Olympic bronze medalist Shalane Flanagan entered in Saturday's UW Indoor Preview...

While Saturday's UW Indoor Preview meet at the Dempsey Indoor is supposedly only a low-key meet, several big names are entered, according to the performance lists posted by the University of Washington on its track & field web site.

The biggest name on the accepted entry list for Saturday's UW Indoor Preview is 2008 Olympic 10000-meter bronze medalist Shalane Flanagan, who is entered in the women's 3000 meter run, along with the reigning NCAA women's champion in both the 5000 and 10000 meter runs outdoors and 2010 Bowerman Award finalist, Lisa Koll (left/photo by Mike Scott), formerly from Iowa State University.

Koll and Flanagan are currently training partners competing for the Oregon Track Club/Portland under the tutelage of Jerry Schumacher.

Last November, Flanagan made her debut in the marathon, running 2:28:40 at the ING New York City Marathon, the best finish by an American in that race since 1990. In March, Flanagan helped lead Team USA to a third place finish at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Bydgoszcz, Poland, and a spot on the podium, a month after winning the USA cross country title in Spokane.

2009 World Championships team member Maggie Vessey of New Balance, who owns a personal best of 1:57.84, is entered in the 800 where she'll face USA outdoor championships competitor Lauren Johnson, formerly from Huntington University/Indiana, and Oregon's Zoe Buckman, a two-time Pac-10 champion at 800 & 1500 meters, and a 3-time All-American who finished fourth at last year's NCAA outdoor meet.

The men's mile could be intriguing, as it matches Georgetown alum Andrew Bumbalough, who now trains with the Oregon Track Club/Portland group, against former Adams State standout Aaron Braun of the Arizona-based McMillan Elite group. Bumbalough and Braun finished 3-4 at last year's USA championships in the 5000 in Des Moines, Iowa. Braun won the USATF national club cross country title last month in Charlotte, North Carolina.

McMillan Elite teammate Jordan Horn, who was 12th at the club nationals last month, is also entered in the mile.

Former Washington Husky and 2009 world championships team member Ryan Brown is slated to open his 2011 campaign by running the 600 meters. Another notable former Husky, Norris Frederick, who moved back to Seattle after spending the 2010 season training in Chula Vista at the US Olympic Training Center, is entered in the long jump.

Current Husky Scott Roth begins aim towards defending his NCAA indoor title in the men’s pole vault, as he faces Western Washington’s Ryan Brown, the current NCAA Division II indoor and outdoor champion in the event.

Oregon's Brianne Theisen, the reigning NCAA champ in the indoor pentathlon and outdoor heptathlon, is entered in the 60 meter hurdles, in addition to the high jump, long jump and shot put. Theisen is one of several athletes named by the USTFCCCA Thursday in its pre-season watch list for the 2011 Bowerman Award.

Large squads from Pac-10 powerhouses Stanford and Oregon are entered in the meet, which also includes many colleges, universities, and club teams from Washington, Oregon, California, and British Columbia, in addition to the host University of Washington.

With early season meets, the accepted entry lists posted at the University of Washington track & field web site is fluid and always subject to change, depending on last minute scratches, withdrawals, additions, etc.

Action gets underway at 8 am. The complete time schedule is available here.

Comments

Unknown said…
Thanks for posting. I just went out for a run on the Burke and I came across Shalane. I was sure it was her, but could not imagine what she was doing running through my neighborhood on a rainy Friday afternoon. Now I know!