Three More High Schoolers Confirmed For Olympic Trials

  


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:


Bruckner, a senior from Valley Christian High School and a future Texas Longhorn, will throw the discus.  Although her first place throw at the USATF Junior Nationals secured her a spot to the IAAF Youth World Championship, her throw earlier in the year of 186 feet and 10 inches (56.95m), earned her a spot as one of the top thirty athletes in the event.  Bruckner is set to compete at 4:30pm PT on Friday.

We talked to Bruckner after she made the World Juniors team this weekend:



The third athlete who will join the group of talented high schoolers to compete in the trials is Davis, only a junior from Agoura High School in California, in the long jump.  Davis punched her ticket to Eugene for the trials by landing a spot as one of the top thirty long jumpers of the nation with her jump of 21 feet and a quarter inch (6.41m) from last summer's 2015 IAAF Youth World Championship, where she was event champion.  She will compete in the long jump trials at 5:10pm PT on Friday, July 1st.