SALEM, Va. --- Former Roanoke College All-American Carmen Graves has qualified and will compete at the 2016 United States Track & Field Trials in the 3000m steeplechase.

The trials will be held in Eugene, Oregon from July 1-10. Graves will see her first action on July 4 at 4:00 p.m. PST. Graves will be looking to secure a spot on Team USA for the 2016 Olympic Games to be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil August 5-21.

Graves qualified for the trials by running a 9:52.61 and placing fourth at the Princeton Qualifier 2 Meet in Princeton, New Jersey on June 18. Graves becomes the first female track & field athlete from the ODAC to qualify for a chance at the Olympics since fellow Maroon Casey Smith '01 who competed in the marathon in 2008.

During Graves' four years at Roanoke, she helped the women's indoor and outdoor track teams secure six ODAC Championships under Head Coach Finn Pincus. Graves still holds the all-time record for the 800m run in the ODAC record book. Graves is one of the Maroon's most accomplished student-athletes, which resulted in her being named Roanoke College Athlete of the Year in both 2012 and 2013. Graves received Division III All-American Honors five times along with many ODAC awards and individual championship titles.

"The Olympic Games represent the pinnacle of success for a Track & Field athlete, said Pincus."  "To reach one step below that level is an extraordinary feat in itself.   When you scan the names and institutions of those athletes who make the official list of entrants, probably 99% ran at Division I schools. Carmen has put in an enormous number of hours, dedicated her life to running, and made sacrifices in a variety of ways to make this dream come true.  So, I am extremely proud that once again, we can say that a Roanoke College athlete competed at the US Olympic Trials."

--- This release is courtesy of the Roanoke College athletic communications department. ---
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