EUGENE, Ore. – Former Concordia-St. Paul assistant track and field coach Heather Miller-Koch has qualified for the 2016 Summer Olympics in the heptathlon. Miller-Koch, a St. Cloud State graduate, took home a second place finish in the 2016 United States Track and Field Olympic Trials in Eugene, Ore. on July 9-10 to earn a spot on the team as the top three finishers qualified.
 
Miller-Koch served as an assistant coach with the Golden Bears for two seasons from the fall of 2013 to the spring of 2015. She worked primarily with CSP's multi-event athletes, including the past two NSIC Men's Indoor Multi-Event Champions with Colin Goligoksi and Tyler Naumowicz. Her husband, Ryan Koch, also helped out with the team. Ryan was also a two-sport athlete at St. Cloud State (track and field, and football) and has been helping Heather train in advance of the Olympics.
 
A former All-American and NCAA DII national champion in track and field during her time at SCSU, Miller-Koch charted a score of 6423 to claim second place in the heptatlon at the Olympic Trials. Miller-Koch currently competes for the Central Park Track and Field Club. Barbara Nwaba of the ABEO / Santa Barbara TC won the event with a score of 6494. The third qualifying spot went to Kendell Williams of Georgia with a score of 6402.
 
Miller-Koch capped the event with a first place finish in the 800 meters with a time of 2:09.97.  She opened the two-day event with a fourth place finish in the 100 meter hurdles at 13.39 and placed fourth in the high jump at 1.81 meters and fourth in the shot put at 14.13 meters.  Miller-Koch also placed fifth in the 200 meters at 24.20 and then placed second in the long jump at 6.32 meters.  In the sixth event, Miller-Koch placed 11th in the javelin throw at 41.02 meters.
 
At SCSU, Miller-Koch was the 2010 NCAA DII Pentathlon National Championship and was a 10-Time NCAA DII Track & Field All-American and a 15-Time NSIC Champion.  She broke 10 SCSU School Records during her college career and set NSIC records in the pentathlon, indoor and outdoor triple jump, the heptathlon and outdoor long jump.  In 2010, Miller-Koch was named the 2010 USTFCCCA National Field Athlete of the Year. She also was a member of the basketball team.
 
The 2016 Summer Olympics will take place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and will run from August 5-21.