May 8, 2007

FAYETTE, Mo. - The Central Methodist University Track & Field program and Head Coach Jeff Hoskisson announced that Senior Racewalker, Patrick Stroupe has qualified for the USA Outdoor Championships and the Olympic Trials for the 2008 Olympics held in Beijing, China.

This past Sunday, Stroupe passed the qualifying time in the 20K Racewalk in a time of an hour and 33 minutes. The qualifying time for the USA Outdoor Championships and the Olympic Trials is one hour, 36 minutes. Stroupe was in Dayton, OH, on May 6th for the 20th Annual Jack Mortland Racewalk hosted by the Miami Valley Track Club held at Eastwood Metro Park.

The USA Outdoor Championships will be held on June 20-24 at the IU Michael A. Carroll Track & Soccer Stadium held on the campus of Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis in Indianapolis, IN. The Olympic Trials will be held the summer of 2008 on June 27 to July 6th at Hayward Field in Eugene, OR, on the campus of the University of Oregon. Hayward Field has held the 1972, 1976, and 1980 Olympic Trials, Eugene, OR, is dubbed "Track Town USA".

Stroupe is finishing up his finals this week and will graduate this Saturday from Central Methodist University with a major in Communications and a minor in Environmental Science. He attended Fayette High School and is the son of Sam and Kathleen Stroupe of Armstrong, MO.

He will compete on May 24-26 in Fresno, CA, for his fifth NAIA Racewalk National Title. Stroupe currently leads the country in the 5K Racewalk in a time of 21:45.19. Overall, he has won two NAIA National Indoor National Titles and two NAIA Outdoor National Titles leading up to this year's National Championships. Stroupe is a three-time NAIA Academic All-American Scholar Athlete and a combined eight-time NAIA All-American in Men's Indoor and Outdoor Track & Field. Central Methodist is a member of the Heart of America Athletic Conference in which Stroupe has gathered a total of eight HAAC Conference Racewalk Titles, four in Men's Indoor and four Men's Outdoor.