Brentwood’s Rivera qualifies for Olympic Trials

By
Doug Miner
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In a track meet Monday at Brentwood High School, senior Sophia Rivera launched a javelin throw that qualified her for the 2016 Olympic Team Trials in July in Eugene, OR, at ‘historic’ Hayward Field.

The throw came in her third and final attempt, hitting 180 feet, 4 inches. It’s the longest throw by a high school girl in the nation and qualified Rivera for the United States Olympic Trials, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. It puts her in contention for a spot on the US Olympic Team in Rio de Janeiro this August.

MileSplitUSA said Rivera’s throw of 180 feet, 4 inches is the “No. 3 all-time javelin throw”.

Rivera had previously broken 176 feet. The qualifying standard to compete in the javelin at the trials for the U.S. Women’s Olympic Team is a little more than 177 feet.

She told the Post-Dispatch this came sooner than she expected.

“I didn’t have a specific time in the season I wanted this to come, I just knew I wanted it. I wasn’t expecting it this early in the season,” Rivera told the Post-Dispatch. “Coming out here today and popping it out, it was unexpected and phenomenal and I’m over the moon.”

At the same meet Rivera also won the shot put with the nation’s second-best mark this year (51-5) and the discus with the 13th best in the nation (151-5) for 2016, according to MileSplitUSA.

Rivera will compete at the Kansas Relays this weekend, to be streamed live on FloTrack.

Below — two videos of Rivera’s historic throw, via Twitter.