University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Bowie, Kromah Race to Rio's Finish Line
8/11/2016 12:00:00 AM | Track & Field/Cross Country
HATTIESBURG, Miss. - Former Southern Miss track standouts Tori Bowie and Mariam Kromah will compete in this summer's Olympic Games. Bowie, who will represent the United States of America in the women's 100m, 200m, and 4x100m relay. Mariam Kromah will be representing Liberia in the women's 400m.
Kromah, who was born and raised in Liberia, attended Western Hills and Arlington Heights High School in Fort Worth, Texas. She then settled at New Mexico Junior College, where she was an outdoor and indoor NJCAA All-American before making her final stop at Southern Miss.
The May graduate currently holds the Golden Eagle outdoor 400m record of just 52.11 seconds, as well as the school and Conference USA indoor 400m record (53.55). She was an Honorable Mention All-American in her senior season, reaching the NCAA semifinals for the 400m in Eugene, Oregon, with a 54.17 time.
"We just want Mariam to enjoy this experience," said head coach Jon Stuart. "Hopefully this will be the kick off to her possibly long pro career."
Tori Bowie captured third place in the 100m final at the USA Track and Field Olympic Trials in Eugene, Ore.. After posting the best time in the semifinals of 10.74, Bowie finished third in the finals at 10.779 at Hayward Field, behind winner English Gardner at 10.74 and Tianna Bartoletta at 10.776. Her finish, though, enabled her to claim a spot on the USA Team for the Olympics.
Bowie is eyeing three medals in the Rio de Janeiro Summer Olympics, starting the competition weekend on Friday Aug. 12 with the Women's 100m run. At the U.S. trials last month, Bowie lowered her fastest 100m time to 10.78 seconds, edging closer to 10.70, the personal bests of both Jamaica's Elaine Thompson and Netherlands' Dafne Schipper, who will also be competing for medals.
"They don't need to do anything superhuman," said Stuart. "They just need to run the race they've been running all year and the results will take care of themselves."
Bowie will run in the women's 4x100m relay and also contest the 200m after winning the U.S. Olympic trials in 22.25 seconds.
Preliminary races for the women's 100m take place Aug. 12 at 9:55 a.m., with round one starting at 8:40 p.m. The semifinals begin Aug. 13 at 7 p.m. and the finals at 8:35 p.m.
Round one heats for the 200m will be held Aug. 15 at 7:35 a.m., with the semifinals Aug. 16 at 8 p.m. The finals will be Aug. 17 at 8:30 p.m.
The Women's 4x100m relay will begin heats Aug. 18 at 9:20 a.m. with the finals being ran Aug 19. at 8:15 p.m.
Mariam Kromah will be competing in the Women's 400m, taking place Aug. 13 at 9:00 a.m.
All times are central times
Watch more on nbcolympics.com
