Galvan, Wray Run Their Way to Tokyo 2020
Jul 14, 2021 | Track & Field
The former Wildcats will compete in the Olympics starting in late July.
MANHATTAN, Kan. - Former Kansas State track and field athlete Laura Galvan recently realized her Olympic Dream, advancing to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games for her home country of Mexico in both the women's 1,500 and 5,000 meters.
Galvan and Shalysa Wray are the first Wildcats to advance to the Olympics since a bevy of Wildcats competed in the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro and Galvan is the first to compete in two events at an Olympic Games since Thane Baker medaled in three events (men's 100 and 200 meters and 4x100-meter relay) at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics.
Galvan will begin competition in Tokyo on Friday, July 30 at 5 a.m., CT with Round 1, Heat 1 of the 5,000 meters at the Olympic Stadium with the finals set for Sunday, August 1 at 7:40 a.m., CT. She would begin competition in the 1,500 meters with Round 1, Heat 1, 2, and 3 on Sunday, August 1 at 7:35 p.m. CT. The semifinals of the 1,500 meters is Tuesday, August 3 at 5 p.m., CT with the finals set for Friday, August 6 at 7:50 a.m., CT.
The 2015 K-State graduate earned her way to Tokyo by registering Olympic qualifying times in both the 1,500 and 5,000 meters. She set a new national record in Mexico with a time of 15:02.48 in the 5,000 meters then clocked in with a time of 4:19.31 in the 1,500 meters. She also set a national record in the 1,500 meters with a time of 4:08.14 on March 6 at the Sound Running Invite at San Juan Capistrano.
Representing the Cayman Islands, Wray will compete in the 400 meter dash. Wray is only one of five individuals the Cayman Islands is sending to Tokyo 2020 and this will be the Wray's first Olympics.
Joining Galvan and Wray in Tokyo will be former Wildcat Shadae Lawrence, who will be representing Jamaica in the women's discus for the second straight Olympic Games. She will throw in the qualifying rounds of the discus on Friday, July 30 beginning at 7:30 p.m., CT with the finals set for Monday, August 2 at 6 a.m., CT.
Lawrence earned the trip to the Olympics with a mark of 61.42m/201-6 to finish second at the JAAA National Senior Championship on June 27. She broke the national record for Jamaica on May 22 with a heave of 67.05m/219-11 in Tucson, Arizona.
Several current and former Wildcats enjoyed success at recent Olympic Trials around the world, including incoming freshman Kavian Kerr, sophomore Rhianna Phipps and seniors Kimisha Chambers, Taishia Pryce and Jullane Walker at the Jamaican National Senior Championships, former Wildcat Akela Jones in the Barbados Olympic Trials and incoming freshman Kamyren Garrett, junior Taylor Latimer, seniors Ashley Petr, Jah Strange, Logan Wolfley and former Wildcats Janee Kassanavoid and Erik Kynard at the U.S. Olympic Trials.
Kerr represented K-State in the Under-20 Long Jump competition at the JAAA National Senior Championship, placing second with a mark of 7.56m/24-09.75. On the final day, Kerr and Walker made an appearance in the men's long jump competition with Kerr (7.47m/24-06.25) and Walker (7.37m/24-02.25) placing sixth and seventh, respectively. Walker also ran in the qualifying round of the 100 meters, finishing 10th with a time of 10.75.
Taishia Pryce made her way to a mark of 6.27m/20-07 in the women's long jump and finished in second place.
Chambers and Phipps also competed in the JAAA National Senior Championship with Chambers finishing 13th with a time of 13.38 in the women's 100-meter hurdles and Phipps reaching a distance of 12.87m/42-02.75 to place seventh in the women's triple jump.
Jones made an appearance at the Barbados Olympic Trials, where she jumped to a mark of 6.80m/22-03.75 in the long jump finals, recording the new Barbados national record.
At the U.S. Olympic Trials, Kassanavoid and Kynard nearly qualified for Tokyo as each finished one spot out of qualification in fourth place in the women's hammer and men's high jump competitions.
Kynard soared to a height of 2.27m/7-05.25 to place fourth in the high jump finals after tying for first place in the preliminaries with a height of 2.19m/7-02.25. Kassanavoid earned an Olympic qualifying standard with a throw of 73.45m/240-11 to place fourth in the hammer, missing one of the coveted top-3 spots by nine inches.
Garrett joined Kynard in the men's high jump competition, nearly making the finals with a height of 2.14m/7-00.25 to place 13th in the preliminaries on June 25.
On day one of the U.S. Olympic Trials on June 18, Petr threw 53.19m/174-6 in her second attempt in women's discus to place 22nd overall. Later that day, Wolfley recorded a mark of 64.08m/210-3 in the men's javelin qualifiers and made his way into 20th place, while Phipps reached a distance of 12.87m/42-02.75 to place seventh in the preliminaries of the women's triple jump.
Strange competed in the triple jump on June 19 and advanced to the finals in 10th place with a mark of 16.10m/52-10 on his third attempt. In the finals on June 21, he finished in 11th with a jump of 15.36m/50-04.75.
In her first U.S. Olympic Trials appearance, Latimer competed in the women's shot put preliminaries, finishing 18th with a mark of 16.43m/53-11 on June 24.
The highly-anticipated Tokyo 2020 Olympics opening ceremony will take place on Friday, July 23 at 6:30 p.m., CT and the events will conclude on Sunday, August 8.
For the latest on K-State Track and Field follow @kstatesports and @KStateTFXC on Twitter or Kansas State Track & Field/Cross Country on Facebook.
Galvan and Shalysa Wray are the first Wildcats to advance to the Olympics since a bevy of Wildcats competed in the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro and Galvan is the first to compete in two events at an Olympic Games since Thane Baker medaled in three events (men's 100 and 200 meters and 4x100-meter relay) at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics.
Galvan will begin competition in Tokyo on Friday, July 30 at 5 a.m., CT with Round 1, Heat 1 of the 5,000 meters at the Olympic Stadium with the finals set for Sunday, August 1 at 7:40 a.m., CT. She would begin competition in the 1,500 meters with Round 1, Heat 1, 2, and 3 on Sunday, August 1 at 7:35 p.m. CT. The semifinals of the 1,500 meters is Tuesday, August 3 at 5 p.m., CT with the finals set for Friday, August 6 at 7:50 a.m., CT.
The 2015 K-State graduate earned her way to Tokyo by registering Olympic qualifying times in both the 1,500 and 5,000 meters. She set a new national record in Mexico with a time of 15:02.48 in the 5,000 meters then clocked in with a time of 4:19.31 in the 1,500 meters. She also set a national record in the 1,500 meters with a time of 4:08.14 on March 6 at the Sound Running Invite at San Juan Capistrano.
Representing the Cayman Islands, Wray will compete in the 400 meter dash. Wray is only one of five individuals the Cayman Islands is sending to Tokyo 2020 and this will be the Wray's first Olympics.
Joining Galvan and Wray in Tokyo will be former Wildcat Shadae Lawrence, who will be representing Jamaica in the women's discus for the second straight Olympic Games. She will throw in the qualifying rounds of the discus on Friday, July 30 beginning at 7:30 p.m., CT with the finals set for Monday, August 2 at 6 a.m., CT.
Lawrence earned the trip to the Olympics with a mark of 61.42m/201-6 to finish second at the JAAA National Senior Championship on June 27. She broke the national record for Jamaica on May 22 with a heave of 67.05m/219-11 in Tucson, Arizona.
Several current and former Wildcats enjoyed success at recent Olympic Trials around the world, including incoming freshman Kavian Kerr, sophomore Rhianna Phipps and seniors Kimisha Chambers, Taishia Pryce and Jullane Walker at the Jamaican National Senior Championships, former Wildcat Akela Jones in the Barbados Olympic Trials and incoming freshman Kamyren Garrett, junior Taylor Latimer, seniors Ashley Petr, Jah Strange, Logan Wolfley and former Wildcats Janee Kassanavoid and Erik Kynard at the U.S. Olympic Trials.
Kerr represented K-State in the Under-20 Long Jump competition at the JAAA National Senior Championship, placing second with a mark of 7.56m/24-09.75. On the final day, Kerr and Walker made an appearance in the men's long jump competition with Kerr (7.47m/24-06.25) and Walker (7.37m/24-02.25) placing sixth and seventh, respectively. Walker also ran in the qualifying round of the 100 meters, finishing 10th with a time of 10.75.
Taishia Pryce made her way to a mark of 6.27m/20-07 in the women's long jump and finished in second place.
Chambers and Phipps also competed in the JAAA National Senior Championship with Chambers finishing 13th with a time of 13.38 in the women's 100-meter hurdles and Phipps reaching a distance of 12.87m/42-02.75 to place seventh in the women's triple jump.
Jones made an appearance at the Barbados Olympic Trials, where she jumped to a mark of 6.80m/22-03.75 in the long jump finals, recording the new Barbados national record.
At the U.S. Olympic Trials, Kassanavoid and Kynard nearly qualified for Tokyo as each finished one spot out of qualification in fourth place in the women's hammer and men's high jump competitions.
Kynard soared to a height of 2.27m/7-05.25 to place fourth in the high jump finals after tying for first place in the preliminaries with a height of 2.19m/7-02.25. Kassanavoid earned an Olympic qualifying standard with a throw of 73.45m/240-11 to place fourth in the hammer, missing one of the coveted top-3 spots by nine inches.
Garrett joined Kynard in the men's high jump competition, nearly making the finals with a height of 2.14m/7-00.25 to place 13th in the preliminaries on June 25.
On day one of the U.S. Olympic Trials on June 18, Petr threw 53.19m/174-6 in her second attempt in women's discus to place 22nd overall. Later that day, Wolfley recorded a mark of 64.08m/210-3 in the men's javelin qualifiers and made his way into 20th place, while Phipps reached a distance of 12.87m/42-02.75 to place seventh in the preliminaries of the women's triple jump.
Strange competed in the triple jump on June 19 and advanced to the finals in 10th place with a mark of 16.10m/52-10 on his third attempt. In the finals on June 21, he finished in 11th with a jump of 15.36m/50-04.75.
In her first U.S. Olympic Trials appearance, Latimer competed in the women's shot put preliminaries, finishing 18th with a mark of 16.43m/53-11 on June 24.
The highly-anticipated Tokyo 2020 Olympics opening ceremony will take place on Friday, July 23 at 6:30 p.m., CT and the events will conclude on Sunday, August 8.
For the latest on K-State Track and Field follow @kstatesports and @KStateTFXC on Twitter or Kansas State Track & Field/Cross Country on Facebook.
Players Mentioned
/ Track & Field
/ Track & Field
/ Track & Field
/ Track & Field
/ Track & Field
/ Track & Field
/ Track & Field
/ Track & Field
/ Track & Field
K-State Track & Field | DeLoss Dodds Invitational Recap
Wednesday, February 04
K-State Track & Field | Thane Baker Invitational Recap
Monday, January 19
K-State Track & Field | Uniform Reveal
Tuesday, November 11
K-State T&F | Broad Jump Competition
Tuesday, September 30
