Courtesy of Mike Leggett, Malone University Sports Information Director
Former Malone University cross country runners Tony Migliozzi, Sara Polatas, and Evan Gaynor will compete this Saturday, February 13th at the U.S. Olympic Team Marathon Trials in Los Angeles. The Marathon Trials will air live on NBC on Saturday from 1-4 pm eastern time. The top-three placers in each of the men's and women's events will earn their spot on the 2016 U.S. Olympic Track and Field Team.
Migliozzi, a 2013 Malone graduate, qualified for the marathon trials after a "B" standard time of 2:17.27 at the Chevron Houston Marathon in January of last year. The North Canton native followed that up with a 2:17.44 time at the Chicago Marathon in October before earning an impressive victory at the 50-Kilometer World Championships in Qatar last December. At Malone, Migliozzi was an NAIA All-American in the marathon, earning 2nd place at the 2011 National Championships.
Polatas, a 2015 Malone graduate, secured her spot in the Olympic Team trials with a "B" standard time of 2:43.41 at the Nationwide Children's Hospital Columbus Marathon in October. She was the individual champion in the 10,000 meters at the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Championships and finished 14th in the 10K at the NCAA DII National Championships in May. At just 23 years old, Polatas is one of the youngest qualifiers in this year's field.
Gaynor, a 2011 Malone graduate, will vie for a spot on the U.S. Olympic Team after posting a "B" standard 1:04.44 time at the Jacksonville Bank Half Marathon this past January. Gaynor was a standout distance runner for the Pioneer cross country and track programs. In total, he was a five-time NAIA All-American and a member of the Malone cross country squads that captured back-to-back-to-back NAIA National Championships from 2007-2009.
Malone has had six graduates qualify for the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in the last three quadrennials. This year's trio joins Dave Gramlich ('08), Leo Kormanik ('12), and Ryan Kienzle ('12) on the list of Olympic Trials qualifiers.
For more information on this year's race, visit: latrials2016.com
For more information on this year's broadcast, visit: olympics.nbcsports.com/tag/marathon/