Former Wyoming Athlete Mason Finley Qualifies for Tokyo Olympics
LARAMIE -- Former Wyoming track and field star Mason Finley qualified for the 2021 Tokyo Olympics after winning the U.S. Olympic Trials discus competition Friday.
Finley, who was a member of the University of Kansas team before transferring to UW in 2012, will compete in Japan July 23 to Aug. 8.
Finley locked down the discus title and earn his second straight Olympic appearance after a throw of 206 feet, 11 inches on his fifth throw to lock up the spot. Finley's father, Jared, earned All-American in discus throw at Wyoming in 1979.
The 30-year-old Finley beat Reggie Jackson's throw of 205-5 to earn a trip to the Tokyo games. Finley nabbed the bronze medal at the 2017 world championships.
The 6-foot-8 Finley earned 11-time All-American nods and was a four-time NCAA runner-up. As a senior, he was named the Mountain West's Male Outdoor Athlete of the Year. Finley also claimed three All-Mountain West honors and was named the conference Athlete of the Week seven times.
Finley set the school and War Memorial Fieldhouse record in the shot put with a toss of 66-3 1/4 at the Rocky Mountain Classic. He's ranked second in UW history in the discus and fifth in the shot put.
"We are obviously thrilled to have Mason join our team, not only for his tremendous talent level but also because he is a great young man with the highest moral character," Wyoming associate head track and field and throwing coach Paul Barrett said back in 2012. "He has incredible potential as one of the best young talents in the country, so we will work together to help him achieve his goals of winning NCAA titles and making world and Olympic teams in the future."
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