USATF Foundation doubles Olympic qualifier bonus pool to $100,000; sends 19 grantee athletes to London

02 Jul USATF Foundation doubles Olympic qualifier bonus pool to $100,000; sends 19 grantee athletes to London

The USA Track & Field Foundation decided at its board meeting June 30 to double the original Elite Athlete Grantee bonus pool cap of $50,000 announced April 11, to $100,000, announced Foundation Executive Director Tom Jackovic and Chairman Bob Greifeld today.

“We are thrilled to see the extraordinary performances of our Foundation’s grantees at the Olympic Trials,” shared Jack Wickens, Foundation Director. “The number of grantees who have earned their way to be on the Olympic team has far exceeded our most optimistic projections.”

With the 2012 Olympic Trials at historic Hayward Field now in the books, there are 19 Foundation grant recipients who have stamped their tickets to London. Jackovic and Greifeld announced today that each London-bound athlete will receive a $5,000 bonus.

The 19 Foundation sponsored athletes who have been named to Team USA more than doubles the 2008 result when 9 grantees qualified for the Olympic team. They include:

• Kyle Alcorn: 2^nd place, steeplechase
• Keshia Baker, 1600 meter relay pool (5^th place, 400 meters)
• Lance Brooks: 1^st place, discus throw
• Stephanie Brown Trafton: 1^st place, discus throw
• Becky Holliday: 2^nd place, pole vault
• Cyrus Hostetler: 5^th place, javelin throw*
• Molly Huddle: 2^nd place, 5000 meters
• Kibwe Johnson: 1^st place, hammer throw
• A.G. Kruger: 3^rd place, hammer throw
• Jamie Nieto: 1^st place, high jump
• Kara Patterson: 2^nd place, javelin throw
• Jeff Porter, 3^rd place, 110 hurdles
• Alice Schmidt: 3^rd place, 800 meters
• Amanda Smock: 1^st place, triple jump
• Aretha Thurmond: 2^nd place, discus throw
• Morgan Uceny: 1^st place, 1500 meters
• Jason Young: 3^rd place, discus throw
• Rachel Yurkovich: 4^th place, javelin throw**

* Places 1 & 2 did not have “A” standard
** Place 3 did not have “A” standard

In addition, the USATF Foundation board awarded a $3500 John W. James Endowment grant, as well as the $5,000 bonus, to Amanda Bingson. Amanda, a recent UNLV grad, thrilled the crowd at the Nike campus last Thursday when she set multiple personal records, met the Olympic A standard and made her first Olympic team in the hammer throw.

The Foundation Elite Athlete Grant Program contributes to the pursuit of world-class performances by American post-collegiate track and field athletes. Athletes must meet minimum performance and financial need standards to be eligible.