Willis, a junior at Stevens Point in Wisconsin, improves to No. 2 among American Under-18 competitors, as well as No. 4 all-time prep performer after achieving Olympic Trials standard; Whittaker ascends to No. 8 in high school history with 2:01.34 effort, Seeland has fourth-fastest all-time Division 3 performance

By Mary Albl of DyeStat

It might have taken longer than she anticipated, but Roisin Willis has finally qualified for the U.S. Olympic Trials.

At The Trials of Miles New York City Qualifier on Friday night at Icahn Stadium, the junior from Stevens Point High in Wisconsin clocked 2 minutes, 0.78 seconds to win her section of the women’s 800 meters and secure a bid for the U.S. Olympic Trials, with the first round scheduled for June 24 at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore.

Willis set the national age 16 record and elevated to the No. 4 all-time prep competitor in the two-lap event.

Athing Mu of Trenton, N.J., now a freshman at Texas A&M and the collegiate indoor and outdoor record holder in the 800, had held the 16-year-old mark at 2:01.38 from the 2019 Music City Distance Carnival in Tennessee.

“It meant so much, because I’ve gone through a lot of hoops to get that standard and a lot has happened with so many missed attempts,” Willis said. “Things that have happened – just a bad day, or just the wrong start line, but to finally get the standard and run well under it, it means so, so much, because it’s been such a hard journey to get there.”

Friday’s race for Willis wasn’t originally on her schedule, but after several attempts at elite meets to hit the standard didn’t pan out, and a trip out West for the Arcadia Invitational wasn’t in the cards this spring, since the event was only limited to California high school athletes, The Trial of Miles NYC Qualifier became a realistic stop on her journey to achieve the 800 Olympic Standard.

With near perfect racing conditions, and a talented field, including fellow junior Juliette Whittaker of Mount de Sales Academy in Maryland and sophomore Sophia Gorriaran of Moses Brown in Rhode Island – both who have already achieved the Olympic standard themselves – Willis was able to take advantage of the opportunity.

“I was a bit nervous getting Lane 1, but Juliette really took the pace out, and I remember from previous races, ‘You’ve got to go with her (Whittaker),’ and that was the only thing in my mind,” Willis said. “It was really honestly a blur. My race plan was you have to give it your all the last 100 meters, and so I was going into that last 100 with a pretty clear head, and with some energy left.”

Willis was able to kick-it into another gear down the straightaway and almost dip under 2 minutes, closing in 61.9 seconds. Willis improved to the No. 2 competitor in American Under-18 history, as well as the No. 8 all-time U.S. Under-20 competitor,

“I think this was my first break-through and I think there’s a lot of areas to improve,” Willis said. “The goal is to run faster, and I’ll have some time to prepare for that.”

Willis’ road to the Olympic Trials 800 standard of 2:02.50 has been a rollercoaster to say the least.

In February, she traveled to the Trials of Miles in Texas, where she ran 2:03.85 for a then-personal best. In March, she went to the CYUP Cabin Fever Invitational in Chicago, where her 2:04.64 victory could have been faster, but an officials' error resulting in a longer start line error cost her. Then, earlier this month, she had an off night at the Distance Night in Palatine, Ill., finishing second in 2:04.44.

But Friday night in New York it finally came together.

“The last two attempts I didn’t get it, it was really, really tough,” she said. “I really worked really hard, I put in a lot of good training, it's been hard.”

She said her mom’s rule of thumb is to let things sit for 48 hours and then come back. She’s done that time and time again, but this time, the result was finally there.

“The hunger to run better always comes back, and it was there today,” Willis said.

With the 800 Standard achieved, Willis said the rest of her spring will feature some high school races, gearing up for the Trials, and then after Oregon, the Brooks PR Invitational in Seattle where she’ll run the mile. For now though, Willis is ecstatic to finally achieve her dream that has seemed so close yet so far for so long.

“It's probably been my biggest high school goal,” Willis said. “The Olympic Trials was my big thing. So to have that it’s such a big deal for me. To have it it means so much, and I’m so grateful.”

Julia Rizk, a former Division 1 indoor mile champion at Ohio State who now represents Under Armour, was second in 2:01.24, with Whittaker taking third in 2:01.34 to ascend to the No. 8 high school performer in history.

Mariela Real of Mexico was fourth in 2:01.93, with Gorriaran finishing fifth in 2:02.93.

Even more impressive for Willis, she ran faster than every athlete in the women’s 800 seeded section.

Dutch star Sifan Hassan, the defending World gold medalist in the 1,500 and 10,000 meters, won the race in 2:01.54, followed by American professional Nikki Hiltz, the 2019 Pan Am Games 1,500 gold medalist representing adidas, clocking 2:01.82 and Rebecca Mehra of Oiselle Littlewing taking third in 2:01.85.

Esther Seeland of Messiah ran a personal-best 2:02.75 to win her section, improving on her status as the No. 2 competitor in NCAA Division 3 outdoor history with the fourth-fastest all-time performance in the division. Only Emily Richards of Ohio Northern, who clocked 2:03.87 to finish sixth in her section Friday, has run faster among Division 3 all-time competitors than Seeland.

Gabby Scott of Puerto Rico, a former All-American at Colorado, prevailed in her 800 section in 2:07.46.

Jesus Tonatiu Lopez, the Mexican national record holder, won the men’s seeded 800 in 1:45.24, with Vincent Crisp of District Track Club placing second in 1:46.31.

Abraham Alvarado of Atlanta Track Club Elite won his 800 section in 1:46.15, as did Mohand Zine Khelaf of Saint-Laurent Select triumphing in his section in 1:49.66.

Russell Dinkins, representing New York Athletic Club and instrumental in programs such as Clemson and Minnesota reinstating men’s track and field after originally deciding to drop the teams at the end of the season, won his 800 section in 1:51.89.

Dani Aragon of Empire Elite Track Club relied on a 62.3-second final lap to pull away from fellow American Dana Giordano (4:12.73) and win the seeded section of the women’s 1,500 in 4:07.66.

Eric Holt, also competing for Empire Elite, clocked 3:39.85 to emerge victorious in the men’s seeded 1,500, with Julian Oakley securing second in 3:40.12.

Alexina Wilson of Tracksmith won the women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase in 9:32.69, with Katy Kunc clocking 9:39.53 to place second.

New Balance athlete Jean-Simon Desgagnes won an exciting men’s 3,000 steeplechase in 8:29.41, holding off Mike Leet (8:29.68) and Brandon Doughty (8:29.98) of Under Armour Dark Sky Distance team.

Carlos Diaz of Chile prevailed in the men’s 5,000 in 13:36.91, as eight athletes ran under 14 minutes. Thomas Fafard of Canada placed second in 13:42.86.

Veronica Eder of Schuylkill Athletics triumphed in the women’s 5,000 in 16:03.40, with Kaitlin Donner taking second in 16:10.38.