EUGENE, Ore.—In the first round of the women's 800 meters at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials, McKenna Keegan (West Grove, Pa.) and 2016 alum Angel Piccirillo posted times of 2:03.81 and 2:06.95, respectively, at Hayward Field on Thursday night. Both athletes were making their debut at the Olympic Trials and ran consecutively in the final two heats of the 800 meters. They are two of the seven qualifiers that Villanova had among past and present Wildcats at the Trials.
 
The top two finishers in each of five heats and the next six fastest times moved on to the semifinal round in the 800 meters. Piccirillo ran in the fourth heat and came in ninth in her race, while Keegan ran in the final heat and finished seventh in her section. Only one of the on-time qualifiers came out of either of the final two heats. Keegan was one of just nine collegians among the 42 overall competitors in the first round.
 
Thursday night's race was the culmination of an incredible season for Keegan, who ran the third-fastest 800 meters time in Villanova history when she posted a mark of 2:01.25 at the NCAA East Preliminary last month. That time earned her a spot at the Olympic Trials and sent her on to the outdoor NCAA Championships for the second time in her career. Keegan was a second team All-American in the 800 meters for the outdoor season after being a first team All-American with a seventh place finish during the abbreviated indoor track & field season.
 
Piccirillo is one of the most accomplished athletes in Villanova history after being a nine-time All-American, an 11-time BIG EAST champion and a nine-time Penn Relays champion during her collegiate career. Piccirillo holds the record for the most Championship of America watches won by a collegiate woman in the history of the Penn Relays. Her collegiate All-America honors ranged from the 1500 meters and the Mile up through the 3000 meters and cross country. Piccirillo ran a lifetime best of 2:01.51 in the 800 meters at the Hoey Invitational in Coatesville, Pa. on June 11 to earn her qualification for the Olympic Trials. She was at one time the NCAA record holder in the 1000 meters with a time of 2:40.82 recorded during the 2016 indoor season. Piccirillo also owns lifetime bests of 4:10.89 in the 1500 meters and 4:32.57 in the Mile.
 
The schedule of events for Villanova at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials included competition in the men's 800 meters and 1500 meters as well as the women's 800 meters, 3000 meter steeplechase and high jump. Starting on Friday afternoon is a busy weekend of action in the 2021 Canadian Olympic and Paralympic Track and Field Trials as well as the Irish Life Health National Senior Championships.