The first-place finisher, Robyn Stevens (center), attended UW-Parkside between 2001 and 2003. Class of 2011 Alumna Miranda Melville (left) earned second place during the trials. And Michelle Rohl, a 1989 graduate of UW-Parkside, finished third. (Photo by Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard)
The University of Wisconsin-Parkside was well represented during the U.S. Olympic Trials for Women’s Race Walking on June 29 in Eugene, Oregon. All three of the top finishers attended UW-Parkside with two being UW-Parkside alumna.
The first-place finisher, Robyn Stevens, attended UW-Parkside between 2001 and 2003. Class of 2011 Alumna Miranda Melville earned second place during the trials. And Michelle Rohl, a 1989 graduate of UW-Parkside, finished third.
Robyn Stevens defended her previous Olympic trial victory with a time of 1 hour and 37 seconds. Stevens competed in the delayed 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo in 2021. She finished 33rd overall. Stevens also took 24th place in the 20km race walking competition at the 2022 World Athletics Championships.
Miranda Melville took second place with a time of 1 hour and 39 seconds. Melville had previously represented the United States in the 2016 Olympic Games. She placed 34th in the women’s 20k race walk that year.
Although Rohl did not achieve the Olympic standard to compete in Paris in 2024, she earned the bronze medal with a time of 1 hour and 42 minutes over the course of the 12.4-mile race. Rohl, who is 58 years old, was the oldest athlete at this year’s trials. She officially retired from competition in 2004. She represented the United States in Barcelona in 1992, Atlanta in 1996, and Sydney in 2000 prior.
UW-Parkside has a long history of accomplished race walkers. The trio of Olympic trial competitors were trained by Mike Dewitt, a 1972 graduate of UW-Parkside. DeWitt was named an all-American in 1972 and also competed in the Olympic trials for the 20 km race walk that same year. He also competed in the Olympic trials for the 50 km race walk in 1984,1988, and 1992.
Written by UW-Parkside
Link to original story: https://www.uwp.edu/explore/news/2024-olympic-trials.cfm