CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Former University of Hartford distance runner Chaz Davis has earned a spot on the 2016 United States Paralympic Track and Field Team. The announcement was made over the weekend by the U.S. Paralympics, a division of the United States Olympic Committee.

Sixty-six athletes will represent Team USA in track and field at the 2016 Paralympic Games. The 40 men and 26 women on the roster, in addition to three guides for visually impaired athletes, will compete in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from Sept. 7-18.

Last week, Davis took top-billing in the 5,000-meter run at the U.S. Paralympic Track and Field Trials in Charlotte, N.C. The Grafton, Mass., native covered the track in 15:25.32. He also won his section of the 1500-meter run, leading the field in 4:05.90.

After losing his vision as a freshman due to a rare disease called Leber's Hereditary Optic Neuropathy (LHON), a disease that destroys the eye's optic nerve, Davis made his return to the track for the 2015 America East Indoor Track and Field Championships. He ran his fastest 3,000-meter race, finishing in 9:02.35.

Last fall, Davis competed in his first cross country event, completing the 8K course in 27:04.26 for 59th place. He was the third Hawk to cross the finish line in the event. Last May, Davis concluded his collegiate career with a standout performance in the 5,000-meters at the New England Championships. He took eighth in the race, finishing in a time of 14:48.61. Davis graduated from the College of Arts and Sciences in May with a degree in criminal justice.

Last summer, Davis began working towards his goal of competing in the U.S. Paralympics, as he won the 5,000-meter run at the U.S. Paralympics Track and Field National Championship. He blew away his competition in that race, finishing in 16:09.71, a time that was more than 52 seconds better than his closest competitor. He went on to take second in the same event at the Toronto Parapan American Games.