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Rodriguez To Become First Female Cardinal at U.S Olympic Trials

Rodriguez
Chloe Rodriguez. Photo courtesy of Lamar athletics
Lamar University track and field junior Chloe Rodriguez will be making history as she will be the first female in school history to qualify for the U.S Olympic Team Trials. Participating in the women's 400-meter hurdles as announced by USA Track & Field, she will make the trip up to Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore., to open competition in the first round, which is set for a 8:49 p.m. start (Central) Thursday, June 27th.

Rodriguez was ranked among the top 36 athletes to qualify for her event after breaking the school and Southland Conference record with a time of 57.02 at the conference championship meet. Should Rodriguez advance to the semifinals, she will next run on Saturday, June 29th at 7:41 p.m. The finals will be the last event on the final day of June at 7:29 p.m.

Hailing from Richardson, Rodriguez posted seven top-10's in the outdoor season, which included two firsts in the 400H. She earned first team (400H) and third team (4x400m) honors by the SLC after their title meet. One of six Cardinals to reach the NCAA West Regionals, Rodriguez finished 26th at 58.91. In the indoor season, she notched five top-10's, including third at the SLC indoor meet in the 400m (PR; 54.51) and second in the 4x400m (3:46.53).

"It's exciting to see Chloe get the opportunity to compete against the best athletes in the United States," said head coach Trey Clark. "She's developed a tremendous amount in her time here, which is a testament to her fierce competitiveness and determination to excel in the sport. Every year she sets the bar higher, and now she's earned her spot at the most prestigious meet in the country. Chloe will become the first female in school history to compete at the Olympic Trials, and it's special to see how far this program has come. Our administration does such a great job supporting us, so this is really an achievement for our whole university to celebrate together."

The U.S. Olympic Team Trials will be broadcast and streamed nationally on NBC, Peacock and USA Network.
Category: Sports