Sha'Carri Richardson poses at the 2018 UIL State Track and Field Championships
When it comes to track and field, Texas athletes are always in the middle of things. Now that the US Olympic Trials are complete, we know who most of the qualifiers are and the most of the USA team members are.
Below, we have the former Texas high school athletes who individually made the team and will be traveling to Tokyo to compete. To see a more in depth list of athletes who may be in the relay pools as well as former and current Texas collegians, see TTFFCA.org.
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Sha'Carri Richardson - Dallas Carter - The US Olypmpic Trials 100m championship was added to Richardson's resume two weeks ago when she blazed a 10.84 in the prelims 10.86 wind legal finals run for the win. Richardson who has won at every level, high school, college, and now professional will be the face of the US Olympic team heading to Tokyo and one of the laborers of leading the USA sprint resurgence.
Inika McPherson - Port Arthur Memorial - McPherson earned a provisional spot on the team with at 6-4 PR. She came in a 5-11.5 and experienced some issues at 6-1.5 before finding a rhythm and getting over 6-2.34 and 6-4 on her first attempts.
Fred Kerley - Taylor - Typically thought of as a 400m specialist, Kerley tried his hand at the short sprints and it paid off. The Texas A&M alum ran 9.93 and 9.92 in the rounds to get to the finals. In the finals, Kerley would continue to show the speed he developed by going for a wind legal 9.86, a PR , and a third place finish.
Jasmine Moore - Mansfield Lake Ridge - The current Georgia Bulldog jumped at the opportunity to make her first Olympic team in her first attempt . . . literally. Her 14.04 (46-5.25) was the second best jump in the prelims to make the finals. Each jump Moore had was good enough to grab a spot on the team with 46-0 being her worst jump but still would have qualified.
Bryce Hoppel - Midland - After medaling at the 2019 World Championships, Hoppel will get a shot for an Olympic medal. A 1:46.00 moved him onto the finals where he survived a tough race for the third place finish in a 1:44.14 SB and Team USA berth.
Raevyn Rogers - Houston Kinkaid - Rogers was back in her collegiate stomping grounds and at a facility that has her outlined on the outside of it. No pressure. Well, Rogers showed she was built for pressure, after medaling at the 2019 World Championships. At the trials, she progressively got faster through the rounds going 2:00.75, 1:59.66, and then for a 1:57.66 PR to finish second and earn her first Olympic opportunity.
Steffin McCarter - Lampasas - The 2015 UIL 4A third place finisher and TTFCA Meet of Champions long jump champ has flourished a the University of Texas. He has won the Big 12 long jump championships several times and is an NCAA All-American. With his performances yesterday, he is now an Olympian. McCarter went 8.10 to get into the finals and then an 8.26 (27-0.75) for a third place finish and Team USA berth.