Brackins leads the group at 27-0 (8.23). Kason O’Riley is entered in high jump with a mark of 7-2.5 (2.20).

Kallifah Rosser is seeded sixth in 400m hurdlers at 48.71 where the top seed is 46.39 by Rai Benjamin followed by Texas Tech’s Caleb Dean (47.23).

At 13.20, Britt is the 10th seed in the 110m hurdles. The top three seeds include Tokyo Olympic silver medalist and three-time World Champion Grant Holloway (12.96), Daniel Roberts (13.03), and Cordell Tinch (13.04).

The 110m hurdle field also includes Razorback Elijah Morris (13.52) and alum Matthew Lewis-Banks (13.74).