2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials

NCAA Athletes to Watch at the U.S. Olympic Trials

NCAA Athletes to Watch at the U.S. Olympic Trials

After so many standout performances at the NCAA Outdoor Championships this weekend, we can’t help but get excited for the young guns aiming to make some noi

Jun 13, 2016 by Taylor Dutch
NCAA Athletes to Watch at the U.S. Olympic Trials
After so many standout performances at the NCAA Outdoor Championships this weekend, we can’t help but get excited for the young guns aiming to make some noise at the U.S. Olympic Trials on July 1. Here are the athletes that have the potential to be true contenders to make the Olympic team this summer.


Donavan Brazier

The 19-year-old from Texas A&M shocked the crowd at Hayward Field when he shattered Jim Ryun’s 1966 NCAA record on his way to winning the 800m title. Brazier out-kicked two-time NCAA champion Brandon McBride to close in 1:43.55, breaking the NCAA and U.S. junior record. The mark lands him the No. 8 spot on the U.S. all-time list and currently stands as the third-fastest time run in the world this year. Brazier did not confirm whether or not he would compete at the Olympic Trials, but if he does choose to contend, he would hold the fastest season’s best out of any American heading into the meet. 



Clayton Murphy

The NCAA Indoor Champion made headlines when he won the NCAA 1500m title in 3:36.38, the third-fastest in NCAA meet history and the quickest victory since 1987. Murphy followed the performance with another victory at Sunday’s Portland Track Festival where he barely missed out on running the Olympic standard mark. He closed in 3:36.23, which is just 0.03 seconds off the Olympic standard of 3:36.00. After the race, Murphy announced to FloTrack that he has signed with an agent, specifically Doyle Management, and is officially turning pro. Murphy currently owns the fastest 1500m mark out of any American this year and could potentially be a serious contender to make the U.S. Olympic team. 



Raevyn Rogers

The Oregon Duck claimed her third NCAA title on Saturday in dramatic fashion when she powered down the homestretch to win by nearly two seconds in 2:00.75. Rogers owns an 800m personal best of 1:59.71 from last year and has clearly shown that she is peaking at the right time. Prior to NCAAs, Rogers held an outdoor season’s best of 2:02.41 from winning the Pac-12 Conference title. At the moment, Rogers stacks up very well against the best women in the United States. Only Chrishuna Williams has broken two minutes so far this year, and Rogers’ season’s best is currently at the same level as top contenders like Brenda Martinez, Alysia Montano, and Laura Roesler who own similarly fast season’s best marks. 



Courtney Frerichs

The New Mexico standout not only won her first ever NCAA steeplechase title, but she also broke the collegiate record . Frerichs rolled to a solo victory in 9:24.41, which broke Jenny Simpson’s former NCAA record in the event. Frerich’s performance is currently the third-fastest time run by an American this year. Only Emma Coburn (9:10) and Leah O’Connor (9:18) have run faster times this year, meaning Frerichs is a true contender heading into the Olympic Trials. 



Shamier Little

The Texas A&M three-time NCAA champion extended her Hayward Field winning streak on Saturday by winning the 400m hurdle title in a personal best of 53.51. Little’s performance is currently a world lead in the distance, ahead of Jamaica’s Janieve Russell and Georganne Moline. Little already has plenty of international experience after earning a silver medal at the World Championships last summer and winning the World Junior title in 2014. 



Devon Allen

The Oregon football and track star rolled the competition at the NCAA Championships by winning his second NCAA title in 13.50. The performance marked two years since his last NCAA Championship when he won as a freshman in 2014. Allen suffered an ACL injury during the Rose Bowl, which forced him to miss all of 2015. But the Oregon Duck is back in a big way with a season’s best mark of 13.32, which is currently the fifth-fastest mark among Americans and tied for 12th in the world.