Milwaukee City Wire

One of UWM’s most decorated athletes is competing this weekend with the shot of a lifetime – a chance to make the U.S. Olympic team.

Natalie Block, who holds numerous school records and other honors, will be participating in the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in the 100-meter hurdles beginning on Friday, June 28, at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon. Block graduated last month with a bachelor’s degree in biomedical sciences-radiologic technology.

After qualifying for the Olympic Trials in late May at the NCAA West Preliminary Rounds with a time of 13.23, she will now take on a field of 29 others from throughout the country vying for a spot on the U.S. Olympic roster for the Summer Olympics in Paris beginning next month.

Block’s initial run will come on Friday when she is scheduled to compete in the second heat of the 100-meter hurdle preliminary round. The opening heat of the event is scheduled to start at 7:23 p.m. Central time, with broadcast coverage on USA Network and streaming online on Peacock.

The top six from each of the four total heats, along with the next three fastest times, will advance to the semifinals taking place on Saturday at 7:04 p.m. (CT), available on NBC and streaming on Peacock before the finals commence on Sunday at 7 p.m. (CT) on both NBC and Peacock.

Block had previously qualified to compete at the NCAA Championships in the 400-meter hurdles earlier this month in Eugene but an injury sustained during a training session leading up to the event forced her to withdraw from it.

“With the ankle injury Natalie sustained at the NCAA Championships, we were not sure if we had time to get her healthy enough to compete,” UWM track and field coach Andrew Basler said. “However, the amount of progress she made over these past three weeks to be able to compete is a testament to our head athletic trainer Aaron Haselhorst's work and guidance. A lot of credit also goes to Natalie herself for her commitment to doing everything possible to heal her injury.”

Block had also qualified for the Olympic Trials in the 400-meter hurdles having reached that mark with a time of 57.68 at Clark Wood Invitational in Louisville but will instead focus solely on the 100-meter hurdles.

“While she was accepted into both events for Olympic Trials we have opted just focus on one,” Basler said. “After mishap at NCAA Championships we knew that is not how wanted amazing season end I am happy gets another shot competing Eugene representing Milwaukee.”

Block becomes just second Panther program Division I history qualify compete track field trials first female do so Milwaukee lone qualifier before Cory Peterson who qualified for run advance Summer Atlanta