2024 graduate Bella Whittaker qualified for the Paris Olympics on Sunday.
Credit: Tjaden LitwilerPenn women’s track and field’s Isabella Whittaker is Paris-bound following the conclusion of the 2024 United States Track and Field Olympic Trials.
Going into the competition, the recent graduate led the Red and Blue into a picturesque ending to a flourishing collegiate season — with a backdrop that would see the scoreboard light up with five shiny Olympic rings.
In the past week, Penn track and field hit the big stage competing at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials in Eugene, Ore. Whittaker finished sixth in the 400-meter final, finding herself just barely breaking into a star-studded cast of athletes set to represent the United States in the 400m relay pool.
Like the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, the event was hosted at University of Oregon’s Hayward Field. Bringing in a plethora of former and current Penn athletes in a multitude of events, the Red and Blue looked to conquer the field as a team in the toughest competition on American soil.
“It’s the best of the best, and everyone is trying to make the Olympics. It’s an amazing level of competition that we are watching every single event,” Steve Dolan, director of track and field and cross country, said.
Other athletes performed admirably as well, including performances that left 2024 graduate Scott Toney and rising senior James Rhoads just short of advancing to the men’s pole vault finals. Further, 2022 graduate Marc Minichello finished eighth in the men’s javelin final, ending with a best throw distance of 73.07 meters.
Additionally, 2020 graduate Nia Akins made the Olympic team after finishing first in the 800m final. After defending Olympic champion Athing Mu got tangled up and fell during the race, Akins seized the moment and triumphed to her first Olympic Games.
While all eyes were on 2024 graduate Isabella Whittaker heading into the Trials, Whittaker set her own sights solely on one thing — a one-way trip to Paris. On the track on Friday, Whittaker competed in the 400m prelims to begin her quest to Olympic glory. Having run a personal best and Ivy League record time of 50.17 seconds in the final at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, Whittaker looked to maintain her consistency in her signature event. With a time of 51.18 seconds, Whittaker finished second in her heat only behind the University of Georgia’s Aaliyah Butler.
Following the prelims, Whittaker had a quick turnaround on Saturday where she raced in the 400m semifinal. To make the final, Whittaker had to finish either within the top two of her heat or have one of the next three fastest times. Slated to run in the third of three semifinal races, Whittaker remained steadfast and determined amidst a crowded field of talented competitors. Running her own race was paramount with a finals spot on the line.
Heading towards the finish line with 100 meters to go, Whittaker found a second gear to push past her competitors and finish with a time of 50.48 seconds, behind only Lynna Irby-Jackson. As a result, Whittaker snuck into the nine-person final on Sunday.
With the top three athletes automatically qualifying for Paris, Whittaker was one lap around the track away from Olympic glory. Traditionally, athletes who placed in the top six of the 400m would make the Olympic relay pool due to relay considerations in the 4x400m mixed relay and 4x400m women’s relay that would take place in Paris.
In a callback to the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, Whittaker was once again on the outside, running out of lane nine. After an impressive start, Whittaker’s competitors slowly creeped up on her from the inside lanes. It was then that Whittaker found that special something that had gotten her to this point in her impressive athletic career. After almost falling to the back of the pack, Whittaker surged in the final 50 meters to finish in sixth place, with a time of 50.68 seconds — gaining a spot in the Olympic relay pool.
“Almost every time, [Whittaker] will wind up in a race where someone might’ve run a faster time in the past or the day previous, but she finds a way to beat athletes and to compete her best,” Dolan said on Whittaker’s attributes. “When the lights go on, she seems to really do her best. It’s something we are super impressed with, as well as her character.”
It wasn’t just one Whittaker that stole the show, but two. Isabella Whittaker’s sister, Stanford rising sophomore Juliette Whittaker, finished third in the 800m final with a personal-best time of 1:58.45 seconds, qualifying her to compete in the City of Light. Making history is only just the beginning for this dynamic duo.
Looking ahead to an eventful Paris Olympic Games, the Red and Blue will now don the Red, White, and Blue in the Stade de France. The Olympic team will be well represented by both Whittaker and Akins, underscoring that Penn track and field success is built for the past, present, and future.
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