ANNAPOLIS, Md.—Rising junior Nathan Kent set the school record in the 400-meter dash yesterday evening at the U.S. Olympic Trials in Eugene, Oregon to advance to the semifinals on Sunday night.
Kent ran a 45.42, breaking the school record of 45.68 set by Torrance Chaplin in 2000. Kent finished fourth in his heat and 15th overall out of 33 runners to advance.
Kent, who is also a wide receiver on the football team, led the Mids at the NCAA Championship with a 13th-place finish in the 400 meters. He earned Second-Team All-America accolades by clocking in a time of 45.85. Additionally, Kent is the first midshipman to be named an All-American in the 400m.
"I'm just happy to have this opportunity and my goal is to make it to the finals and I think I can compete for that," said Kent prior to leaving for Eugene. "Coach Cook does a great job of getting us prepared and I'm feeling pretty confident. I feel like I have a shot. We feel like we belong with the big dogs."
The semifinals will take place at 9:35 PM ET on Sunday on NBC and Peacock. To advance to the finals, Kent will have to be in the top 2 in his heat (total of 3 heats) or one of the three fastest remaining runners not to finish in the top 2 to advance (total of 9 advance). In the first round, ninth place was Bryce Deadmon from NIKE in a time of 45.21. The finals of the 400-meters are Monday at 9:59 PM ET on NBC and Peacock.
Braden Presser, a 2024 graduate of the Naval Academy, also competed last night in the javelin throw but did not advance with his throw of 64.38 meters (211'3").
Presser leaves Navy as just the second athlete in team history to be named an All-American three times. He received Second-Team All-America honors in the javelin throw this year thanks to a throw of 69.15m (226' 10") at the NCAA Championship. His distance helped him place 16th overall in the event. Only Leo Williams had been named an All-American three times before Presser. He garnered All-America accolades in the high jump in 1981, '82 and '83 during both the indoor and outdoor seasons.
Navy has two other athletes at the Olympic Trials that will compete next week. Brahmir Vick, a 2024 graduate of the Naval Academy, and rising senior Jaques Guillaume.
Vick will compete in the 100-meter high hurdles. He received Second-Team All-America laurels for his performance at the NCAA Track & Field Championship held last week in Eugene. He took 16th place by posting the third-fastest time in school history at 13.66. Navy's outdoor captain is just the second Midshipmen to claim All-America distinction in a hurdle event and the first since Robert Banks in 1946.
Vick will run in the first round at 8:05 PM (ET) on Monday, June 24 on NBC and Peacock. The semifinals will take place at 8:01 PM (ET) on Thursday, June 27 on NBC and Peacock, while the finals are at 10:50 PM (ET) on Friday, June 28 on NBC and Peacock.
Guillaume is coming off a school record performance in the 400-meter hurdles where he ran a 50.79 at the NCAA East Preliminaries. Guillaume beat the previous school record by 0.16, which was set by Clayton Thompson in 2019.
Guillaume will run on Thursday, June 27 in the first round at either 9:20 or 9:49 PM (ET) on USA and Peacock. The semifinals are on Friday, June 28 at 9:21 PM (ET) on Peacock, while the finals are at 8:20 PM (ET) on Sunday, June 30 on NBC and Peacock.
