DULUTH, Minn. -- Simmons University Head Women's Cross Country Coach Eric Ashe turned in a time of 2:17:24 at the Grandma's Marathon on June 22 in Duluth, Minn. to meet the qualifying time for the upcoming 2020 United States Olympic Team Trials held in Atlanta, Ga. in February 2020. 

Ashe eclipsed the "B" standard time of 2:19:00 in order to qualify for the trials. The 2017 Great Northeast Athletic Conference Coach of the Year, passed three runners in the final mile of the Grandma's Marathon to place 15th overall out of 6,364 competitors. Ashe posted an average mile time of 5:15 and qualified for the Olympic Trials for the second straight time and recorded a sub 2:18:00 marathon mark for the third time in his career.

"The race played out perfectly with the weather and a large pack of competitors to run with," explained Ashe. "It feels great to be back to the level I was at in '15. It's been a rocky last four years. I really appreciate all the support from my family, friends, and co-workers. It's my hope to build on my current fitness in preparation for the Olympic Trials."

Ashe, who runs as a member of the Boston Athletic Association, completed his fifth campaign as the Sharks mentor this past fall and has led the Simmons harriers to a trio of second-place finishes during his tenure at the Fenway campus, while tutoring the 2018 GNAC Rookie of the Year.