Iowan runs for Olympic spot

Belmond-Klemme graduate and former Drake Runner Matt Gabrielson begins his run for a spot on the U.S. Olympic team tonight (Monday) in the five-thousand meter run at the Olympic trials in Sacramento, California. He says he has to hit the qualifying standard that the Olympic committee has set, and finish in the top three at the trials. Gabrielson has spent the last three years running for team U-S-A Minnesota, and has at least one goal. He says he’d be happy with a top 12 finish, as the top 12 get one-thousand dollars in travel money. But he says he’d be happy to know he gave it his all and competed hard. He says he’s thought about what it would be like to run in the Olympics in Athens, Greece. He says he’s out on a lot of long runs and thinks about the Olympics. He says he knows it would change his life a lot.Gabrielson says he’s feeling good now after an injury last winter, and has run his person best this spring.He says he’s had three personal records so far and is now back on his feet and training at the level he needs to be at to compete. Gabrielson will run at 10:45 Iowa time tonight. The race will be shown on the U-S-A Network.