Mississippi State University
Sarah Blake will compete on Friday at 6 p.m.
Sarah Blake, a 2015 graduate of Homewood High School, will be gunning for a place on the U.S. Olympic Track and Field team this weekend.
The 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for track and field are taking place in Eugene, Oregon. The trials began June 21 and will conclude on Sunday.
Blake will compete on Friday in the women’s javelin throw at 6 p.m. The event can be streamed on Peacock.
While competing to become an Olympian is undoubtedly nerve wracking, this isn’t Blake’s first appearance at an Olympic trial. She competed at the USATF Olympic trials in 2021, finishing 14th in the qualifying round with a best throw of 47.98m.
Before she worked her way to this year’s competition, Blake built an impressive athletic career throughout high school and college.
In high school, she broke the Alabama state meet record in 2015 in the javelin with a winning throw of 41.72m, leading the Patriots to their second state championship The team also won the state title in 2014 after she finished as state runner-up in both javelin and discus.
Blake also won the Alabama Junior Olympic title along with the Region 6 Junior Olympic crown in 2015. She finished as a high school All-American at the USATF Junior Olympics. She also played basketball and golf.
Beginning her college career at the University of Kentucky in 2016, she broke the school’s record multiple times, with the new record holding at 53.12m. She also made NCAA Championship appearances two years in a row.
In 2019, Blake transferred to Mississippi State University. She went on to break their throw record, pushing it to 52.73m, and her 2019 outdoor season saw her compete in the NCAA Championships and USATF Championships. In 2021, she competed in the SEC Championships and finished 15th at the NCAA East Prelims.
Blake earned her bachelor's degree in interdisciplinary studies in 2020 and a master’s degree in food science, nutrition and health promotion in 2021.
If she makes it past Friday’s competition, Blake will compete in the women’s javelin throw final on Sunday at 6:10 p.m.
