Warwick’s Sienko qualifies for Olympic Marathon Trials

Matt Metcalf, Assistant Sports Editor
Posted 1/27/15

Warwick’s Jacob Sienko has reached just about every goal that he’s set for himself in the world of running.

But the accomplishment that Sienko achieved last week far exceeded what he’d done …

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Warwick’s Sienko qualifies for Olympic Marathon Trials

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Warwick’s Jacob Sienko has reached just about every goal that he’s set for himself in the world of running.

But the accomplishment that Sienko achieved last week far exceeded what he’d done in the past.

On Sunday, Jan. 18, Sienko finished the Houston Half Marathon Championships in a time of 1:04:35, which qualifies him for the Olympic Marathon Trials in Feb., 2016.

Sienko was one of 48 male runners to finish the race under the 65-minute plateau – which is the mark set for Olympic qualifiers.

The Houston Half Marathon was Sienko’s first attempt at an Olympic Qualifier, making his feat that much more impressive.

Sienko is no stranger to success in distance running.

He was the Rhode Island state cross country champion in 2009-10 while at Hendricken, before going on to run at Columbia University, where he earned All-Ivy League honors and led his cross country team to an Ivy League title in 2013.

During his freshman year at Columbia, Sienko learned that he had qualified for the North American, Central American and Caribbean Athletic Association Cross Country Championships in Port of Spain, Trinidad. In this event, Sienko got the chance to compete for Team USA.

But with all the accomplishments that Sienko has in his rearview, there was no question that his achievement last Sunday was extra special to him.

“It’s definitely pretty cool,” Sienko said. “It was my first real attempt at the half marathon time. I really had no idea what I was going to be able to run, but everything just worked out. It was a beautiful morning in Texas and the competition was great.”

There’s no question that Columbia has well-prepared Sienko for his potential future in running.

“Obviously in Division I cross country and track and field, you’re racing against some ridiculously fast guys,” Sienko said. “Columbia definitely prepared me to line up against some Olympic runners and mentally stay in the race.”

After graduating from Columbia, Sienko moved out to Portland, Oreg., to pursue post-collegiate running.

So far, the move has worked out perfectly.

“Oregon’s beautiful,” Sienko said. “It never snows and there are just endless trails to run on. It ended up being a pretty good move – I’m excited to be out here. I also found a good group of guys to run with and train with.”

Sienko is planning on running a marathon early in the summer to prepare for the Olympic Marathon Trials in February of next year, in addition to the regular training regiment that he plans on continuing.

Although actually making it to the Olympics one day is the ultimate goal, Sienko knows how tough that is, but he’s not completely ruling it out.

“Making the Olympics would be a huge step, but I’m not counting it out at all,” Sienko said. “I have no idea what I can run for a marathon, so it should be a fun year of seeing how fast I can go.”

As Sienko said, making the Olympics would be a huge step, but after seeing all of the goals that he has achieved, it’s definitely tough to rule out the possibility.

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