Villanova and Penn will have 11 track and field athletes competing at the U.S. Olympic trials

The Wildcats have six current or former athletes competing while the Quakers have five. The trials begin Friday at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore., and continue through June 27.

Villanova senior McKenna Keegan, shown anchoring the WIldcats' winning women’s sprint medley relay at the Philly Mets track competition last April at Franklin Field, will be competing in the U.S. Olympic track and field trials beginning Friday.Read moreTYGER WILLIAMS / Staff Photographer

by Joe Juliano

Published Jun. 17, 2021, 6:12 p.m. ET

A total of 11 current and former track and field athletes from Villanova and Penn are scheduled to compete in the U.S. Olympic trials beginning Friday in Eugene, Ore., and continuing through June 27.

The Wildcats will have four contestants in the 800-meter runs — redshirt freshman Sean Dolan and Sam Ellison (Class of 2014) on the men’s side, and senior McKenna Keegan and Angel Piccirillo (Class of 2016) in the women’s race.

Two women on the present Villanova roster — sophomore high jumper Sanaa Barnes and junior Lydia Olivere, who will run the 3,000-meter steeplechase — also will compete.

Penn freshman Isabella Whittaker is one of the entries in the women’s 400 meters and senior Marc Minchello competes in the men’s javelin. Recent Quakers stalwarts who will attempt to qualify for the Olympics are Nia Akins (Class of 2020) in the women’s 800, and Sam Mattis (Class of 2016) and Noah Kennedy-White (Class of 2017) in the men’s discus.

Mattis enters his competition as the No. 2-ranked discus thrower in the country, while Minichello ranks No. 4 in the javelin.

One other entrant of interest is Marquise Goodwin, a wide receiver who was traded to the Eagles last year but opted out of the 2020 season. Now with the Chicago Bears, Goodwin will compete in the long jump, the event he won at the 2012 trials.

A number of athletes with Philadelphia-area connections also are scheduled to participate. The schedule for the events can be found at https://www.usatf.org/events/2021/2020-u-s-olympic-team-trials-track-field/schedule.

MEN

200 – Terrance Laird, Louisiana State (Coatesville). According to the USA Track and Field website, Laird has scratched from the 100.

3,000-meter steeplechase – Travis Mahoney, HOKA ONE ONE (Temple).

Shot put – Darrell Hill, Nike (Penn Wood, Penn State).

Decathlon – Kyle Garland, Georgia (Germantown Academy).

WOMEN

100 – English Gardner, Nike (Eastern).

100-meter hurdles – Chanel Brissett, Texas (Cheltenham).

800 – Ajee’ Wilson, adidas (Temple).

3,000-meter steeplechase – Tori Gerlach, unattached (Pennridge, Penn State).

Shot put – Jessica Woodard, unattached (Cherokee).

The top three finishers in each event advance to the Tokyo Games provided they have achieved the Olympic standard. If they haven’t, the next finisher who has reached the standard will be selected. A selection committee will choose extra athletes needed for the 4x100 and 4x400 relays.

The Olympic track and field competition runs from July 30 to Aug. 8.