Former Kentucky Track Star Alexis Holmes Punches Ticket to Summer Olympics

The word is Paris is beautiful this time of year. Former Kentucky track star Alexis Holmes is going to get to check it out firsthand next month at the Summer Olympics.

Holmes will represent Team USA while competing against the world’s best in the 400 meters. She finished third in the event on Sunday night after posting a career-best 49.78.

Holmes is making her Olympic debut after the 2022 Kentucky graduate passed three runners in the final 100 meters of the race. Kendall Ellis took home the gold (49.46) and current Georgia Bulldog Aaliyah Butler (49.71) earned the silver.

Kendall Ellis runs the fastest race of her LIFE (49.46) and qualifies for the women's Olympic 400m team! #TrackFieldTrials24 @kendi_kendall pic.twitter.com/CAH0ntznyQ

— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) June 24, 2024

Unfortunately, another Kentucky Wildcat came up one spot short of joining Holmes in Paris. Just a few weeks after Keaton Daniel launched his way into a Men’s Pole Vault Outdoor Title, the National Champion finished fourth in this week’s trial at the same location. Daniel, the first athlete in program history to sweep the indoor and outdoor pole vault titles, set a personal best of 19’1”/5.82, but it was not enough to secure a spot in the Summer Olympics.

The USA Track and Field Olympic Trials resume tonight at 8 pm EST on NBC and Peacock. There are a few Wildcats in action, but the names we all know and love — Abby Steiner and Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone — will not step onto the stage until Thursday, June 27. Take a closer look at the schedule of events for all of the former Wildcats.

Kentucky Track Adds All-American Transfer

Mark Pope and Mark Stoops aren’t the only ones reeling in big-time players from the transfer portal. Lonnie Greene made a significant move over the weekend.

Kentucky announced All-American Tesa Roberts will join the program as a grad transfer. The Chicago native spent the last four seasons at Iowa.

Roberts appeared in six events for the Hawkeyes, but her strength is anchoring relays. She earned First Team All-American honors after helping Iowa finish eighth in the 4×400 relays at the 2022 NCAA Indoor Championships. She also helped the Hawkeyes relay team medal at the Big Ten Championships in 2021 and 2022.

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