Brianne Theisen Qualifies for the Olympics
Brianne Theisen is one of the Oregon Ducks alumni that will be representing their country in the 2012 London Summer Olympics. Theisen, who just completed her senior year, is a member of Team Canada and will be competing in the heptathlon. The heptathlon consists of seven events; 100 meter hurdles, high jump, shot put, 200 meters, long jump, javelin throw and 800 meters.
The business admin major recently finished second overall in the heptathlon at the Canadian Olympic Trials to earn her spot as a member of Team Canada. The trials were held at Foothills Athletic Park in Calgary, Alberta at the end of June. Theisen is a native of Humboldt, Saskatchewan.
In order to qualify for the Olympics, Theisen had to finish in the top three. She finished second to Jessica Zelinka. She had a personal best in the long jump of 20’9” on her only jump. Theisen proceeded to throw the javelin 141’6” and ran the 800 m in 2:16.07. She joins her fiancé and former Duck, Ahston Eaton, as an Olympian. Eaton will represent Team USA in the decathlon.
The day after qualifying for the Olympics, she was named a finalist for The Bowerman. The Bowerman is the greatest award an athlete in track and field can attain. The other two finalists for the award are Brigetta Barrett from Arizona and Kimberlyn Duncan of LSU. Fans will actually be able to vote on the award starting on July 9th at TheBowerman.org. Theisen is the first Oregon woman to be named a finalist for the honor.
Theisen had a highly decorative career at Oregon. This past year she was named the Pac-12 Field Athlete of the Year and won the Pac-12 title in the heptathlon for the third time. She has also won the the pentathlon twice and the 4 x 400 meter relay. You can check out her impressive resume here.
There are seven other former Ducks that will be a member of the 2012 Summer Olympic games in London. The individuals are Becky Holliday, Cyrus Hostetler, Galen Rupp, Zoe Buckman, Matthew Centrowitz, Andrew Wheating and Rachel Yurkovich.
Check out Raymond Mencke’s blog at www.sportissue.com. Also follow him on Twitter @RaymondMenckeJr,
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