Day 1 of the Olympic Trials: Who to watch...

EUGENE—The great drama that is the US Olympic Track & Field Trials commences at 1 pm local time at historic Hayward Field.

Right off the bat, former Washington State University standouts Diana & Julie Pickler get things underway in the seven-event heptathlon. Diana, the top American at last year’s World Championships, goes into the Trials as America’s #1 multi-event specialist.

Others to watch include the freight train known as pole vaulter Brad Walker, who’s fresh off his third career 6 meter (19-8 1/4) jump on Sunday in Chula Vista; the reigning US junior champ and NCAA 400 hurdles champ, super-frosh Jeshua Anderson from WSU; world champ Bernard Lagat in the first round of the men’s 5000; and, discus thrower Aretha Thurmond, attempting to make her third Olympic team.

One interesting side note in the women’s discus is former Husky thrower Cecelia Barnes, who attended the UW after Thurmund graduated. Thurmond, who helped recruit Barnes, was a teammate of Cecelia’s mother, Lacy, on the 1996 Olympic team in Atlanta.

Here’s the complete schedule of athletes competing on Friday with their Washington connection, and the link to Friday’s start lists:

1:00 p.m. Day1 women heptathlon
DIANA PICKLER (formerly from WSU)
Julie Pickler (formerly from WSU)

5:40 Triple Jump women qualifying
Tiombe Hurd (former Seattle resident)

5:50 Pole Vault men qualifying
BRAD WALKER (former UW from Mountlake Terrace)

7:05 400m Hurdles men quarterfinal
JESHUA ANDERSON (current WSU)
Eric Dudley (former WSU from Bellingham)

7:30 Long Jump men qualifying
Norris Frederick (UW)
Elvie Williams (Spanaway Lake HS/Spokane CC)

7:50 Discus Throw women qualifying
ARETHA THURMOND (former UW/Renton HS)
CECELIA BARNES (former UW)

8:20 800m men quarterfinal
Ryan Brown (former UW/Renton HS)

8:40 5000m men semifinal
BERNARD LAGAT (former WSU)

9:00 Shot Put men qualifying
Jesse Roberge (former Yelm HS)