Spartan Alumna Robyn Stevens Qualifies For Tokyo Olympics

Springfield, Ore.---- Robyn Stevens, a 2007 San José State University graduate and member of the 2003 Spartans' women's cross country team, earned a spot on the 2020 United States Olympic Team in track and field with her victory in the 20-kilometer race walk.
 
Representing the Wolfpack Running Club, Stevens led from start to finish recording a time of 1-hour, 35-minutes, and 13-seconds, more than four minutes faster than second-place finisher Marie Michta-Coffey. Stevens was challenged early by Taylor Ewert who race walked shoulder-to-shoulder with Stevens for the first three kilometers before Stevens opened up an 11-second lead at the end of the fourth kilometer. By the halfway point in the race, Stevens had more than a 90-second lead on Michta-Stevens who moved into second place after eight kilometers.
 
A 2007 San José State University graduate, Stevens becomes the second Spartan alumna to earn a spot on a United States Olympic women's track and field team. Margaret Jenkins competed in the women's discus for Team USA in the 1928 and 1932 Olympic Games.
 
A race walker beginning in her high school days at Vacaville (Calif.) High, Stevens, now 38-years old, retired from race-walking competition in 2003, came out of retirement in 2014, and qualified for the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials. She finished 11th in the women's 20-kilometer race at the 2016 Trials.
  Robyn Stevens is seated second from the right in the front row of the Spartans' 2003 women's cross country team photo.
 
The Mariposa, Calif., native spent her first two college years at the University of Wisconsin Parkside before transferring to San José State in 2003. She competed in five meets for the Spartans cross country team that season posting a pair of top-10 finishes – ninth at the Santa Clara and tenth at the San Francisco State Invitationals. Stevens was San Jose State's #3 finisher at the 2003 Western Athletic Conference women's cross country championships placing 38th overall.
 
Stevens also is the second Spartan to qualify for an Olympic Games in race walking. Tom Dooley represented the United States men's team in the 20-kilometer  walk at the 1968 and 1972 Olympics and finished 17th and 15th respectively.
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Stevens becomes the second San José State alum to be named to Team USA for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Colton Brown will compete in the 90-kilogram weight class in men's judo for Team USA in July 2021.