Phoebe Wright, of the USA Blue team, runs during the Penn Relays athletics meet Saturday, April 28, 2012 in Philadelphia. Wright is from Signal Mountain and was a runner at Red Bank High.Two former Southeastern Conference track All-Americans and national champions from Signal Mountain will try this week to earn spots in the London Olympics.
Both have legitimate shots at finishing in the top three and making the United States team in the track and field trials at Eugene, Ore.
Baylor School alumnus James Strang, who ran two years for Colorado before transferring to Arkansas and winning the SEC 5,000-meter championship in 2008, will run Friday night in the 10,000 at Oregon’s Hayward Field. Earlier that day, Red Bank graduate Phoebe Wright, who almost went to Colorado before walking on at Tennessee and four years later winning the 2010 NCAA 800 indoor and outdoor titles, will race in the first round of heats at that distance.
The semifinals are Saturday and the 800 final is next Monday.
Wright, 23, also is entered in the 1500, the prelims for which are June 27. Although she has raced mostly at the longer distance in recent months, the 1500 is her backup plan at the U.S. trials.