Couple of blog entries from Washington Olympians on the road to Des Moines...

Here's a couple of blog entries as we get ready for the USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships this week in Des Moines, Iowa:

Former Skyview HS/Vancouver standout and 2008 US Olympian Kara Patterson (left/photo by Paul Merca) talks about what she's been doing in the run-up to the championships, especially after visa problems derailed her opportunity to compete in Brazil last month, and she wasn't able to get into the European meets she wanted to earlier this month.

You can read Kara's entry here...

Next, three time Olympian Aretha Thurmond from Renton HS and the University of Washington talks about competing in the women's discus on Sunday, and how the USA championships has one of the deepest fields, with six women entered who have thrown 60 meters (196-10) or further.

She's also excited that two of her training partners in Auburn, Alabama--former Husky Will Conwell, and Auburn University alum Cory Martin, who is the current world leader in the shot put--will be competing in Des Moines as well.

paulmerca.blogspot.com will not be on site in Des Moines for the USA Championships for the first time in a number of years, but we will still have coverage of the event, including tweets and photos from correspondents on site at Drake Stadium.