The list of high school entrants in the U.S. Olympic Trials increased by three this week, as middle-distance star Sammy Watson of N.Y., and all-time great thrower Elena Bruckner and world youth champion long jumper Tara Davis, both of California, were officially accepted into the event. The Trials begin tomorrow in Eugene, Ore. and run through Sunday, July 11.
Sixteen-year-old Watson, a junior at Rush- Henrietta High School, hit the 800m standard of 2:03.00 over the weekend at the USATF Junior Nationals in Clovis, Calif.
Although Watson stated "I wasn't going for the standard, I was just trying to be competitive," her new personal-best 800m time of 2:02.91 qualified for the trials this upcoming weekend. The 800m prelims begin at 4:14pm PT on Friday night.
We talked to Watson after she ran the Trials qualifying standard this weekend:
We talked to Bruckner after she made the World Juniors team this weekend: