Grantham, PA – Messiah College alumnus Patrick Roach put forth an impressive performance in the 800-meter run last weekend, all but assuring himself a spot in the field of 32 at the USA Track & Field (USATF) Olympic Trials. Roach ran a lifetime best 1:46.58 at the John Hay Memorial PA Distance Festival in West Chester, Pa. His time was just 0.08 seconds short of the Olympic A qualifying time, but it met the Olympic B standard to guarantee him a bid to the
USTAF Olympic Trials on Friday, June 22.
(Video:
Watch Roach run his recent 800-meter run!)
The 2012 Trials will take place at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore. The 1st Round of the 800-meter run will start in the evening at 5:20 (PST). The semifinals will run on June 23, with the finals scheduled for two days later on Monday, June 25.
Roach is a 2009 graduate of Messiah College, where he was a three-time NCAA All-American. He was named both the MAC Indoor and Outdoor Track Athlete of the Year in 2009, and was 8th all-time in NCAA history in the 800-meter at the time of his graduation. Roach's All-American honors came in the 400-meter dash (5th, 2008), Indoor 800-meter run (3rd, 2009), and 800-meter run (2nd, 2009).
Through the 2011-12 track & field seasons, Roach still holds nine Messiah College records. (
Complete records for the Falcons can be seen here.) Just this past winter, Roach was voted by the Falcons' fans as
one of Messiah College's “Top 50 Athletes” of all-time.
After completing his undergrad degree in Politics at Messiah College, the native of Boiling Springs, Pa., completed a law degree at The College of William & Mary. Over that same period of time he continued training for the 800-meter run, oftentimes without the high-caliber support and instruction of his peers. Nevertheless, Roach will be among the nation's best come the Trials.
“It's a dream to get back to this level,” Roach said, remembering back to his participation in the 2010 U.S. Championships (equivalent to the Trials, but for a non-Olympic year) in the same event. “This time around, I'm hoping to compete well enough to move onto the second day.”
This year, Roach has managed to drop a full second off his previous best time in the 800-meter run, giving him a better shot to advance through the 1st Round—“more of a possibility” as Roach put it.
“I definitely have a different mindset this year,” Roach said. “Last time (in 2010) I was just happy to get the experience. This year, I know I have a shot to move on.”
Among Roach's training have been events with S.W.I.F.T. racing, a running club predominately made up of Messiah College cross country and track & field alumni. The club was started in 2008 as a way to continue the close bonds forged between the Falcons' competitors. The club's members put an emphasis on training and competing for the purpose of glorifying God.
“One of my goals for the Trials is to run while wearing the S.W.I.F.T. jersey,” Roach said, expressing his appreciation for the club's acronymic name: Strength, Wisdom, Integrity, Faith, and Truth. “When competing as a student-athlete at Messiah, it was also special to wear '
Messiah' across your chest. Similarly, running with the S.W.I.F.T. jersey on reminds me that I'm running with a greater purpose.”
Roach also went on to express his appreciation for the physical training that S.W.I.F.T. has given him. This includes having a support group from which he can receive encouragement and share training techniques.
“It's also great to be a part of something 'bigger than yourself,'” Roach added. “That really gives a person extra motivation.”
Such motivation should be present next week for Roach, as a minimum of 14 S.W.I.F.T. teammates are playing to journey to Oregon to support their running mate.
Currently, the S.W.I.F.T. racing team is includes over 35 members, with hundreds of races being completed since the club's inception. Notable performances for S.W.I.F.T. have been achieved in many of these races, including the Boston Marathon, the Broad Street 10 Miler (Philadelphia, Pa.), the 2010 USATF Club XC Nationals, and now the 2012 US Olympic Trials.
For more information on the club, visit
GoSWIFTRacing.com.
