Wednesday's hot reads: GNAC Athletes of the Week, TFAA, Texas Relays, USTFCCCA rankings...
The Great Northwest Athletic Conference announced that McKayla Fricker (above/photo courtesy GNAC) of Seattle Pacific and Katie Reichert of Western Washington were the conference's women's track and field event athletes of the week for the week ending March 22nd.
Fricker finished second in the 800m at last Saturday's Oregon Preview meet, running a time of 2:08.00, a personal best, and the sixth fastest mark in conference history. Her mark also earned her an automatic spot in the NCAA championships, and is the current NCAA Division II leader.
Reichert won the javelin at the Oregon Preview, throwing the spear 162-1 (49.40m), which was also an NCAA automatic qualifier, and a NCAA Division II leading mark this season.
On the men's side, Western Washington's Frank Catelli was named the GNAC men's field athlete of the week after winning the shot put at the Oregon Preview at 57-2 1/2 (17.43m), and taking fourth in the discus at 165-4 (50.40m). His shot mark leads the NCAA Division II rankings and his discus ranks number 2 in the country so far this season.
TFAA ISN'T LETTING USA TRACK & FIELD SLIDE...
It's been over a month since the USA Indoor Track & Field Championships in Albuquerque, New Mexico concluded, and there's been no resolution regarding the disqualification of Andrew Bumbalough from the men's 3000, and the Track & Field Athletes Association (TFAA) isn't letting USA Track & Field brush this under the table and hope everyone forgets it.
In a post on the organization's web site, the TFAA contends that USATF backed out of a conference call to discuss having athlete representatives from the TFAA available to observe protest and appeals procedures at future national championships.
The TFAA asks, "Why would our national governing body ignore the athletes association, their own athletes advisory committee (which is required by the Ted Stevens Act) and the 1000 athletes, coaches, agents, sponsors and fans who signed the petition calling for change?"
"It is unacceptable for the collective voice of the athletes to be disrespected and dismissed…We are aligned with our fans in our quest to improve our sport. We cannot sit idly by while its integrity is compromised and our calls for action and change fall on deaf ears."
Additionally, Bumbalough's agent, Tom Ratcliffe, is still waiting for an answer on why his client was disqualified, in a blog post written by the Oregonian's Ken Goe.
WSU HEADS TO TEXAS RELAYS; PATTERSON TO OPEN SEASON THERE...
Washington State University is sending a small group of athletes to Austin for the Texas Relays, which begins Wednesday with the multi-events.
The Cougars have decathlete Dino Dodig and heptathlete Alissa Brooks-Johnson competing Wednesday, while the rest of the group begins competition Thursday.
The group primarily consists of sprinters and hurdlers, with reigning Pac-12 pole vault champ Kristine Felix, hurdlers Shaquana Logan and Erin Allen, high jumpers Charlotte Muschamp and Holly Parent, and javelin throwers Sam Ferenchak and Kyle Stevens the most notable of the 12 athletes on their travel squad.
Additionally, two-time US Olympian and Vancouver native Kara Patterson will make her 2014 season debut at the Texas Relays, as she'll throw Friday morning.
USTFCCCA NATIONAL COMPUTER RANKINGS...
Finally, the USTFCCCA released this week their national pre-season computer rankings.
The University of Washington's women's team is ranked #19 in the pre-season poll, while in Division II, the Western Washington men are ranked #10, and Central Washington is ranked #25.
On the women's side, three Washington schools make the national top 25, with Western Washington #11, Central Washington #13, and Seattle Pacific #22.
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