Home Notice Box Sports Running for gold: Xenia, Cedarville alum competing for Olympic bid

Running for gold: Xenia, Cedarville alum competing for Olympic bid

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XENIA — Dan Michalski, a 2018 alumnus of Cedarville University, is heading to the U.S. Olympic track & field trials in Eugene, Ore.

The 2017 NCAA Division-II steeplechase national champion competes in the preliminary round Monday, June 21. The finals will be held Friday, June 25. If Michalski places in the top three at the finals, he will earn a spot on the U.S. track and field Olympic team.

Michalski, a Xenia native, was Cedarville’s top distance runner during his career with the Yellow Jackets. In 2016-17, Michalski became Cedarville’s first NCAA men’s national champion by winning the NCAA D-II Outdoor National Championship in the steeplechase in a school-record 8:44.49. One year earlier, he placed eighth in the 3,000 meter steeplechase at the NCAA Outdoor Championship and became Cedarville’s first NCAA D2 All-American. After graduating from Cedarville in 2018, and with one more year of college eligibility, Michalski enrolled at Indiana University and helped the Hoosiers to a strong season.

He placed second in the Big Ten steeplechase, and seventh at the NCAA National Championship meet. At the NCAA meet, Michalski had a strong lead in the steeplechase heading into the final 150 meters before falling at the last water hurdle. Still, he earned NCAA All-American honors for his accomplishment.

At one time this spring, he owned the top American time in the steeplechase and the third-best time in the world.

Submitted photo Xenia’s Dan Michalski is heading to the U.S. Olympic track & field trials in Eugene, Ore. He competes in the steeplechase.
https://www.xeniagazette.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/32/2021/06/web1_daniel-michalski.jpgSubmitted photo Xenia’s Dan Michalski is heading to the U.S. Olympic track & field trials in Eugene, Ore. He competes in the steeplechase.