Mitchell Black, A16, Qualifies For U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials

Mitchell Black runs a race in 2016

Mitchell Black was the favorite entering this race, with the top mark in the country—1:48.60, which he ran at the Larry Ellis Invitational hosted by Princeton on April 22, 2016. Photo: D3photography.com

MEDFORD - For the second time this month, a Tufts University alumnus will compete in the United States Olympic Trials.

Mitchell Black, a 2016 graduate, has qualified to run in the 800 meters race at the 2021 U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials coming up on Friday. He joins swimmer Roger Gu, the 2020 graduate who placed ninth in the 50-meter freestyle Wave I finals at the U.S. Trials in Omaha on June 7.

Black will compete at historic Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, site of the U.S. Trials. The 800m first round is on Friday (June 18) at 5:26 pm PST (8:26 pm EST). The top three finishers in each of the four heats will advance, as will the next four fastest times, to a semi-final on Saturday (June 19). Eight will advance to the Trials final on Monday (June 21). The U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials will air on NBC, NBCSN, NBCOlympics.com and Peacock.

A four-time NCAA Division III 800-meters champion indoors and outdoors at Tufts, Black ran a PR of 1:47.43 at the Hoey Invitational in Coatesville, Pennsylvania last Friday (June 11) to earn his qualifying spot for Eugene. A total of 32 athletes qualify in the 800m, and he is 32nd to earn the final spot.

Black joins former teammates Tyler Andrews '13 and Matt Rand '13 as Trials qualifiers for this Olympic cycle, as Andrews and Rand competed at the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials back in February 2020.

Black is pursuing a PhD in Aerospace Engineering at the University of Michigan and training under Coach Ron Warhurst with two fellow Trials qualifiers and Olympic medalist Nick Willis. Two of his former coaches at Tufts - current distance coach Michael Schmidt and former Jumbo teammate Jamie Norton - have also been providing training guidance and support since Black joined their Craftsbury Green Racing Project team back in March.

Black's 1:47.43 qualifying time for the Trials is 1.17 seconds faster than the 1:48.60 collegiate-best he ran at Princeton's Larry Ellis Invitational on April 22, 2016.

While at Tufts, Black was also one of two student-athletes in the country to be awarded the NCAA's 2016 Walter Byers Postgraduate Scholarship. He was the first recipient ever selected from the New England Small College Athletic Conference. The program awards a $24,000 scholarship each year to one male and one female scholar-athlete selected from a pool of applicants from NCAA Division I, II and III schools. The grant recognizes outstanding academic achievement and the potential for success in postgraduate study.

Follow results from the U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials at https://www.usatf.org/events/2021/2020-u-s-olympic-team-trials-track-field/schedule.