Three Mustangs Qualify for US Olympic Marathon Trials
12/5/2022 4:45:00 PM | Cross Country, Track and Field
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. — Three runners with ties to the Cal Poly track & field and cross country programs punched their tickets to the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials on Sunday.
Jake Ritter, who is just over two weeks removed from competing in the NCAA Cross Country National Championships in Stillwater, and Cal Poly alums Swarnjit Boyal and Julia Vasquez all ran times that qualified them for the 2024 U.S. Olympic Marathon Team Trials during the California International Marathon in Sacramento.
This is the second time Boyal has secured a spot in the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials. In 2019, he qualified for the team trials in his California International Marathon debut.
Boyal competed on the Mustang track & field and cross country teams from 2014-18. During his Cal Poly career, Boyal claimed two Big West titles in the 10,000 meters and one in the 5,000, was named 2018 Big West Track Athlete of the Year and advanced to the NCAA XC Nationals as a senior with a 10th-place finish at regionals.
Boyal finished in a tie for 24th overall at Sunday's California International Marathon, completing the course in 2:16:31. Ritter wasn't far behind, crossing the line in 33rd overall with a time of 2:17:14 to meet the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials qualifying time of 2 hours, 18 minutes.
Ritter and Boyal were teammates at Cal Poly for one season (2017-18) and Ritter said it was special to share such an amazing accomplishment with a fellow Mustang.
"Just having Swarnjit in the race really helped a ton," Ritter said. "We were both hugging it out afterwards … so it was really nice to have a former teammate there, that meant a lot. I think that's one thing that kept me going through the race."
It was Ritter's marathon debut, but he entered the 26.2-mile race with expectations of meeting the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials qualifying time.
"I knew I could run 2:18, I had the fitness to do it," he said. "That was the plan from the gun."
Once he realized what he had accomplished, Ritter said he felt a rush of emotions and plenty of pain.
"Anything after 14 miles was new territory for me so I was just so really relieved to be done, especially because the last few miles were easily some of the toughest miles in my life," he said. "I've never hurt that bad after any race I've ever done. I could not use my calves as soon as I crossed the finish line."
Ritter recently put a bow on his Cal Poly career with an historic final cross country season. He broke the Big West meet record en route to becoming the first athlete in conference history to capture three individual cross country titles. Then at NCAA West Regionals, he ran a personal-best 10K time to place 12th overall, the highest individual finisher at regionals for Cal Poly since Boyal in 2017. He capped off his legendary career by becoming the men's highest individual finisher at nationals since Phillip Reid in 2007.
Vasquez was the 38th woman to cross the finish line at Sunday's California International Marathon, completing the course in 2:36:36. She met the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials qualifying time of 2 hours, 37 minutes by 24 seconds.
Vasquez was a member of the Cal Poly track & field and cross country programs from 2014-18, crossing paths with Ritter and Boyal during her time as a Mustang. The Cal Poly women raised two Big West cross country titles throughout her tenure and Vasquez earned All-Conference honors as a senior by placing 10th at the Big West Championships.
"I think Cal Poly really represented [Sunday] at CIM," Ritter said.
Boyal, Ritter and Vasquez will all compete in the 2024 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials on Feb. 3, 2024, in Orlando.
Jake Ritter, who is just over two weeks removed from competing in the NCAA Cross Country National Championships in Stillwater, and Cal Poly alums Swarnjit Boyal and Julia Vasquez all ran times that qualified them for the 2024 U.S. Olympic Marathon Team Trials during the California International Marathon in Sacramento.
This is the second time Boyal has secured a spot in the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials. In 2019, he qualified for the team trials in his California International Marathon debut.
Boyal competed on the Mustang track & field and cross country teams from 2014-18. During his Cal Poly career, Boyal claimed two Big West titles in the 10,000 meters and one in the 5,000, was named 2018 Big West Track Athlete of the Year and advanced to the NCAA XC Nationals as a senior with a 10th-place finish at regionals.
Boyal finished in a tie for 24th overall at Sunday's California International Marathon, completing the course in 2:16:31. Ritter wasn't far behind, crossing the line in 33rd overall with a time of 2:17:14 to meet the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials qualifying time of 2 hours, 18 minutes.
Ritter and Boyal were teammates at Cal Poly for one season (2017-18) and Ritter said it was special to share such an amazing accomplishment with a fellow Mustang.
"Just having Swarnjit in the race really helped a ton," Ritter said. "We were both hugging it out afterwards … so it was really nice to have a former teammate there, that meant a lot. I think that's one thing that kept me going through the race."
It was Ritter's marathon debut, but he entered the 26.2-mile race with expectations of meeting the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials qualifying time.
"I knew I could run 2:18, I had the fitness to do it," he said. "That was the plan from the gun."
Once he realized what he had accomplished, Ritter said he felt a rush of emotions and plenty of pain.
"Anything after 14 miles was new territory for me so I was just so really relieved to be done, especially because the last few miles were easily some of the toughest miles in my life," he said. "I've never hurt that bad after any race I've ever done. I could not use my calves as soon as I crossed the finish line."
Ritter recently put a bow on his Cal Poly career with an historic final cross country season. He broke the Big West meet record en route to becoming the first athlete in conference history to capture three individual cross country titles. Then at NCAA West Regionals, he ran a personal-best 10K time to place 12th overall, the highest individual finisher at regionals for Cal Poly since Boyal in 2017. He capped off his legendary career by becoming the men's highest individual finisher at nationals since Phillip Reid in 2007.
Vasquez was the 38th woman to cross the finish line at Sunday's California International Marathon, completing the course in 2:36:36. She met the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials qualifying time of 2 hours, 37 minutes by 24 seconds.
Vasquez was a member of the Cal Poly track & field and cross country programs from 2014-18, crossing paths with Ritter and Boyal during her time as a Mustang. The Cal Poly women raised two Big West cross country titles throughout her tenure and Vasquez earned All-Conference honors as a senior by placing 10th at the Big West Championships.
"I think Cal Poly really represented [Sunday] at CIM," Ritter said.
Boyal, Ritter and Vasquez will all compete in the 2024 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials on Feb. 3, 2024, in Orlando.
Players Mentioned
Distance
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