EUGENE, Ore.—Villanova alumna McKenna Keegan concluded her second career appearance at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in successful fashion as she finished fourth in her semifinal heat of the 800 meters at Hayward Field on Sunday night. Keegan posted a time of 2:01.30 in her heat, which was the only event on Sunday's schedule featuring a Villanovan. Coming up on Monday night, rising fifth year collegian Liam Murphy and a pair of women's alumnae will be in action on the fourth night of competition.
 
Keegan qualified for the Olympic Team Trials in 2021 after a sensational finish to that year's collegiate season and ran in the first round heats of the 800 meters. Back this year as a professional runner representing NIKE / Nike Union AC, she went a step further and was an automatic qualifier out of the first round heats for Sunday night's semifinal round. Her time of 2:01.30 was good for fourth in her heat and put her in the top half of the overall field of 27 competitors.
 
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A busy night is on tap for current and former Wildcats on Monday evening. It starts with women's high jumper Sanaä Barnes competing in the final of the high jump starting at 8:15 p.m. Eastern time. In her Trials debut in 2021, Barnes recorded her lifetime best mark of 1.87 meters and reached the final of the high jump.
 
She will be followed in short order on Monday by Murphy, whose sensational close in the 1500 meters on Saturday night advanced him into Monday's final. That race goes off at 8:47 p.m. and can be seen live on NBC.
 
Following the 1500 meter final will be the first round of the women's 3000 meter steeplechase where alumna Lydia Olivere will make her second career Olympic Trials appearance. Olivere runs professionally for Under Armour / UA Mission Run Baltimore.