Thursday, June 17
Minneapolis, MN
University of Northern Iowa
at
US Paralympic Trials
Photo by: Lima2019
Panthers Prepare for U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Trials
6/16/2021 7:11:00 PM | Track and Field
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa – UNI Track and Field will be sending five current and former Panthers to the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic trials. Senior Jessica Heims and sophomore Erin Kerkhoff are set to compete at the U.S. Paralympic trials, which run from June 17 – 20 at Breck High School in Minneapolis, Minn. Graduate student Darius King, as well as former Panther stand-outs Brandon Carnes and current assistant distance coach Alexina Wilson are slated to compete at the U.S. Olympic Trials, which will be held at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore. from June 18 - 27.
The U.S. Paralympic Trials
Kerkhoff will kick off the action at the U.S. Paralympic Trials with the women's T13 100-meters, scheduled for 6:00 p.m. CT on Friday. Her second event of the weekend will be the women's T13/38 400-meters at 10:40 a.m. CT on Saturday. During the course of the 2020-21 season, she notched personal-bests in the 60 meters (8.29), 100 meters (12.99), 200 meters (26.40), and 400 meters (58.27).
Heims will compete in the women's F64 discus final at 4:40 p.m. CT on Saturday. This season she placed third in the discus with a season-best mark of 33.98m at the John Kruchoski Open on May 15. Heims had been on the path to the 2020 Paralympic Games before they were pushed back due to the global pandemic. Heims is the F64 discus world record holder with a mark of 35.53m, set at the Wisconsin Alumni Meet on May 3, 2019.
The U.S. Olympic Trials
King is slated to compete in the men's shot put after earning All-America honors for his performance at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships on June 9. King posted a seventh-place finish with a toss of 19.69m. King holds the UNI school records for the indoor shot put (20.06m) and outdoor shot put (20.14m) as well as the MVC Indoor Championships meet record (19.77m), all set during the 2020-21 season. The men's shot put qualifying round will be at 12 p.m. PT (2 p.m. CT) on Friday. The final is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. PT (8:30 p.m. CT), also on Friday.
Former Panther standout Carnes will be competing in the men's 200 meters. Carnes competed for the Panthers from 2014 to 2017. In 2017, Carnes set several UNI and MVC records. During the indoor season, he posted a UNI and MVC record in the 60 meters with a time of 6.59. He also clocked a time of 21.03 for the school record in the indoor 200 meters. During the outdoor season, he posted a school and conference record in the 100 meters with a time of 10.06. He also holds the outdoor 200-meter program and MVC record with a time of 20.25. Carnes' journey to the Olympics starts on Friday, June 25. The first round of the men's 200 meters is scheduled for 2:04 p.m. PT (4:04 p.m. CT).
UNI assistant coach and former Panther, Wilson will be competing in the women's 3000-meter steeplechase. She posted a personal best of 9:32.69 on May 22 in the 3000-meter steeplechase at the Trials of Miles NYC Qualifier and clocked a personal-best in the Drake Relays Journey to Gold 1500 meters with a time of 4:11.16 on April 24. Wilson competed for the Panthers from 2012 to 2015. She holds the program record for the mile (4:44.32), 3000 meters (9:29.52), 1500 meters (4:18.27) and 3000-meter steeplechase (10:23.90), all set in 2015. She was also a member of the distance medley relay that clocked a UNI and MVC record of 11:17.50, also in 2015. The first round of the 3000-meter steeplechase is slated for 6:35 p.m. PT (8:35 p.m. CT) on Sunday. The finals are scheduled for 8:47 p.m. PT (10:47 p.m. CT) on Thursday, June 24.
Coverage of the U.S. Olympic Trials begins at 7 p.m. ET on NBCSN and continues at 10 p.m. on NBC on Friday, June 18. There will be coverage eight of the nights, including six in primetime on NBC. A full broadcast schedule can be found here. NBCOlympics.com as well as the NBC Sports app will have exclusive streaming coverage of select field events.
Competing Panthers | Schedule of Events
Friday, June 18
U.S. Olympic Trials
12 p.m. (PT) Men's Shot Put (Qualifier) – Darius King
6:30 p.m. (PT) Men's Shot Put (Final)
U.S. Paralympic Trials
6 p.m. Women's T13 100m (Final) – Erin Kerkhoff
Saturday, June 19
U.S. Paralympic Trials
10:40 a.m. (CT) Women's T13/38 400 meters (Final) – Erin Kerkhoff
4:40 p.m. (CT) Women's F64 Discus (Final) – Jessica Heims
Sunday, June 20
U.S. Olympic Trials
6:35 p.m. (PT) – Women's 3000-meter Steeplechase (First Round) – Alexina Wilson
Thursday, June 24
U.S. Olympic Trials
8:47 p.m. (PT) – Women's 3000-meter Steeplechase (Final)
Friday, June 25
U.S. Olympic Trials
2:04 p.m. (PT) – Men's 200 meters (First Round) – Brandon Carnes
Saturday, June 26
U.S. Olympic Trials
7:33 p.m. (PT) – Men's 200 meters (Semifinals)
Sunday, June 27
U.S. Olympic Trials
5:22 p.m. (PT) – Men's 200 meters (Final)
The U.S. Paralympic Trials
Kerkhoff will kick off the action at the U.S. Paralympic Trials with the women's T13 100-meters, scheduled for 6:00 p.m. CT on Friday. Her second event of the weekend will be the women's T13/38 400-meters at 10:40 a.m. CT on Saturday. During the course of the 2020-21 season, she notched personal-bests in the 60 meters (8.29), 100 meters (12.99), 200 meters (26.40), and 400 meters (58.27).
Heims will compete in the women's F64 discus final at 4:40 p.m. CT on Saturday. This season she placed third in the discus with a season-best mark of 33.98m at the John Kruchoski Open on May 15. Heims had been on the path to the 2020 Paralympic Games before they were pushed back due to the global pandemic. Heims is the F64 discus world record holder with a mark of 35.53m, set at the Wisconsin Alumni Meet on May 3, 2019.
The U.S. Olympic Trials
King is slated to compete in the men's shot put after earning All-America honors for his performance at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships on June 9. King posted a seventh-place finish with a toss of 19.69m. King holds the UNI school records for the indoor shot put (20.06m) and outdoor shot put (20.14m) as well as the MVC Indoor Championships meet record (19.77m), all set during the 2020-21 season. The men's shot put qualifying round will be at 12 p.m. PT (2 p.m. CT) on Friday. The final is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. PT (8:30 p.m. CT), also on Friday.
Former Panther standout Carnes will be competing in the men's 200 meters. Carnes competed for the Panthers from 2014 to 2017. In 2017, Carnes set several UNI and MVC records. During the indoor season, he posted a UNI and MVC record in the 60 meters with a time of 6.59. He also clocked a time of 21.03 for the school record in the indoor 200 meters. During the outdoor season, he posted a school and conference record in the 100 meters with a time of 10.06. He also holds the outdoor 200-meter program and MVC record with a time of 20.25. Carnes' journey to the Olympics starts on Friday, June 25. The first round of the men's 200 meters is scheduled for 2:04 p.m. PT (4:04 p.m. CT).
UNI assistant coach and former Panther, Wilson will be competing in the women's 3000-meter steeplechase. She posted a personal best of 9:32.69 on May 22 in the 3000-meter steeplechase at the Trials of Miles NYC Qualifier and clocked a personal-best in the Drake Relays Journey to Gold 1500 meters with a time of 4:11.16 on April 24. Wilson competed for the Panthers from 2012 to 2015. She holds the program record for the mile (4:44.32), 3000 meters (9:29.52), 1500 meters (4:18.27) and 3000-meter steeplechase (10:23.90), all set in 2015. She was also a member of the distance medley relay that clocked a UNI and MVC record of 11:17.50, also in 2015. The first round of the 3000-meter steeplechase is slated for 6:35 p.m. PT (8:35 p.m. CT) on Sunday. The finals are scheduled for 8:47 p.m. PT (10:47 p.m. CT) on Thursday, June 24.
Coverage of the U.S. Olympic Trials begins at 7 p.m. ET on NBCSN and continues at 10 p.m. on NBC on Friday, June 18. There will be coverage eight of the nights, including six in primetime on NBC. A full broadcast schedule can be found here. NBCOlympics.com as well as the NBC Sports app will have exclusive streaming coverage of select field events.
Competing Panthers | Schedule of Events
Friday, June 18
U.S. Olympic Trials
12 p.m. (PT) Men's Shot Put (Qualifier) – Darius King
6:30 p.m. (PT) Men's Shot Put (Final)
U.S. Paralympic Trials
6 p.m. Women's T13 100m (Final) – Erin Kerkhoff
Saturday, June 19
U.S. Paralympic Trials
10:40 a.m. (CT) Women's T13/38 400 meters (Final) – Erin Kerkhoff
4:40 p.m. (CT) Women's F64 Discus (Final) – Jessica Heims
Sunday, June 20
U.S. Olympic Trials
6:35 p.m. (PT) – Women's 3000-meter Steeplechase (First Round) – Alexina Wilson
Thursday, June 24
U.S. Olympic Trials
8:47 p.m. (PT) – Women's 3000-meter Steeplechase (Final)
Friday, June 25
U.S. Olympic Trials
2:04 p.m. (PT) – Men's 200 meters (First Round) – Brandon Carnes
Saturday, June 26
U.S. Olympic Trials
7:33 p.m. (PT) – Men's 200 meters (Semifinals)
Sunday, June 27
U.S. Olympic Trials
5:22 p.m. (PT) – Men's 200 meters (Final)
Players Mentioned
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