photo by: AP Photo/George Walker IV

Bryce Hoppel wins the men's 800-meter final during the U.S. Track and Field Olympic Team Trials, Sunday, June 30, 2024, in Eugene, Ore.

Former Kansas track star Bryce Hoppel qualified for the 2024 Summer Olympics in style on Sunday evening.

Hoppel earned first place while setting a personal best and a new meet record at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Eugene, Oregon, when he completed the 800-meter run in 1:42.77.

The standout performance meant that the former national champion and All-American at KU, who now runs professionally for Adidas, will get another chance to represent his country at the Olympics. He came in 16th in the event when he competed in Tokyo in 2021.

Hoppel, a native of Midland, Texas, will therefore reunite with his former KU coach Stanley Redwine in Paris. Redwine was selected in March to lead the American men’s track and field team at this summer’s Olympics.

Since his last Olympic appearances, Hoppel has claimed a number of first-place finishes in the 800 meters, including in three straight editions of the American indoor championships and at the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Scotland in March.

“It was hard to sleep last night,” Hoppel told The (Eugene) Register-Guard on Sunday. “I was trying to do everything perfect to a tee. We’ve been here before, we’ve made the Olympic team before. I was following a strict routine and we got it done. I’ve been preparing all year, it’s the culmination of all that training and hard work.”

photo by: AP Photo/George Walker IV

Bryce Hoppel wins the men’s 800-meter final during the U.S. Track and Field Olympic Team Trials, Sunday, June 30, 2024, in Eugene, Ore.

photo by: AP Photo/George Walker IV

Bryce Hoppel speaks with fans after winning the men’s 800-meter final during the U.S. Track and Field Olympic Team Trials, Sunday, June 30, 2024, in Eugene, Ore.

Hoppel was not the only KU-affiliated competitor at the Olympic trials.

Chandler Gibbens, who holds the Jayhawks’ records in the 5,000- and 10,000-meter runs, competed in the 10,000 meters and finished 11th overall with a time of 28:31.63.

High jumper Devin Loudermilk had one of the longer runs of any Jayhawk at the event, as he made it out of the first round in his event by jumping 2.14 meters, then tied for 10th at 2.16 in Sunday’s final.

Fresh off a national runner-up performance in the men’s pole vault, Clayton Simms tied for 18th in the first round at the trials, clearing 5.50 meters.

Mason Meinershagen was a standout freshman for KU during the 2024 season. She cleared 4.20 meters in the women’s pole vault and tied for 19th in the first round.

Honour Finley, a current assistant coach for KU, and onetime KU thrower Patrick Larrison were among the former Jayhawks who also took part in the trials. Finley came in 32nd in the women’s 800 meters at 2:03.68, while Larrison made out of the shot-put first round at 19.84 before coming in 10th at 19.83 in the final the following day.