![]() Streun got to see his former runner qualify for the Olympics, as he was in attendance for the qualifying races in Oregon. "Not only did they make us great athletes, but they were great role models." "I just remember learning all about the sport at that time and now I'm here doing it, it's crazy how things change," Hoppel said. Work ethic was something former high school coaches Hilberto Ochoa, Jeff Streun and Tony De La Rosa pushed every day in practice. Through all of his early accomplishments, Hoppel never forgot the lessons learned while training in Midland. It was a fast rise as a track athlete for the former soccer player. He went on to win a Class 6A 800-meter state championship as a senior in 2016, then he became a record-holder and NCAA national champion through three seasons at Kansas.Īfter forgoing his senior season with the Jayhawks, Hoppel signed a professional contract to represent Adidas in 2019. He told his parents he wanted to be an Olympian. He started off playing soccer when he was in high school, shifting his focus to track and cross country late into his sophomore season.ĭespite getting into the sport later in his high school career, Hoppel fell in love with track and set his expectations high between his junior and senior years as a Bulldog. "I felt like he was gonna do well and you just kind of hope it all turns out that you're in the top three."īefore Bryce Hoppel booked his spot to the Tokyo Games, he established himself as a top track athlete at Midland High in Texas and at the University of Kansas. "His big thing is, he gets really excited for big races. "He has always performed well in big races," Monty Hoppel said. The distance runner had already collected various honors, including a first-place finish in the 800 at the 2020 USA Indoor Track and Field Championships in Albuquerque and a fourth-place finish at the 2019 World Track and Field Championships in Qatar. Midland RockHounds general manager Monty Hoppel, Bryce's father, tried to calm his son down before the qualifying race by telling him the process was no different from some of the races he had competed in before. Olympic Track and Field roster with a third-place finish, clocking in at one minute, 44.14 seconds. "I didn't get there on my own and I wasn't going through it on my own, they all got me to that point so doing it with them made it all bearable." To have them going through it with me, that's kind of how I saw it. "If I were to try doing it alone, I think I wouldn't have made it through. The support system his family provided helped him power through the early anxiety. ![]() Having one shot to make the Olympics every four years didn't ease Hoppel's nerves, as he also forgot his credential before the final qualifying race began. The grouping of stress sat in the pit of his stomach the night before the men's 800-meter final was set to take place at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore. ![]() Olympic Team Trials in June, he felt a sense of stress like never before.
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