Arizona track athletes qualify for Olympics in Rio de Janeiro

PHOENIX — Several Arizona track athletes are bound for the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

According to Sports 360 AZ, Devon Allen, Bernard Lagat, Will Claye, Chris Benard, Ameer Webb and Shelby Houlihan all qualified to compete in the Olympics at last weekend’s U.S. Olympic Track Trials in Oregon.

Allen, a Brophy College Preparatory alumni and current University of Oregon football and track star, will be competing in the 110-meter hurdles after qualifying with a time of 13.03 seconds.

Lagat, a 41 year-old Kenya native and U.S. citizen who calls Tucson home, will be competing in his fifth Olympic games. He was just shy of receiving a medal in the 2012 games, placing fourth, but will be back this year to compete in the 5,000 meters.

Claye, a Mountain Pointe High School alumni, will be competing in the triple jump at his second Olympics. His qualifying distance was 57 feet, 11 inches.

Benard, also competing in the triple jump, is on the track and field team at Arizona State University and qualified with a distance of 56 feet, 5 3/4 inches.

Houlihan, who ran at ASU, will run the 5,000 meters as well.

Rounding out the Arizona athletes, Webb, who trains with Altis, a track and field training facility based in Phoenix, will be competing in the men’s 200-meter with a qualifying time of 20 seconds.

The Rio games are scheduled to run Aug. 5-21.

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