July 13, 2000
BERKELEY -
California will be well-represented at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials July 14-23, in Sacramento. Competition takes place at Cal State Sacramento's Hornet Stadium. The top three finishers who have met the Olympic qualifying standards for the 20 men's and 19 women's events will earn a spot on the U. S. Olympic team in Sydney in September. Following are capsules of who will represent the Golden Bears and their dates of competition. We apologize if anyone is missing from this list.
Bolota Asmerom - 5000m - Qualifying July 17, Finals July 21
Bolota Asmerom enters his senior year at Cal during the 2000-01 school year, but before that, he has dreams this summer of earning a spot on the United States' or his native of Eritrea's Olympic teams. Asmerom qualified for the U.S. trials in the 5000m with a Cal record of 13:32.48 at this year's Mount SAC Relays. He finished 10th in the 5000m at the 2000 NCAA meet in 14:13.94.
Richie Boulet - 1500m (Qualifying July 14, Finals July 16) - 5000m (Qualifying July 17, Finals July 21)
A 1996 Cal graduate from San Anselmo, Calif., Richie Boulet is the only Golden Bear slated to compete in two events at the U.S. Olympic Trials - the 1500m and 5000m. Boulet was the first Cal athlete to earn All-America honors in outdoor track (1994, '96), indoor track (1994) and cross country (1993). On Cal's all-time performers' chart, he ranks fifth in the 1500m (3:43.01) and fourth in the 5000m (13:49.47).
Brent Burns - Pole Vault - Qualifying July 14, Finals July 16
Brent Burns, a native of Lafayette, Calif., graduated from Cal in 1992 and still holds the school record in the pole vault at 18-8.25. The school record mark was set in his second-place finish at the 1992 NCAA meet.
Bevan Hart - Decathlon - July 20-21
Bevan Hart recently completed his senior season at Cal as a three-time All-American and two-time Pac-10 champion in the decathlon. A native of Sacramento, Hart enters the Olympic Trials having set personal-best point totals in his last two decathlons. He won the 2000 NCAA decathlon crown with a career-best 8002 points, the second-best mark in Cal history, and the 2000 Pac-10 title with a then-career-best 7,890.
Sheila Hudson - Triple Jump - Qualifying July 20, Finals July 22
Sheila Hudson, a 1990 Cal graduate, is in search of a consecutive triple jump berth on the U.S. Olympic team. In 1996 in Atlanta, Hudson finished 11th with a jump of 46-0. She won four NCAA titles as a Golden Bear, three in the triple jump and one in the long jump, and is the only Cal woman to ever win an NCAA track & field title. A native of Elverta, Calif., Hudson holds the Cal record in the long jump (22-1) and triple jump (46-0.75).
Chris Huffins - Decathlon - July 20-21
Chris Huffins, a 1993 Cal graduate, is one of the favorites to represent the U.S. in the decathlon in Sydney after finishing 10th in the decathlon (8300 points) at the 1996 Olympics. A native of Indianapolis, Ind., he won the 1993 NCAA decathlon title with a Cal record 8007 points.
Robyne Johnson - Triple Jump - Qualifying July 20, Finals July 22
Robyne Johnson, Cal's jumps coach since 1995, will compete in the triple jump at the Olympic Trials. A five time All-American at Texas and a former American record holder in the triple jump, Johnson embarks on her fourth trip to the Olympic Trials. She graduated from Texas in 1986 and is originally from Berkeley.
Maria Lopez - Pole Vault - Qualifying July 21, Finals July 23
Maria Lopez of Newark, Calif., is coming off an eighth-place finish in the pole vault at the 2000 NCAA meet with a career-best clearance of 13-1.5. The All-American qualified for the Olympic Trials with a mark of 13-0.25 in her victory at the 2000 California/Nevada meet.
Grace Upshaw - Long Jump - Qualifying July 14, Finals July 16
Grace Upshaw, a 1997 Cal graduate, is slated to compete in the long jump at the Olympic Trials. She qualified for the trials with a mark of 20-11.75. As a Golden Bear, she finished as high as second in the long jump at the Pac-10 Championships. The Lafayette, Calif., native is tied for fourth all-time at Cal in the long jump with a mark of 20-5.75.
Missy Vanek - Heptathlon - July 14-15
Missy Vanek transferred to Cal from Boise State in time for her junior season in 1999-00. The Laclede, Idaho, native had an immediate impact in Berkeley, finishing third in the NCAA heptathlon with a career-best 5,614 points. She also won the Pac-10 title with 5,505 points. Both of these accomplishments happened after being approximately a 5100-point scorer at Boise State.
