EUGENE, OR. — Joe Kovacs has punched his ticket to Paris.
Kovacs, a Nazareth native and Bethlehem Catholic High School graduate, qualified for his third U.S. Olympic Team Saturday night.
He finished second in the shot put competition at the U.S. Track and Field Olympic Trials in Eugene, Ore.
Kovacs, a Penn State alum, is a two-time Olympic silver medalist and two-time world champion who has been ranked No. 2 in the world in the shot put.
His second-place finish Saturday night was behind Ryan Crouser, the University of Texas grad who also made his third Olympic team and is a two-time gold medalist.
"It's really a special moment to make the Olympic team, but when you're in the moment you check the box because it's just part of the plan," Kovacs said Saturday night.
The Summer Olympics start July 26 in Paris, France.
