Brad Walker clears season best in Lausanne...
LAUSANNE, Switzerland--University of Washington alum Brad Walker (above/photo by Mike Scott) finished fourth in the pole vault at the Athletissima Meeting Thursday night at Stade Olympique de la Pontaise.
Walker, who finished fifth at last weekend's USA championships in Sacramento, cleared a season best 18-5 1/4 (5.62m), as Renaud Lavillenie of France, the reigning world and Olympic champ continued his hot streak by winning with a mark of 19-3 (5.87m) and tightening his grip on the IAAF Diamond Trophy awarded at the end of the season as the 14-meet circuit reached the half-way mark Thursday.
Meanwhile, Vancouver's Kara Patterson finished sixth in the javelin with a best of 202-8 (61.77m).
Reigning Olympic champ Barbora Spotakova of the Czech Republic took the win with a best of 218-10 (66.72m).
Walker, along with most of the entrants in the Lausanne pole vault competition will face each other on Saturday at the Meeting Areva in St. Denis, France outside of Paris, which is the next stop on the IAAF Diamond League tour.
The highlight of the meet was the performance of Ukraine's Bohdan Bondarenko in the high jump, as he and countryman Andriy Protsenko each cleared 7-10 1/2 (2.40m), with Bondarenko taking the win.
Complete results from the Athletissima Meeting are available here. The IAAF recap of the meet is available here.
A number of athletes with Washington ties are entered in Saturday and Sunday's USA Junior Track & Field Championships at Hayward Field on the campus of the University of Oregon, with a return trip to Eugene for the IAAF World Junior Championships in 2 1/2 weeks on the line.
Among the most notable entries include state champ and national 1600m record holder from Camas HS Alexa Efraimson, who is entered in the 1500, after she failed to qualify for the finals of the 1500 in the USA outdoor championships last week. With Mary Cain opting for the 3000 instead of the 1500, Efraimson goes into the meet as the top seed, where she'll face USA junior cross country champ Elise Cranny of Colorado.
Incoming University of Washington freshman Rose Christen from South Kitsap HS is seeded third in the 800.
The Huskies will send Colby Gilbert to Eugene, as he's entered in both the 5000 and 1000, along with Ashley Alexander in the javelin.
CJ Allen of Washington State, the reigning Pac-12 champ in the 400 hurdles, is entered in the event.
Seattle native Whitney Diggs of Portland State is entered in the 200 and 400.
Imani Apostol of Holy Names, the Washington 3A runner up in both the 200 and 400 is entered in 400, as is Skyline's Dorie Dalzell, the Washington 4A runner up. Both are competing for the Seatown Express coached by former NFL great Eric Metcalf.
Sophomore Chinne Okoronwko, the state 3A champ in the long and triple jumps from Mountlake Terrace, is entered in her specialties. Joseph Ellis from Eastlake HS in Sammamish is entered in the hammer, as is Brock Eager from Tahoma HS in Covington. Karen Bulger from Lacey's Northwest Christian is entered in the javelin.
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