Former Tulsa Track Student-Athletes to Compete at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics

Former Tulsa track student-athletes Marc Scott (2013-17) and Ben Preisner (2016-19) will compete at the 2021 Olympics in Japan, representing Great Britain and Canada, respectively.

"I am so happy for these two kids because it is a dream come true," Tulsa Head Coach Steve Gulley said. "I always tell our student-athletes that one of the greatest honors they could have is to represent their country and I am so excited they have this opportunity. These two are like a lot of our student-athletes at TU, they have helped put Tulsa on the map. We wouldn't be the program we are now if they didn't take a chance on us."

Scott will compete in the 5,000m run and 10,000m run at the Olympics. He won the British 10,000m Championships at the European Cup as he was the first Brit to cross the line and meet the Olympic standard with his time of 27:10.41. Scott was later chosen to compete in the 5,000m run based on his marks set during the past year.

During his time at TU, Scott claimed the 2017 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field 10,000m Championship. He also concluded his career at Tulsa as a nine-time All-American, won two American Athletic Conference cross country individual titles, helped the Golden Hurricane claim four-straight cross country team championships (2 AAC, 2 C-USA) and was a 12-time conference champion.

"It is a great feeling to be selected for the Olympics," Scott said. "It will obviously set in a little more when we get to Tokyo and compete in the stadium. I am in the preparation phase right now, but once things get really going it will seem more real. I wouldn't be in this position if it wasn't for me attending TU and my running skills. I'm grateful for the opportunity."

Preisner will race in the marathon event at the Olympics. He made his marathon debut on December 20, 2020 at The Marathon Project in Chandler, Arizona, and was the top Canadian, finishing eighth with a time of 2:10:17. His time was well under the Olympic entry standard of 2:11:30 and was the fourth-fastest marathon all-time amongst Canadian men.

At Tulsa, Preisner was a 14-time all-conference selection and a seven-time American Athletic Conference Champion (ITF: 2 – 3,000m run; 3 – 5,000m run; OTF: 1 – 5,000m run; 1 – 3,000m steeplechase).

"It's an incredible honor to be selected to compete in the Olympics," Preisner said. "It always seemed like a distant goal in the future, but I found my niche in the marathon. It just seemed to click and when I hit the standard, it was a matter of being confident with my time and waiting to hear that I was selected. It solidified all the hard work that I have put in. It also let me know that I could focus all my time and energy on training. I couldn't be happier with all the support from my former teammates, coaches and all the support staff from The University of Tulsa. I'm super grateful."

Former Tulsa Track Student-Athletes to Compete at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics

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