EUGENE, Ore. - When Lamar University junior Chloe Rodriguez took the line for the semifinals of the U.S Olympic Trials women's 400-meter hurdles event, she did so with history already attached to her. Becoming the first ever female Big Red athlete to qualify for the Olympic trials, Rodriguez attempted to get one step closer to earning a spot on the US Track & Field roster for the upcoming Summer Olympic Games in Paris.

Running in the sixth lane in the third heat, the Richardson native got off to a solid start averaging under five seconds per split after six hurdles. Ultimately, she would cross the line seventh in her heat and 32nd overall with a time of 1:00.05 seconds. This would actually be seventeen hundredths faster than Vanessa Watson, who was part of national runner-up Florida Gators' women's track and field team.

This past season was Rodriguez's finest to date. In both indoor and outdoor seasons combined, she finished in the top-10 12 times. At the Southland Conference Outdoor Championships, she won the gold medal by breaking both the school and conference record in the 400H (57.02), which helped get her a spot of qualification for the NCAA West Regionals. In addition, she earned bronze as part of the 4x400m team, which also won silver in the indoor meet.  She also added a bronze medal in the 400m.