Incoming UW freshman Amy-Eloise Neale advances to steeple finals at European Junior champs...

RIETI, Italy-Incoming University of Washington freshman Amy-Eloise Neale (left/photo by Paul Merca), competing for her native Great Britain, finished third in the semifinal of the 3000 steeplechase at the European Junior Championships Thursday night.

Neale started out in about third or fourth place, and stayed there for most of the race, coasting into the finish with a new personal best time of 10:13.74.

The mark stood up as the fourth fastest time of the two semifinal races

For Neale, who graduated from Glacier Peak HS, her time eclipsed her previous PR of 10:14.07 set in June at the Portland Track Classic.

Finland's Oona Kettunen won the semifinal in a time of 10:05.83, followed by Marusa Mismas of Slovakia in 10:05.84.

Neale will run in the finals Saturday at 7:30 pm local time (10:30 am in Seattle)

Day 1 results from the European Junior Championships are available here.

LAGAT AND WALKER SET FOR HERCULIS DIAMOND LEAGUE STOP IN MONACO

After nearly a two week break, the IAAF Diamond League series resumes Friday with the Herculis Meeting in Monaco, the tenth stop of the 14-city world tour.

Washington State alum Bernard Lagat is entered in the 5000 meters, where he will face a field that includes Kenya's Isiah Koech (12:58.85), and Albert Rop (12:59.43), the only men entered who have broken 13 minutes this season; and fellow Americans Galen Rupp and Ben True.

In the men's pole vault, University of Washington alum Brad Walker, who has established his summer training base in Monaco, goes up against all three Olympic medalists--Renaud Lavillenie of France, Bjorn Otto and Raphael Holzdeppe of Germany; training partner Steve Lewis of Great Britain; rising star Lazaro Borges of Cuba; and Konstantinos Filippidis of Greece.

The start list for the Herculis Meeting is available here.

THE OREGONIAN'S KEN GOE WRITES ABOUT THE CURRENT STATE OF THE HAVES AND HAVE-NOTS IN US PRO TRACK & FIELD

Friend of the blog Ken Goe of the Oregonian has a very compelling piece on the current state of professional track & field in the United States.

Echoing a sentiment widely known to those who follow the post collegiate side of the sport, he writes, "For every Allyson Felix or Galen Rupp, who make a comfortable living from track and field, there are dozens of athletes living on the margins, near poverty or in debt, or bankrolled by relatives."

He talks with 2004 Olympic shot put champion Adam Nelson, the president of the Track & Field Athletes Association, the fledging union that is trying to make constructive changes on the professional side of the sport; distance runner Amy Yoder Begley, who has seen all sides of financial support in her career running professionally; and Oiselle CEO Sally Bergesen, whose Seattle based company is behind the Project Little Wings training group that recently graduated University of Washington runners Christine Babcock and Mel Lawrence have joined.

Goe also cites what throwers like Spokane prep standout Britney Henry and Vancouver's Kara Patterson have had to do to increase their visibility, namely using social media to connect with fans, and create their own brands.

You can read Goe's in depth piece here.