MAPLEWOOD – Stanford University sophomore Olivia Baker, who enjoyed an illustrious track and field career at Columbia High School, has qualified for the Olympic Trials.
Baker qualified for the Trials after clocking a personal-best 2:01.02 in placing fourth in the 800-meters at the Payton Jordan Invitational at Stanford. The standard for the Olympic Trials is 2:03.00. Her time also hit the 2:01.50 time that is needed to qualify for the Olympics.
The Olympic Trials will be held July 1-10 at Hayward Field in Oregon.
In March, Baker finished third overall in the 800 meters at the NCAA Division 1 Indoor Championships in 2:06.08 in Birmingham, Ala.
Baker, a 2014 CHS graduate, went undefeated against New Jersey competition in the 400-meters throughout her career at CHS, including winning four indoor and four outdoor state Meet of Champions 400 titles. She also became the first athlete in state history to win four gold medals at the 2013 state outdoor Meet of Champions as a junior.
Baker holds the state girls’ records in the 400 for both outdoor and indoor. Baker ran 53.49 to break her own state 400 indoor record at the New Balance Indoor Nationals and ran 52.46 to set the 400 outdoor state record at the USATF Junior National Championships.
Photo captions:
- Baker competing in the 2015 NCAA West prelims outdoors
- Baker finishing third at the 2016 NCAA Indoor Championships in March.
Track star Olivia Baker qualifies for Olympic Trials added by Joe Ragozzino on
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