LAUSANNE, Switzerland--In their first race since competing in Eugene at the USA Championships, hurdler Ginnie Powell from Rainier Beach HS finished seventh in the 100 meter hurdles, and former Washington State All-American Bernard Lagat finished eighth in the 800 meter run at the Lausanne Super Grand Prix meet under rainy conditions.
Australia's Sally McLellan won the race in 12.60, while Powell, who was still shaking off the effects of traveling from the United States ran 12.83.
Courtesy of media partner flotrack.org, here's the post race interview with Powell:
As he did at the USA Championships in Eugene, reigning double world champion Bernard Lagat dropped down from 1500 meters to the 800, finishing eighth in a season best time of 1:46.84.
Here's his post-race comments, courtesy of media partner flotrack.org:
Making her mark in class as well as in competition is the norm for Jessica Pixler (left, #56/photo courtesy Seattle Pacific).
And the Seattle Pacific distance running star earned more recognition for both on Monday, being named the Division II Indoor Track Scholar Athlete of the Year by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.
In addition, seven Falcon teammates joined Pixler on the women’s All-Academic team that takes into account both indoor and outdoor performances.
Pixler (Sammamish, Wash./Eastlake HS), who’ll be a Falcon senior in the fall, won her third straight mile title and added her first 5,000-meter crown at the NCAA D-2 indoor championships in March. Her performance in Houston helped the Falcons take sixth place in the team standings.
Pixler has a 3.92 grade-point average as an English major at SPU. This was her second USTFCCCA national honor for the just-completed school year. Last fall, she was named the D-2 Cross Country Scholar Athlete of the Year after winning her second straight NCAA crown in that sport.
In June, Pixler was named the Seattle Pacific Athlete of the Year for the third straight time. Along with her cross country and two indoor track titles, she won the 1,500 meters at the NCAA outdoor track meet in May. That gave her four NCAA championships this past year and eight for her career.
Joining Pixler on the women’s D-2 All-Academic team were junior Lisa Anderberg (Edmonds, Wash./Kamiak HS, 3.89 in global development studies), senior Kelsey Burns (Seattle/Kennedy HS, 3.47 in psychology), junior Kate Harline (Orem, Utah, 3.59 in education certification), junior Jane Larson (Fall City, Wash./Cedar Park Christian HS, 3.78 in English), sophomore Jennifer Pike (Vancouver, Wash./Skyview HS, 3.61 in biology), senior Jeeni Schantin (West Linn, Ore., 3.92 in Sociology) and senior Lauren VerMulm (Mount Vernon, Wash./Mount Vernon HS, 3.68 in nursing).
To earn a spot on the All-Academic team, a student-athlete must have a cumulative GPA of 3.25 or higher and have posted an NCAA automatic or provisional qualifying mark in their event or events.
NOTE: Seattle Pacific University and the USTFCCCA both contributed to this report.
OSLO, Norway--Former University of Washington standout Ingvill Måkestad (left/photo courtesy University of Washington) finished second in the 800 meter run at the the ExxonMobil Bislett Games Friday at Bislett Stadium.
Måkestad, who competed at Washington during the 2004 season, ran a personal best time of 2:02.54 to finish behind Great Britain's Claire Gibson, who won with a time of 2:01.42.
According to statistics compiled by the University of Washington, Måkestad, a native of Odda, Norway, ran 4:42.17 indoors over one mile, and 9:35.25 over 3000 meters in her one season as a Husky. She finished ninth at the 2003 Pac-10 cross country championships, and was Washington's #2 runner at the NCAA championships that season.
Måkestad is the reigning Norwegian national champion at 800 and 1500 meters.
Complete results of the ExxonMobil Bislett Games, one of the premier events in the IAAF Golden League meetings, can be accessed here.
Pfaff, who coached Donovan Bailey to the 1996 Olympic title over 100 meters, was recently working with a group of athletes at the Olympic Training Center, including Mountlake Terrace's Brad Walker.
"We appreciate everything Art has done for the program during his 28 years as both an assistant and head coach," said Toth. "But we felt a change in leadership was necessary for the program at this time.
"Art is the preeminent throws coach in the nation. We extended an offer to him to remain on the staff to coach our throwers, but he declined."
Venegas joined the UCLA staff for the 1982 season and served as an assistant coach for 16 years before to becoming head coach prior to the 2000 season. For most of his tenure in Westwood, he coached both the men and women throwers, producing numerous Pac-10 and NCAA champions, as well as Olympians.
A belated happy birthday to our friends and media partner Runnerspace.com for the one year anniversary of its uniquely entertaining "RunnerSpace Live" show!
Kudos to Runnerspace.com founder Ross Krempley, Kevin Ullman, Ian Terpin, Matt Barnhart, and all the guys and gals behind Runnerspace!
SEATTLE - The defending NCAA Champion Husky women's cross country team (left/photo by Paul Merca) now knows the path leading to a repeat, as the 2009 meet schedule has been finalized. The UW men, Top-20 finishers in two of the past three years, will also be striving for another NCAA berth this fall.
The series of races mirrors the 2008 agenda with just one exception. The men and women will follow the same schedule, opening up with the only home meet of the year, the Sundodger Invitational at West Seattle's Lincoln Park on Saturday, September 19.
The second meet is the only change from a year ago, as the teams will visit South Bend, Indiana for the Notre Dame Invitational on Friday, October 2. That meet will be the day before the Husky football team plays its road game at Notre Dame as well.
Washington will then be back in Indiana two weeks later for the Pre-National Meet held on the same course as the NCAA Championships in Terre Haute. That meet is set for October 17.
The Pac-10 Championships, which the women swept in unprecedented fashion last fall, will be hosted by USC this year on October 31. The NCAA West Regional meet will be hosted by Oregon at the Springfield Country Club on November 14, followed by the 2009 NCAA Cross Country Championships on November 23 back in Terre Haute at the LaVerne Gibson Championship Course.
Washington will also having runners competing in two additional local meets: the Emerald City Open on October 3 at Woodland Park, and the Northwest College Invite on October 17 at Lincoln Park.
The Huskies will begin training in the last week of August. Preseason rankings will be released September 16. NOTE: The University of Washington contributed to this report.
Francis Dodoo, a former standout in the triple jump at Washington State University, a gold medalist at the 1987 All African Games and a four time Olympian has assumed the leadership of the Ghana Olympic Committee (GOC) for a four year period, after elections held at the Quadrennial Congress of the Committee on Tuesday.
Prof. Dodoo a distinguished Sociologist and Chairman of the Ghana Athletics Association (GAA), won the position unopposed and replaces Benson Tongo Baba, whose leadership ended on a sour note, after 12 years of reign.
EUGENE, Oregon--Former Washington State standout Diana Pickler (behind Oregon's Kalindra McFadden/photo by Paul Merca) captured her first national outdoor title in winning the seven event heptathlon competition as the USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships concluded its four day run at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, with a personal best score of 6,290 points.
Pickler was thrust into the lead after event leader Hyleas Fountain, who popped a wind-aided lifetime best in the long jump of 22-9 3/4 (6.95m) failed to start the javelin.
Fountain aggravated a neck problem during the long jump that occurred in Saturday’s high jump, and withdrew from the competition before the start of the javelin.
Pickler, who entered the day in second with 3768 points, jumped a wind-aided (+4.3 meters per second) mark of 20-9 1/4 (6.33m), worth 953 points, the followed it up with a toss in the javelin of 137-6 (41.90m), and ran 2:16.99 in the 800 meter run, to score 865 points in the final event,
After the competition, Pickler, a 2008 Olympian who made her second straight world championship team, said, “This is only my fourth heptathlon this year so I definitely felt it a lot in speed and timing. But I’m just looking at the big picture really and trying to focus on what I’m trying to accomplish in the next few months.”
On the long jump, which turned out to be the key event for here, she said, "I didn’t have my best jump ever but I felt really good about it.”
After the Olympics, Pickler first moved to Austin, Texas to train, then changed coaches and moved to Manhattan, Kansas to train with sister Julie under Kansas State coach Cliff Rovelto.
Former Rainier Beach High School star Ginnie Powell made up for the disappointment of an injury riddled 2008 season as she finished second in the 100 meter hurdles, running a wind-aided 12.47 to finish behind Dawn Harper, who ran 12.36 for the win.
Entering these championships, one of the questions about Renton’s Ryan Brown (left/photo by Paul Merca)was whether or not the former Washington Husky and 2006 NCAA champion over 800 meters would be able to raise his game up to the national and international level.
After a less than stellar first two seasons as a professional, Brown answered the bell, using his trademark kick over the last 200 meters to nab the third and final spot on the plane to Berlin, clocking 1:46.92 to finish behind defending national champion Nick Symmonds from Eugene (1:45.86) and Khadevis Robinson of Los Angeles (1:45.97).
In the last 250, Brown, who was positioned on the outside in fifth, made a strong move to advance to third entering the home straight, then held off a late challenge by 2008 Olympic Trials third place finisher Christian Smith, who ran 1:46.92.
"The race was a bit slower than I thought it would be, so I was hoping to just hang on and clean up the bodies after people started dying, but I think because of the wind it didn't go out as fast as maybe people wanted it to," Brown said to media partner Flotrack.org. "I was still cleaning up bodies but it was a little easier than I thought it would be."
"I battled injuries earlier this season, and it's just been a steady climb to get back to where I think I can be. I'm there; this was a huge goal of mine since I stepped off the track in the semis of the Olympic Trials last year. I thought I could be in this position," Brown told Flotrack. "It's an honor to be on a team with (Symmonds and Robinson). Early in the season I said I want to put my name next to those two guys, because they are the standard by which we measure ourselves. And I'm right next to them right now and that's exciting."
Powell, Pickler, and Brown join fellow national champions Kara Patterson (javelin) and Brad Walker (pole vault), along with discus throwers Jarred Rome, Ian Waltz and Aretha Thurmond in the women’s discus and defending double world champion Bernard Lagat on the plane to Berlin for the IAAF World Track & Field Championships, which begin August 14th at the Olympic Stadium.
Washington State’s two-time NCAA 400 hurdles champ Jeshua Anderson finished fifth in his specialty, running 48.77. Washington’s Mel Lawrence finished fifth in the 3000 meter steeplechase, clocking 9:48.27.
Washington State freshman Joe Abbott from Reno, Nevada swept from sixth place entering the bell lap to capture the national junior title over 800 meters in a time of 1:51.54.
His original plan was to make his move with 300 to go but was trapped on the rail. “I tried to bide my time as much as I could, but I never took the lead until the last 20 yards. A win’s a win, so I’ll take it.”
“The goal coming into this meet was to try and make the US team, because that the epitome of US track & field. Championship racing is championship racing.”
Here’s the video interview with Abottt:
Fellow Cougar teammate J Hopkins from Everett finished fourth in the finals of the 400 meter hurdles, running 51.49.
“I thought going into the race that I would feel the wind a little bit more than I did, but it wasn’t too bad. I surged, and tried to run as hard as I could, and I nicked the last hurdle, and came off a bit off balanced. I’m disappointed that I missed the podium.”
“The fact that I haven’t run since Pac-10s makes me happier that I’m even running in this meet and be able to compete against this field. It helps that two of the guys in the finals will be in the Pac-10 next year.”
NOTE: WSU track & field assistant media relations director Linda Chalich reported on their web site that freshman javelin thrower Courtney Kirkwood from Othello, who finished third in the junior championships with a toss of 146-9 (44.74m), has been invited to join the USA national team for the Junior Pan Am Games in Trinidad next month.
TORONTO—University of Washington sophomore Kyle Nielsen from Langley, British Columbia won the javelin throw at the Canadian Track & Field Championships Saturday with a toss of 236-3 (72.01m) at Varsity Stadium.
Washington State graduate Anson Henry finished fifth in the 100 meter dash, running 10.50.
The Canadian championships conclude Sunday with coverage on CBC Sports, and online at cbcsports.ca
EUGENE, Oregon--Pole vaulter Brad Walker from Mountlake Terrace and javelin thrower Kara Patterson from Vancouver each emerged victorious as day 3 of the USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships concluded at Eugene’s Hayward Field.
Although all Walker needed to do to formally place himself on the team was simply compete in the meet, Walker’s 2009 season debut was successful as the 2007 world champion was a master of efficiency, needing only a total of two clearances to emerge victorious at 18-10 1/4 (5.75 meters).
Walker opened the season by clearing 18-2 1/2 (5.55m), then passed two consecutive heights before clearing 18-10 1/4.
“I came in knowing I had the bye to the Worlds being the defending World Champion so I wasn’t pressed, I wasn’t stressed. I thought everyone would clear 5.70 but I thought I had a good chance to win at 5.75.”
Walker jumped today off a shorter than normal approach, and felt he wasn’t close to being at 100% capable of what he’s able to jump.
He told usatf.org that he is scheduled to compete in London at the end of July with Monte Carlo and possibly one or two meets on the docket before the world championships.
Washington’s Scott Roth finished in a tie for eighth at 18-2 1/2.
In winning her second straight USA national title at Hayward Field, Patterson, who had only been throwing around 195 feet or so in the run-up to these championships, achieved the A standard for the world championships, and threatened the American record of 210-7 (64.19m) set by Kim Kreiner in 2007, as the Vancouver native threw 209-10 (63.95m) to become the second best American performer of all time.
“I was excited to get a PR and get the A standard!”
She explained that she had been working on the finish of her throw in practice. “I know that I still can do better than that (her winning throw). I don’t think I executed it as well as I could’ve, but to get a hint of things to come in the season is pretty exciting.”
Here’s a video interview with Patterson:
2007 world championships team member Ginnie Powell, formerly from Seattle’s Rainier Beach HS advanced to the second round of the 100 hurdles, running a wind-aided 12.68 to finish second in her heat.
In the 400 hurdles, Washington State’s two-time NCAA champion Jeshua Anderson moved on to Sunday’s final, running 48.89 to finish behind Olympic silver medalist Bershawn Jackson, who won with a time of 48.80.
In the women’s heptathlon, former Washington State standout Diana Pickler (left/photo by Mike Scott) currently stands second, as the Olympian scored 3768 points to conclude day 1 of the two-day event.
Despite trailing Olympic teammate Hyleas Fountain by 270 points, Pickler remained optimistic about her chances Sunday.
“I’m really excited about tomorrow. I was a bit conservative in the hurdles, and the high jump was solid. I have not competed in a while, so I’m pumped up for Sunday.”
The USA Junior Track & Field Championships, which are being held concurrently with the senior championships, had several significant competitors with Washington ties participating.
WSU freshman Joe Abbott from Reno had the top time in the junior men's 800m prelims of 1:49.78. He will run in the final Sunday at 4:25 p.m. PT. Abbott finished seventh in the Pac-10 800m race ran a PR time of 1:48.97 in the prelims of the NCAA West Regionals.
Abbott said, “The plan was to stay behind everyone until about 300 meters to go and then make my move to win the heat and get into the final.”
“Since the NCAA regionals, I’ve been training at home in Reno, which has been a lot warmer than in Eugene. When we’ve come here from Pullman, it would be like 50 degrees and then when we’d arrive in Eugene, it would be 70 or so and it would feel like it was about 100.”
WSU's J Hopkins (Everett) advanced to the junior men's 400m hurdles final after running a prelim time of 52.62, second place in the third heat and fourth-fastest time of the first round.
In the junior women's javelin championships, WSU's Courtney Kirkwood (Othello) took third place with a throw of 146-feet, 9 inches (44.74m), well-below her PR toss of 170-8 (52.01m), and just missed advancing to the 2009 Pan American Junior Athletics Championships, July 31-Aug. 2, in Trinidad.
Washington’s Kelly McNamee finished third in the women’s high jump with a mark of 5-8 (1.73m).
The USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships conclude Sunday, with coverage on NBC Sports from 1-3 pm, pacific time. Events are also being streamed via usatf.org, and media partner flotrack.org.
The University of Washington's freshman phenom Kendra Schaaf (left/photo by Paul Merca) showed she's in fine form despite redshirting the track season this year as the Craven, Saskatchewan native took second in the 5,000-meter run at the Canadian Track & Field Championships Thursday night.
Schaaf lowered her PR to 15:52.74, finishing just behind Tara Quinn-Smith who won in 15:50.35. Quinn-Smith has won multiple Canada national titles in the 10k and marathon and is 10 years older than Schaaf. Third-place went to Danette Doetzel, who won the 10,000-meters at the NCAA Chamiponships earlier this month running for Providence.
Fellow Canadian Husky Anita Campbell (Vancouver, B.C.) was sixth in the same 5k final, running 16:21.17. Campbell just earned her first track All-American at the NCAA Championships as she placed third in the 10,000-meter final won by Doetzel.
Husky pole vaulter Ryan Vu, who has dual citizenship, qualified for the finals by clearing 4.60m (15-1) Friday night.
The Canadian Track & Field Championships continue until Sunday. Action can be viewed on CBC Sports and on cbcsports.ca.
NOTE: The University of Washington and Athletics Canada contributed to this report.
EUGENE, Oregon--Marysville-Pilchuck grad Jarred Rome finished second in the men’s discus, throwing 28-3 (63.48m) to highlight day two of the USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Eugene, Oregon.
He will be joined in Berlin by former WSU Cougar Ian Waltz, who finished third with a toss of 203-1 (61.91m).
Rome said that it was a relief to make his third world championship team, despite the disappointment of not making the Olympic team last year. He said that he is now down to 295 pounds, and feels quicker through the discus ring.
Jeshua Anderson (left/photo by Paul Merca) of Washington State ran the second fastest first round time in the men’s 400 meter hurdles, as the two-time NCAA champion at this distance clocked 50.22 to win heat 3
“It was pretty windy out there today, but I’m used to Hayward by now. I ran a little bit too fast in the prelims last year so having that experience helped me today. I’ll be ready for the finals.”
Former Washington Husky Ryan Brown, the 2006 NCAA outdoor champion at 800 meters, advanced to his first USA outdoor final, as he placed second in his heat, running 1:47,81 to finish behind veteran Khadevis Robinson,
Current Husky Mel Lawrence finished fourth in her heat of the women’s 3000 meter steeplechase, running 9:56.42, and looking very comfortable in a race that was marred by the water jump barrier set incorrectly at the men’s height of 36 inches instead of the women’s height of 30 inches.
Here’s the video interview paulmerca.blogspot.com did with Lawrence:
In the men’s decathlon competition, former Seattle Pacific standout Chris Randolph finished a surprising fourth, scoring 7766 points.
In the women's triple jump, Blessing Ufodiama (WSU '04), competing unattached, placed seventh in the women's triple jump with a best effort of 44-feet, 7 inches (13.59m), which came on her fourth attempt.
Among key athletes with Washington ties competing Saturday include Olympian Diana Pickler, who begins the two-day heptathlon, and Jeshua Anderson, who runs in the semi-finals of the 400 hurdles. 2007 world championships team member Ginnie Powell also begins her quest to make another team in the 100 meter hurdles.
2007 world pole vault champion Brad Walker makes his 2009 season debut Saturday, and will formally be a member of this year’s world championship team simply by competing,
Saturday’s meet will be televised by ESPN for two hours, starting at 4:30 pm, pacific time.
EUGENE, Oregon--At the Track & Field Writers of America breakfast Friday morning, USATF CEO Doug Logan announced that the federation and Nike will extend their current partnership under a new agreement that provides innovative support for professional and emerging elite athletes.
Nike has been USATF's National Team Sponsor since 1991, but the new contract, which extends through 2013 with an option to renew through 2017, broadens Nike's support beyond the competitive arena.
Most significantly, it establishes a "Project 30 Fund" to aid up-and-coming athletes. Taking its name from USATF's Project 30 Task Force, which called for greater support for post-college athletes, the fund will be administered by USATF for athletes who lack shoe-company sponsorship but who have medal-winning potential, particularly in traditionally under-funded event groups.
USATF's High Performance Department, headed by Chief of Sport Performance Benita Fitzgerald Mosley, will oversee distribution of support, which may range from compensation for personal coaches and support staff to sponsorship of athletes at USATF High Performance Training Centers, among other possibilities. The partnership also includes a commitment by Nike to support numerous professional track athletes annually.
"Track and field was the cornerstone of Nike's founding, and we remain committed to being a partner in the future of the sport," said John Capriotti, Nike Global Director of Athletics Sport Marketing. "We are excited to add this new component of athlete-centered funding to our sponsorship of USA Track & Field."
As USATF National Team Sponsor and the world's leading creator of authentic athletic footwear, apparel, equipment and accessories, Nike has specially designed uniforms for the last five Olympic Games. Under the new agreement with USATF, Nike maintains its status as exclusive sponsor and supplier of products to the World's #1 Track and Field Team while being USATF's official sponsor in the footwear, apparel and retail categories.
Nike will be a major sponsor of the USA vs. Jamaica Challenge meets in 2010 and will continue to sponsor USA Track & Field's Indoor and Outdoor Track & Field Championships. Nike will outfit all USATF teams in international competitions, including the Olympic Games, World Championships, World Cup, Pan American Games and World Junior Championships, among other meets. The agreement also continues Nike's sponsorship of USA vs. The World, first held in 2000, and of key stops on the Visa Championship Series, USATF's signature series of indoor and outdoor track and field meets.
Here is part one of a two-part video of Logan's announcement at the TAFWA breakfast in Eugene (part two will be uploaded later Friday):
As promised, here is part two of the announcement by Logan at the breakfast:
EUGENE, Oregon--Bernard Lagat’s appearance at the USA Outdoor Track & Field championships in Eugene, Oregon took exactly all of 1:48.59, as the former Washington State standout formally placed himself on the World Championship team by finishing third in his heat of the 800 meters.
As defending world champion at 1500 & 5000 meters, all he had to do to put himself on the team was compete at the national championships.
After the race, I told him that it would’ve been more dramatic had he kept running past the finish line and the mixed zone and straight to a waiting car.
He told the media, “I felt alright out there. I wanted to run fast out there but I’m still trying to learn how to run the 800 meters again. I can’t even remember the last time I ran the 800. But it was a good run for me, another step in my training.”
Aretha Thurmond from Federal Way, the former Renton High & UW All-American and two-time Olympian made yet another world championship team, coming through with a clutch sixth round throw of 205-1 (62.51m) to finish second behind Olympic champion Stephanie Brown Trafton, who spun the platter 210-9 (64.25m).
Here’s the interview with Aretha after her competition:
Qualifying for the next round was the order of the day, as a pair of former Auburn prep standouts moved on to the finals in the men’s 1500.
Chris Lukezic finished second in his heat, running 3:45.60, while Jordan McNamara nabbed one of the last spots in finishing fifth in heat 4, clocking 3:41.15.
Former Washington Husky Ryan Brown ran the fifth fastest time of the day in the men’s 800 qualifying round, clocking 1:48.17 to advance to Friday’s semi-finals.
After the conclusion of day 1 of the decathlon, former Seattle Pacific standout Chris Randolph stands sixth with 4032 points. Rickey Moody of Club Northwest and Puyallup, didn't finish the 400, after completing the first four events.
Among those competing Thursday but not advancing were Katie Follett of UW & Jessica Pixler from SPU in the women’s 1500; recent UW grads Jordan Boase and Austin Abbott in the men’s 400 and 1500, respectively; Shelton twins Andy & Alex McClary in the 1500 & 800; former Tacoma prep runner Craig Everhart in the men’s 400.
Former Eastern Washington standout Mattie Bridgmon was 19th in the women’s 10000 in 34:10.51. In the men’s 10000, former O’Dea HS runner Michael Kilburg was 20th in 29:48.14and ex-Husky Mike Sayenko failed to finish the 10000.
In the men’s javelin finals, former Husky and Boise State thrower Justin St. Clair was 18th at 206-2 (62.85m).
In Friday’s competition, key Washingtonians to look for include Mel Lawrence in the women’s steeple, Jarred Rome & Ian Waltz in the men’s discus, and Ryan Brown in the semis of the men’s 800.
paulmerca.blogspot.com is now here in Eugene for the USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships!
Some quick news here at the track: Olympic champion Bryan Clay is unable to go in the decathlon, as he tweaked his left hamstring in Tuesday's practice.
"I hurt my leg a little less than 48 hours ago," said Clay. "I had two little pops in my (left) hamstring. It didn't feel like anything too serious. I got back on the runway and tried to do another stride and I realized it was a little worse than I thought. We've been doing as much as we can the last two days. I've been in hyperbaric chambers, I've been getting acupuncture, massage, I've been taking ibuprofen, and doing everything we could do to get my leg felling better, but it's still feeling pretty bad."
Although Clay will not be eligible to compete at the 2009 World Outdoor Championships this summer in Berlin, Germany, he has his sights set on other goals. "After I sulk for a little bit, my coaches and I will get together and figure out what I'm going to do for the rest of the year," he said.
"We have our ultimate goal of coming out in the next three years and going after the world indoor record, the world outdoor record, and then of course, making another Olympic team. My goal is to be the only American to ever win three (decathlon) medals at three Olympics, so we're starting to look forward at this point."
En route to the track, we were also informed that seven-time world cross country champion Paul Tergat of Kenya has withdrawn from Saturday's Rock n Roll Seattle Half-Marathon.
"Paul was out jogging the morning before his flight and felt some pain in his lower back. With the length of the flight from Nairobi to Seattle, and the race itself, he decided it was best to pull out," said Matthew Turnbull, the Elite Athlete Coordinator for the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Series. "It's a blow to lose any athlete so close to a race. Everyone associated with Rock 'n' Roll Seattle was looking forward to welcoming Paul to the inaugural event in what is going to be an exciting and long standing relationship here in the Pacific Northwest."
Meanwhile, hope you follow our tweets through our Twitter page (twitter.com/paulmerca70601) during today's competition. There's also a Twitter feed on the right hand side of this blog.
We'll post after each day's competition.
Don't forget that you can watch streaming video of the meet through our media partner, Flotrack.org.
Internationally respected track and field writer Paul Merca brings his take on the sport to paulmerca.blogspot.com.
Paul was the assistant director of communications for the 1984 USA Women's Olympic Marathon Trials in Olympia, WA., and public relations director for the 1999 USA Cross Country Championships in Tacoma, WA.
The current public address announcer for the University of Washington's home track and field meets, Merca's been a media assistant to the USA national team (2001-09) at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships.
His vast knowledge of the sport has been utilized by many of the country's sports television networks, and is a contributing writer to Northwest Runner magazine.
He graduated from Seattle's Franklin High School in 1977, and received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Washington in 1981 in Communications.
He competed in track and cross country at Franklin, and ran cross country at the University of Washington.
LAUSANNE, Switzerland--In their first race since competing in Eugene at the USA Championships, hurdler Ginnie Powell from Rainier Beach HS finished seventh in the 100 meter hurdles, and former Washington State All-American Bernard Lagat finished eighth in the 800 meter run at the Lausanne Super Grand Prix meet under rainy conditions.
