Baldwin High graduate Eric Brown and former Kansas University standout Charlie Gruber were waiting in the wings at the U.S. Olympic track and field trials in Sacramento, Calif.
After a two-day break in the trials, competition will resume Thursday with Brown, who just completed his sophomore year at Arkansas University, scheduled to throw the javelin, and Gruber slated to compete in the 1,500-meter run.
Friday, KU’s Leo Bookman, a three-time NCAA champion, will begin his attempt to qualify for the Athens Games in the 200-meter dash.
Also in action Friday will be KU throws coach Doug Reynolds, who will try to make the U.S. team in the discus after finishing fourth four years ago, and former KU distance runner Mark Menefee.
In Monday’s 5,000-meter qualifying, Menefee posted the 14th fastest time and advanced to Friday’s 10:55 p.m. CDT final. The 16 fastest times moved on.
Here’s the time schedule for local participants, all times CDT: Gruber quarterfinals (10 p.m. Thursday), semifinals (9:40 p.m. Friday), finals (6:30 p.m. Sunday); Brown qualifying (4 p.m. Thursday), finals (3 p.m. Saturday); Bookman qualifying (8 p.m. Friday), quaterfinals (2 p.m. Saturday), semifinals (4:17 p.m. Saturday), finals (7:38 p.m. Sunday); Reynolds qualifying (7 p.m. Friday), finals (5:05 p.m. Sunday).
