Former IDEA Edinburg Quest mid-distance runner Valery Tobias set out to chase her Olympic dreams in October of last year.
After a decorated five years at the University of Texas, Tobias joined the Brooks Beasts Track Club based out of Seattle in preparation for this year Olympic trials.
The three-time UIL state gold medalist took the first step towards making her Olympic dreams a reality Friday, coming in fourth in her heat during the first round of the women’s 800-meter run during the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.
Tobias, who holds the University of Texas record in the indoor and outdoor 800m, finished in 2 minutes, 1.78 seconds during her heat, the 14th best time out of 36 competitors.
Her time was good enough to earn her a spot in today’s semifinal round of the event, with Tobias set to compete in the second of three heats.
Tobias is set to run again today at 8:11 p.m., with the finals set for tomorrow at 9:32 p.m. The former Longhorn will need to finish in the top two in her heat or post one of the next three best qualifying times to earn a spot in tomorrow’s finals. Fans can catch Tobias in action on Peacock.
The top three finishers from tomorrow’s finals will earn a spot on Team USA’s 2024 Olympic team set to compete in Paris later this year.
