Links to pass along: Kara Patterson, Ritz, USA Cross Country, & Cougs...

Here are some links to some relevant news:

--A release from USA Track & Field, where Vancouver native and 2008 US Olympian in the javelin Kara Patterson (left/photo by Paul Merca), along with former Seattle Pacific decathlete Chris Randolph have each received an Elite Athlete Development grant of $4000 to aid in their training.

According to the release, athlete recipients must meet minimum performance and financial need standards to be eligible and agree to participate in the Win With Integrity youth outreach program.

Patterson currently resides in San Diego after graduating from Purdue, and trains at the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista.

--USA Track & Field's release on Saturday's USA Cross Country Championships in Spokane, where Dathan Ritzenhein and Shalane Flanagan look to take their third and fourth individual harrier titles, respectively.

The junior races have a lot of athletes with Washington ties that have legitimate shots at making the team for next month's world cross country championships in Bydgoszcz, Poland including Washington State's Andrew Kimpel; Central Kitsap's Shane Moskowitz; and on the women's side, Washington's Lindsay Flanagan.

--Speaking of Dathan, here's a link to a story written by Ken Goe of the Oregonian on how he's thrived since moving from Eugene to Portland under coach Alberto Salazar;

--The Oregon Track Club Elite plans to go for the American record Friday night of 9:25.77 in the distance medley relay (1200-400-800-1600) at the opening session of the Husky Classic on Friday night.

--Washington State's press release for this weekend's Husky Classic and USA Cross Country Championships, plus an announcement on cross country coach Pete Julian's first recruiting class, which includes Redmond's Mack Young, the 2008 state 4A harrier champ.

--Speaking of WSU, here's a link to a feature in the school's student newspaper on pole vaulter Kendall Mays.

--In the current USTFCCCA rankings, the WSU men are ranked #25, and the UW women are #23. In Division II, Seattle Pacific's women's team is ranked #9, and Western Washington ranks #24.

--Finally, here's a link to a story on the Nebraska athletics web site on former O'Dea HS, USA Track & Field Hall of Famer and 1968 Olympic relay gold medalist Charlie Greene, who is battling diabetes, and needs a kidney transplant.

That's all for now...