Path To Paris: Rooks and Corrigan Place Top-3 in U.S. Olympic Trials Steeplechase Final

Kenneth Rooks and James Corrigan both finished in the top-three in the finals of the men’s steeplechase at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials at Hayward Field Sunday night, putting both athletes in position to compete for Team USA at the Olympic Games in Paris, France later this summer.

Author Zach Hunter
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EUGENE, Ore. — Kenneth Rooks and James Corrigan both finished in the top-three in the finals of the men’s steeplechase at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials at Hayward Field Sunday night, putting both athletes in position to compete for Team USA at the Olympic Games in Paris, France later this summer. 

Full Results

Rooks placed first in the field with a 8:21.92 finish, while Corrigan finished third with a surge in the last 100-meters to finish in 8:26.78. Both will await selection to Team USA for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris based on the World Athletics Rankings that will finalize July 7 as neither has run under the Olympic Standard of 8:15.00 in the event. There are three spots allotted for each country. Rooks is ranked third in the standings among U.S. steeplechasers. Corrigan was outside of the top 36 prior to the race and will need to fall within that by June 30 to be selected to the U.S. Team. 

“I’m still floating,” said BYU director of track and field Ed Eyestone. "I’m levitating. I’m at an all-time high. I mean, as high as I was when we went one-two in the marathon with Conner Mantz and Clayton Young, it was really beyond my wildest dreams coming into this that we could get both Kenneth and James in the top-3.”

As 2023 USATF and NCAA Champion and recently-turned professional, Rooks maintained a spot at the front of the pack for a majority of the race before surging with 800-meters to go that opened up a 20-meter gap. With both hands raised in his signature style, Rooks crossed the finish with the win. Corrgian was in sixth with a lap to go but positioned himself in third by the 100-meter mark. The Big 12 Individual Champion ran his second fastest time in the event, having previously clocked 8:21.22 in the semi final round Friday night. 

Prior to Rooks and Corrigans performances, there have only been two BYU track and field alums that have competed for Team USA in the Olympic Games in the steeplechase. Henry Marsh qualified four separate times  highlighted by a fourth-place finish at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, California. Most recently, Josh McAdams placed ninth at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China. 

Both Rooks and Corrigan were the Cougars' lone All-Americans at the 2023 NCAA Cross Country Championships. 

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Additional Performances.

Meghan Hunter ran 2:03.27 in the semi finals of the women’s 800-meter and took seventh in her heat, but did not qualify for the finals of the event. Hunter earned First Team All-American honors earlier this year by placing third at the 2024 NCAA indoor championships, running 2:02.1, before deciding to redshirt the outdoor season. Hunter was a top-three finalist for the Honda Inspiration Award by the Collegiate Women's Sports Awards. 

Cameron Bates finished ninth overall in the finals of the men’s javelin with a 69.61m/228-4 toss. Bates ends his career as a Cougar with three-time First Team All-American honors as well as the school record of 77.17m/228-4 in the event. 

Additional Quotes

Ed Eyestone - BYU Director of Track and Field

“James has shown glimpses of greatness and he certainly looked good in the prelim…I think it helped that Kennth made the big move with two laps to go because it forced guys to get out of their comfort zone, and James rode that.”

“We were focused on Kenneth, and then out of the corner of my eye, I saw James rolling by people like a steamroller. He just finished strong and looked so, so good.” 

“I’m so very happy for both of them. We couldn’t have drawn it up any better than that. Top-three at the Olympic Trials, you just can’t ask for more than that.”

Kenneth Rooks - Nike Athlete, BYU Alum - Steeplechase 

“I was a little rushed on Friday but today I got to Hayward Field earlier and slowed things down. I just tried to focus as much as I could on the process. I just tried to slow it down a bit beforehand, then tried to be curious in the race and look for what was going to happen and respond.”

Conner Mantz - 2024 Team USA - Marathon

"Kenneth and James are some of the hardest working athletes you’ll find. Kenneth practices hurdle drills probably more than any distance runner in the country. It’s no surprise to me how great of an athlete Kenneth is. James is very focused, and sees the success Kenneth has and follows his example in practice."

Josh McAdams - Ninth in the Steeplechase at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games

“It was so exciting! Seeing James roll up in the final 200 meters got me off the couch yelling at the TV. Coach Eyestone has men prepared for just about any race. It went out slow and Kenneth took it knowing he could close the last 800m as fast as anyone. BYU has one of, if not the best steeplechase programs in the country, and going 1-3 at an Olympic Trials is testament to that. We’ll continue to see great things from the men and women’s programs at Steeple U.”

Ryan Waite - BYU Assistant Distance Coach

"We are in a little bit of shock. It's hard enough to get one person to finish that high at a Olympic Trials, so to have two in the top-three is just a major testament to the system, the program that Coach Eyestone runs and the dedication of the boys and their belief. Just a really, really special day."