Two Former Blue Devils Race For The Gold In Athens
Schwartz and Clausen to represent the United States at Olympic Games.
Former Duke vaulter Jillian Schwartz

Former Duke vaulter Jillian Schwartz

July 19, 2004

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Three-time All-America Jillian Schwartz, a member of the Blue Devil track team from 1998-2001, and Curt Clausen, a 1990 graduate of Duke University, will represent the United States in the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, next month.

Schwartz qualified for Olympic competition in the pole vault Sunday at the United States Track and Field Trials, earning one of three spots on the team. The Jonesboro, Ark. resident has been training for the Games since graduating from Duke University, garnering more and more attention along the way. Schwartz placed fourth at the World Indoor Championships earlier in the year with a 15-1 vault, becoming just the fifth American woman to break 15 feet.

Prior to the Indoor Championships, she finished second at the 2003 USA Outdoor Championships, improving on her previous finishes of 10th in 2002 and 6th in 2001.

While at Duke, Schwartz was a three-time All-America selection and four-time All-ACC honoree, after setting the records for both indoor (13'5.25") and outdoor pole vault (14'2"). She earned five ECAC titles in her four years as a Blue Devil, earning her a spot on the ACC 50th Anniversary Women's Indoor Track & Field Team. Schwartz was also Duke's top hurdler and high jumper outdoors in 1999 and won the 1999 Most Valuable Athlete award for Duke women's track and field.

The finals for the women's pole vault will be on Tuesday, Aug. 24.

Clausen will travel to his third consecutive Olympiad after coming in first at the 2004 Olympic Trials in February. He finished the 50-kilometer (31 miles) event in 3:58:24 to earn a spot on this year's squad.

In his previous Olympic appearances, Clausen placed 50th in the 20-kilometer race at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta and 22nd at the 2000 Sydney Games in the 50-kilometer race walk.

The New Jersey native was the bronze medallist at the 1999 World Championships in the 50km walk. He is a five-time U.S. champion in both the 50-kilometer and 20-kilometer races.

The 50-kilometer race walk will be on Friday, Aug. 27.