Missouri’s track and field team sent nine athletes to the Olympic Trials in June
The 2024 outdoor track and field season came to an end on June 8 with the conclusion of the NCAA Outdoor Championships. College track and field athletes are not quite done competing, as the Summer Olympic Games are approaching.
The University of Missouri sent nine current and former track and field athletes to compete in the Olympic Trials from June 21-30 in Eugene, Oregon.
Program alum Karissa Schweizer qualified for the Olympics after competing in the 5k and 10k races.
In the 5k, Schweizer placed No. 3 with a season best time of 14:45.12, earning a spot on Team USA.
In the 10k, Schweizer finished No. 3 as well with a time of 31:41.56. The time did not meet the Olympic standard of 30:40.0, so her Olympic status in the event is not clear. Schweizer is hoping to move up in the World Athletics rankings system and qualify, which will be determined on July 7.
Schweizer competed in both of those events at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, finishing No. 11 and No. 12 respectively. Since then, she has had several injuries, one of which was a calf injury that caused her to miss the 2022 World Championships. Schweizer was able to compete this year despite a stress reaction to the earlier injury in April that put her status in doubt. With her qualification in the 5k, Schweizer becomes the second female Tiger track athlete to compete in two separate Olympics.
Schweizer was the only track participant for Missouri, but there were a handful of field athletes competing in the trials.
Graduate student Mitch Weber threw 63.23 meters in the qualifying round of the men’s discus to advance to the finals. This mark was not only a personal best, but a new Missouri record. In the finals, Weber threw a distance of 61.55m to claim No. 9 in his final competition as a Tiger.
Missouri alums Euphenie Andre and Arianna Fisher participated in the women’s triple jump. Andre placed No. 8 in the qualifying round, earning a spot in the finals where she finished No. 7 with a season best jump of 13.38m. Fisher finished No. 13 in the qualifying round, just missing the finals.
A pair of graduate students competed in the women’s javelin. Skylar Ciccolini advanced to the finals by throwing a season best 55.40m. In the finals, Ciccolini placed No. 10 with a throw of 48.38m. Erin Zimmerman finished No. 19 in the qualifying round, ending her season and competition time at Missouri.
Another pair of female Tigers competed in the discus. Mizzou alums Gabi Jacobs and Kaia Harris placed No. 15 and No. 10 respectively. Harris qualified for the finals, in which she threw a mark of 57.62m to finish No. 9.
Finally, Missouri alum and current assistant coach Avery Carter made his second Olympic Trials appearance in the men’s hammer throw. Carter took No. 14 in the qualifying round after throwing 71.57m.
Schweizer will compete in her second Olympics beginning on Friday, August 2 in round one in Paris starting at 11:15 a.m. CT.
Edited by Dylan Heinrich | dheinrich@themaneater.com
Copyedited by Hannah Taylor | htaylor@themaneater.com
Edited by Emily Skidmore | eskidmore@themaneater.com