Tokyo Olympics: What to Know About Heather MacLean, former UMass Star Headed to Summer Games

Heather MacLean, a former star on the University of Massachusetts Amherst women's track and field team, is headed to the Tokyo Olympics.

MacLean finished third in the 1,500 meter run at the 2020 U.S. Olympic Team trials in Eugene, Oregon Monday, clocking a personal record of 4 minutes, 2.09 seconds.

During the semifinal, MacLean finished in 13th place, failing to qualify for the final. But after a protest regarding incidental contact during the race, MacLean was granted a spot in the final, MassLive reported.

A woman from a small town in Vermont earned her way to the Olympics with by winning the U.S. 1,500-meter track trial Monday, sparking celebrations in her home town.

MacLean finished third in the finals behind competitors Elle Purrier St. Pierre, a Vermont native, and Cory McGee.

A Peabody, Massachusetts, native, MacLean is the first member of the women's track and field at UMass Amherst to earn a trip to the Olympics, according to the school.

She graduated from the school in 2017 as an undergrad, and then as a graduate student in 2019.