Annika Bynum & Danny Olsen will head to Texas with an eye on advancing to the National Championship rounds.
The NCAA announced the participants for the East and West First Rounds in the 2025 Outdoor Track & Field Championships on Tuesday. YOUR Marquette Golden Eagles have two athletes who will be headed to College Station in Texas. Annika Bynum will compete in the High Jump, while Danny Olsen will take part in the 400 meter run.
Bynum got in with a jump of 1.80 meters at the Uncaged Eagle Open on May 9th. That height tied the Marquette program record as well as placed Bynum at #23 in the West First Round.
Danny Olsen broke the Marquette program record in the 400m twice at the Big East Outdoor Championships, once in qualifying and once in the championship race, which he won. His time of 46.21 has him tied for the #47th spot in the field of 48 racers.
Both Bynum and Olsen will have to out-perform their starting position if they want to advance to the national championships in Eugene, Oregon. Only the top 12 from both the East and the West First Round advance. If qualifying times hold, then Olsen will have to find a way to cut nearly three-quarters of a second off his school record time. For Bynum, getting into the top 12 means finding a way to add 0.03 meters to her best jump this season.
Bynum might have an easier time in general, as all she has to do is be one of the last 12 women standing and still jumping in order to advance. Olsen will have to get through the first round of qualifying on Wednesday, May 28, and then advance out of the quarterfinals on Friday, May 30th as well.
The entirety of the West First Round will be streamed on ESPN+. Here’s the schedule with links to the streams.
Wednesday, May 28: Men’s 400 meters First Round, 7:25pm Central
Friday, May 30: Men’s 400 meters Quarterfinals, 6:50pm Central
Saturday, May 31: Women’s High Jump, 3:30pm Central