Dartmouth Well Represented at U.S. Track & Field Olympic Trials

HANOVER, N.H. – Several former members of the Dartmouth track & field program will begin competing this weekend in Eugene, Oregon, at the 2020* U.S. Olympic Team Trials.

The Trials will be held at the recently renovated Hayward Field on the campus of the University of Oregon. The start of the meet is Friday, June 18 and is scheduled to conclude on June 27 with two days of rest on June 25-26.

The Big Green will once again have solid representation as five former members of the program will look to earn a berth to this summer's Tokyo Olympics as part of the American contingent.

In the 5000m, former All-Americans Abbey (D'Agostino) Cooper '14 and Dana Giordano '16 will take to the track for the first round of the event on June 18 at 8:54 p.m. EDT. The women's final will be Monday, June 21 at 8:40 p.m. Cooper made the U.S. team in 2016, competing in Rio where she was awarded the Fair Play Award following a fall on the track that led to a show of great sportsmanship alongside Nikki Hamblin of New Zealand. For Giordano, there is unfinished business in this event as she missed qualifying for the 2016 Trials by just one spot.

This isn't the first time these two former teammates have competed in the same race at Hayward Field as both reached the 2014 NCAA National Championship. D'Agostino claimed third place, while Giordano was 22nd.

Helen Schlachtenhaufen '17 will be the first former Dartmouth student-athlete to compete in Oregon as she takes to the track Friday at 7:03 p.m. EDT in the first round of the 1500m. Were she to advance, Schlachtenhaufen would run again in the semifinals on Saturday (June 19, 9:40 p.m. EDT) and possibly the final next Monday (June 21, 8:05 p.m. EDT).

The most recent Dartmouth graduate seeking an Olympic berth is Cha'Mia Rothwell '20 in the 100m hurdles. Rothwell's meet begins Saturday night at 8:04 p.m. EDT with the event's first round. There will be little time to rest if she advances as both the semifinals (9:03 p.m. EDT) and final (10:43 p.m. EDT) are the following evening on Sunday, June. 20.

From the youngest to the most experienced, Ben True '08 is the lone Dartmouth male taking his shot at his Olympic dreams in Oregon. The former All-American will also be the lone alumnus competing in two events as he qualified in both the 5000m and 10,000m.

True caps a busy Friday night with the final of the 10,000m at 10:25 p.m. EDT. The 2008 graduate will then have to wait nearly a week to get back out on the track for the first round of the 5000m as the event doesn't start until Thursday, June 24 at 11:04 p.m. EDT. The final of the 5000m will be at 10:30 p.m. EDT on Sunday, June 27 as the meet concludes shortly thereafter.

The entirety of the meet will be carried on both NBC and NBC Sports Network. For a complete broadcast schedule, click HERE.

* - Note that despite the Olympics being held in 2021, the official name of the Game and the Trials remains 2020 due to their original dates of competition postponed due to COVID-19.

Schedules