Addy Wiley recently made an announcement, revealing that she has entered into a contractual agreement with Adidas. As a result, she has decided to forego her remaining eligibility at Huntington University, as well as any other NAIA or NCAA institution, due to the potential loss of her amateur status.
With only three days left until her indoor season kicks off, Addy made a surprising announcement. She declared that now was the perfect moment to fully commit herself to achieving her goal of making the 2024 Olympic team.
This year, she has a chance to secure a spot on the 2024 Paris Olympic team by participating in the US Olympic Team trials from June 21st to June 30th. These trials will be held at Hayward Field, University of Oregon, just like before. The top three athletes in each event will earn a ticket to Paris. Addy is no stranger to Hayward Field, as she finished 5th in the USATF Outdoor Championships finals last July, with a time of 4:04.25. She was only 1.15 seconds behind the winner, Nikki Hiltz.
Her absence during the majority of the 2023 cross country season can be attributed to her impressive achievements in September. She set personal records of 3:59.17 in the 1500m and 1:57.64 in the 800m, both of which took place abroad. The 1500m race occurred at Allianz Memorial Van Damme, while the 800m race happened at Gala dei Castelli.
In a span of only 3 semesters, Addy has made a significant impact in the NAIA arena. In her sole appearance during the 2023 season, she emerged as the victor in the NAIA National Cross Country Championship held in Vancouver. Notably, this championship marked the first time the women's distance was increased from 5K to 6K. Wiley's triumph in this year's competition was even more impressive, as she secured a redemption victory with a lead of over 10 seconds. This achievement comes after finishing as the runner-up in the previous year's championship, which took place in Tallahassee during her freshman year in 2022.
During the previous indoor season, Addy achieved a remarkable feat at the NAIA championships by triumphing in every race during the finals. The NAIA holds preliminary rounds for each event in the indoor season, which required Addy to participate in a staggering eight races within a mere three days. She emerged as the champion in the 600m, 800m, 1000m, and Mile events.
During her time in high school, Addy achieved numerous accomplishments. She managed to secure victory in both the 800m and 1600m state championships, not just once but twice, during her Junior and Senior years. This remarkable achievement had never been accomplished before. Additionally, she was recognized as the Gatorade Girls Track & Field athlete of the year for two consecutive years.
Wiley would go on to claim the national high school 1600m record during her Senior year, clocking an impressive 4:26.16 at Grand Valley State University. Additionally, her converted mile time surpassed Katelyn Touhy's 2018 mile record.
Addy conveyed her enthusiasm about the impending conclusion, emphasizing that her squad is fully assembled and bringing her immense joy. She will undoubtedly be a noteworthy figure to watch throughout the season, particularly with the upcoming Olympic Trials in June.