Victoria Martinez Set for Olympic Trials
by Dave Kavanaugh/ Las Vegas Optic
Las Vegas: Las Vegas native Victoria Martinez will be among the hopefuls lining up this weekend at the U.S. Olympic Trials for track and field.
The trials, which determine the athletes representing the United States on its Olympic team for the upcoming summer Beijing Games, are scheduled from June 27 through July 6 in Eugene, Ore.
Martinez will compete in the 800-meter run as part of an announced field of 30 women. The preliminary competition in the 800 is scheduled for 8 p.m. Pacific Friday. Those making the cut will move on to the 800 semifinal, slated for 4:25 p.m. Saturday, and the final will begin at 8:15 p.m. Monday.
It's a huge weekend for one of the most talented athletes in the history of the Meadow City.
"I can now and forever say that I was a participant in the 2008 USA Olympic Trials," Martinez told the Optic in an interview this past weekend. "This has been the goal all along for this past year, but now that it is finally here, I really am almost speechless ... almost."
Martinez has battled for a spot in both the 800 and 1,500 runs for much of the last year, journeying across the country to train and compete in various events. Her entry time in the 800 is 2:04.54, the 27th best among entrants. The best qualifying time is a 1:58.75, run by Alice Schmidt of Chapel Hill, N.C. Only the top five in the field have finished in less than two minutes.
There is a slim chance Martinez could still make the field for the 1,500, in which she's run a 4:17.21, 45th in the U.S. and 15 spots shy of the cut. The 30th woman in the field, Julie Culley of Arlington, Va., has a qualifying time of 4:14.58. Meanwhile, Shannon Rowbury of San Francisco owns the top time with a 4:01.61.
"These last few weeks have been a little stressful, but it has all been worth it," she said.
Martinez, a 2001 graduate of Robertson High School, earned All-American status and multiple national championships while attending Adams State College, an NCAA Division II school based in Alamosa, Colo. She concluded her collegiate athletic career by capturing national titles in the 800 and 1,500 distance events in the spring of 2006. Along the way, she was one of the Grizzlies' top cross country women, helping the team to national team titles.
A donation account has been established at area Wells Fargo banks to help Martinez defray her travel expenses. "If people still would like to donate anything," she said, "it is being put to good use. And I want to say thank you to everyone (who) has helped me. It has meant so much, and I am so grateful. You have all been a part in getting me to where I am now. Thank you."
Portions of the trials will be broadcast on national television. The USA network, available through local cable and satellite providers, will carry the trials from 10 to 12 Friday night; NBC has a 6-7 p.m. Saturday telecast scheduled. Both networks plan broadcasts Sunday, Monday and July 3-6. Check listings for times.
Eugene has been hailed as a veritable mecca for track and distance running in particular, dubbed "Track Town USA" and is the host site for the Nike Prefontaine Classic. The specific site for the trials is Hayward Field, the historic venue that hosted the 1972, '76 and '80 Olympic Trials.
Notes: Katie Coronado and Alesha Walker of the University of New Mexico will also be vying for spots on the U.S. Olympic team. Coronado, a UNM junior from Ruidoso, throws the javelin; Walker, a sophomore form Killeen, Texas, is a long jumper.
