Joe Kovacs, above at the 2007 PIAA State Championships, will be headed to his first Olympic Games (Photo by Don Rich)
It was a successful first few days of the Olympic Trials for some Pennsylvania high school alums. Two Americans punched a ticket to the Trials, while one Jamaican also earned a trip to Rio later this summer.
Joe Kovacs, a graduate of Bethlehem Catholic and Penn State University placed second in the shot put. Kovacs, who was an unlucky fourth place finisher at the 2012 Trials, will be headed to his first Olympic Games. He saved his best throw for last with a 72-0.25 to put him into second place behind winner Ryan Crouser.
Darrell Hill, a 2011 graduate of Penn Wood, will also be headed to his first Olympic Games. Hill, who, like Kovacs attended Penn State, threw a big PR of 70-11.75 to place third overall and earn the final spot to Rio. Central Dauphin graduate Ryan Whiting placed fourth, just missing a spot on the team.
Leah Nugent, shown above at the 2011 PIAA State Championships will be headed to Rio later this summer (Photo by Don Rich)
Abington and University of Kentucky graduate Leah Nugent placed second in the Jamaican Olympic Trials in the 400-meter hurdles. Nugent clocked a PR of 55.44 in the event, a lifetime best, and she'll be headed to Rio to represent Jamaica. She is the PA state record holder in the 300-meter hurdles.
Racewalker Trevor Barron, who took some time away from the sport, came back to place second in the 20K Racewalk. Barron clocked a time of 1:27:27.10. Despite his finish, Barron will not be going to Rio as he hasn't hit the Olympic standard of 1:24.00. Barron is originally from Bethel Park in Pennsylvania.
Chanelle Price advanced out of the preliminaries, but didn't make the finals in the 800 meters. Price, who attended Easton High School and the University of Tennessee, holds the state record in the half mile. She placed 11th in the semifinals in a time of 2:01.94.
Liz Costello, formerly of Conestoga of Princeton University, was sixth in the 10,000 meters 32:31.81. Costello was pleased with her race. Watch her interview with FloTrack HERE.
Noah Affolder, the former New York high schooler, who is transferring to Carlisle High School for the fall was fifth in the boys' mile, competing in the Olympic Trials Nike Elite Camp. Affolder clocked a 4:07.33. Affolder will certainly be chasing a number of state records this upcoming year.
Watch our interview with Joe Kovacs from this past winter's NTCSA Summit at SPIRE: