ANNAPOLIS, Md.—Brahmir Vick, a 2024 graduate of the Naval Academy, ran a school record 13.54 in the first round of the 110-Meter High Hurdles at the U.S. Olympic Trials in Eugene, Oreg.
Vick's time was good enough to advance him to one of the three semifinals on Thursday night at 8:01 PM (ET). The race will be televised by NBC and Peacock. To advance to the finals, Vick will have to finish in the top two of his race or be one of the three fastest runners not in the top 2 of all three of the races.
Vick received Second-Team All-America laurels for his performance at the NCAA Track & Field Championship in Eugene. He took 16th place in the 110-meter high hurdles 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.
"The focus is to just execute and compete and make sure you are being clean and efficient," said Vick prior to leaving for the trials. "I meditate at night and think about the race over and over again and get my mind in tune with my body. I've been running 13.6 for a while now, so I feel like a breakthrough is near."
Vick is the second Navy runner to advance to the semifinals in the Olympic Trials. Rising junior Nathan Kent ran a school record in the 400-meters twice in the trials, running a 45.42 in the opening round on Friday and then a 45.32 on Sunday in the semifinals. Kent finished 12th out of 27 runners.
Rising senior Jacques Guillaume will run in one of four heats in the 400-meter hurdles on Thursday starting at 9:20 PM (ET) on USA or Peacock.
Guillaume is coming off a school record performance in that event when 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.
"I've dealt with some injuries this year so it has been a little bit challenging, but that's why I came to the Naval Academy where every day is a challenge and you have to rise up to meet that challenge," said Guillaume prior to leaving for Eugene. "It's a surreal feeling getting a chance to compete on the national stage. We are kind of the unsung heroes, we aren't doing it for the glory but to represent not only the Naval Academy, but the military as a whole."
