Jacopo Spanò advances to European Champs U23 semis in 200 meters...

BYDGOSZCZ, Poland—The University of Washington’s Jacopo Spanò (left/photo by Paul Merca) advanced to the semi-finals of the men’s 200 meters at the European Athletics Under 23 Championships Friday evening.

Running out of lane 5, Spanò, competing for his native Italy, ran 21.14 to finish third and earn an automatic qualifying spot in Saturday’s semis, which will be run at 7:52 am Seattle time.

Jan Volko of Slovakia won the heat in 20.80.

Serbia’s Jelena Grujic, who will be an incoming freshman at Washington State this fall, was seventh in her heat of the women’s 400 hurdles, running 60.86.

Saturday, Serbia’s Atina Kamasi, who finished fifth at the Pac-12 championships for Washington State, throws in Group 1 of the women’s javelin at 3:55 am Seattle time.

Also competing Saturday at about the same time is incoming Cougar freshman Martha Traore of Denmark, who is in the women’s long jump.

Complete results and direct link to the live stream of the European U23 Championships are available here.

ANDRADE FIFTH IN B SECTION IN MADRID; SHAQ WALKER NEVER MAKES IT TO STARTING LINE

Federal Way resident Jordin Andrade was fifth in the B section of the men’s 400 hurdles at the Meeting de Madrid Friday night.

Andrade ran 51.04 as Mohamed Adam of Sudan won the heat in 49.95.

Shaq Walker of the Brooks Beasts never made it to the line for the men’s 800 when he found out the night before that he was placed in the B section when he was supposed to run in the A section.

According to an understandably upset Beasts coach Danny Mackey, Walker had a personal and season best time that warranted being placed in the A section, and claimed there was a error between Walker’s agent and meet management on his entry.  Additionally, Brooks paid a significant sum for Walker’s ticket to Europe, only to find out that he was put in a B section against 1:47 competition.

Walker elected not to run in the B section.  According to Mackey, he will race next in Heusden.  The A section of the men's 800 was won by Antonie Gakeme of Burundi in 1:44.44. with American Erik Sowinski third in 1:45.01.

Complete results of the Meeting de Madrid are available here.