FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (June 17, 2021) – With the 2020 Tokyo Olympics just a little more than a month away, six athletes with connections to Northern Arizona University will compete in the 2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for track and field from June 18-27 at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore.
A pair of former Lumberjacks and this year's NCAA bronze medalist will run in the 10,000-meter set for Friday night at 7:25 p.m. Pacific Time. Lopez Lomong, a two-time former Olympian and 2007 NCAA Outdoor 1500m champion, enters the 10K with the top time of 27:04.72. Lomong ran the time at the 2019 IAAF World Athletics Championships in Doha, Qatar on Oct. 6, 2019.
Joining him in the 10K are current Lumberjack
Abdihamid Nur and 2013 NCAA 5000m bronze medalist Diego Estrada.
Nur, who won his bronze medal in the 10K just over a week ago in Eugene, originally qualified for the U.S. Trials at the West Coast Relays in Fresno, Calif. on April 30. Nur won the race with a 27:47.27, but bested the time with a 27:42.73 at the NCAAs as 10 men broke the meet record at Hayward Field on June 9.
Meanwhile, Estrda's qualifying time came all the way back in 2019 like Lomong's. Running a 27:57.99 on May 2, 2019 at the Payton Jordan Invitational in Palo Alto, Calif., Estrada booked his ticket to the trials. While running for NAU, Estrada reached the 2012 London Olympics as he competed in the 10K for Mexico.
Following the 10K, Brooke Andersen will be the next former Lumberjack to compete when the women's hammer competition begins at 1:25 p.m. PT on June 24. Finals for the event will be held two days later on Saturday, June 26 at 4:05 p.m. PT.
Andersen's mark of 78.18 meters, set at the Wichita State Open on April 10, ranks second in the U.S. during the qualifying period and enters the trials with her throw second-best in U.S. history and fifth best all-time. During her NAU career, Andersen earned a pair of silver medals at the NCAA Outdoor Championships as she finished second in hammer throw in 2017 and 2018.
Current NAU signee Hobbs Kessler will run the first of potentially three 1500m races on June 24 at 6:04 p.m. PT as the high school senior looks to build on his national high school record of 3:34.36 set on May 29. Kessler's time also beat the current NCAA 1500m record and snapped the 20-year old high school mark by nearly four seconds.
Kessler, whose time sits fourth among the list of entrants, would run on Friday June 25 at 4:05 p.m. PT in the semifinals and Sunday, June 27 at 5:10 p.m. PT in the finals should he advance past each round.
After resting for nearly a week, Lomong will return to the track on June 24 for the 5,000m first round set for 8:04 p.m. PT. Holding the second-best mark of 12:58.78, Lomong hit the qualifying mark on Sept. 10, 2019 at Michael Johnson Track in Beaverton, Ore.
Joining the former Lumberjack in the 5K will be freshman
Nico Young thanks to his run at the Drake Relays on April 23. Hitting a 13:24.26 in Des Moines, Iowa, Young ranked fifth in the NCAA this season. Should either advance, the 5K finals are set for June 27 at 4:30 p.m. PT.
The U.S. Olympic Trials will be televised on NBC and NBC Sports Network, with the schedule available
here. Coverage will also be available on Peacock Premium, NBC's streaming service, and select field events will be available at NBCOlympics.com and the NBC Sports app.
Schedule of Events (All times listed are Pacific)
Friday, June 18: Men's 10,000m Final 7:25 p.m. (Lomong, Nur, Estrada)
Thursday, June 24: Women's Hammer Qualifying 1:25 p.m. (Andersen)
Thursday, June 24: Men's 1500m First Round 6:04 p.m. (Kessler)
Thursday, June 24: Men's 5000m First Round 8:04 p.m. (Lomong, Young)
Friday, June 25: Men's 1500m Semifinals 4:05 p.m. (Kessler)
Saturday, June 26: Women's Hammer Finals 4:05 p.m. (Andersen)
Sunday, June 27: Men's 5000m Final 10 a.m. (Lopez, Young)
Sunday, June 27: Men's 1500m Final 5:10 p.m. (Kessler)
