Patterson finishes ninth in Rome Golden Gala javelin...

ROME, Italy--Skyview HS alum Kara Patterson (left/photo by Paul Merca) finished ninth in the javelin at the Golden Gala Pietro Mennea meet at Stadio Olimpico Thursday night.

The two time US Olympian finished with a best of 188-0 (57.30m), set in the second round of the competition, which is part of the IAAF Diamond League circuit.

University of Minnesota alum and two-time Olympic champion Barbora Špotáková of the Czech Republic, competing for the first time since a return from maternity leave, took the victory with a toss of 217-11 (66.43m).

Highlighting the fourth meet of the Diamond League tour was a stellar men's high jump competition won by Mutaz Essa Barshim of Qatar with a clearance of 7-10 3/4 (2.41m).

The IAAF recap of the meet is available here, while the complete results of the Golden Gala Pietro Mennea meet are available here.

NOTES:  Washington State alum Jeshua Anderson, Rainier Beach HS grad Ginnie Crawford, and Spokane native Britney Henry are all entered in Saturday's Jim Bush Invitational at Drake Stadium on the UCLA campus.

The Jim Bush meet is one of the top USA Track & Field regional open meets in the country.

The entries for the meet are posted here.

On Sunday, Washington State University hall of fame member Bernard Lagat announced on his Twitter page that he will run the 3000 meters at the Fanny Blankers Koen meet in Hengelo, the Netherlands on Sunday where he'll face long time rival Augustine Choge of Kenya.