Here's who's going to Poland for the world indoors...
With the close of the qualifying period on Sunday, the field for next weekend's World Athletics Indoor Championships in Torun, in the Kujawy Pomorze region of Poland is clearing up.
Seattle residents Valery Tobias (Paul Merca photo) and Laura Pellicoro of the Brooks Beasts are entered in the women's 800.
Tobias, who finished second at the US nationals at the end of February, got her qualifying mark on February 14th in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
Pellicoro, who won the Italian championships at the end of February, got in on the World Athletics descending order top list at number 24 of 30 after running 2:00.93 last Saturday in Philadelphia.
Washington State's Rosemary Longisa, who is prepping to run the mile at the NCAA championships in Fayetteville, Arkansas, got under the standard when she ran 1:59.71 at the Husky Classic in a race that saw four women dip under 2:00.
Washington alums Aaron Ahl, Luke Houser and Nathan Green will run the 1500 meters at the world indoors.
Ahl earned his qualifying time in Boston on February 13th when he ran 3:34.98. Green and Houser, who went 1-2 at the USATF indoor championships, were not assured of spots on the US team, as there were six runners behind them at nationals with the standard.
Houser and Green got under the 3:36.00 standard last Saturday in Philadelphia when they ran identical times of 3:34.91, with Houser credited with the win.
Josh Kerr of the Brooks Beasts is in the men's 3000 after running 7:37.34 en route to an 8:07.68 time in the two-mile at the Millrose Games in New York. With the 3000 a straight final, the entry standard was 7:33.00, a mark only three runners achieved during the qualifying period which began November 1st.
The others in the 3000m field came off the descending order list, with the exception of Tshepo Tshite of South Africa, the world indoor tour winner, and two designated universality place qualifiers.
Washington alum Justin O'Toole could possibly be on Canada's team in the men's 800 depending on whether Abdullahi Hassan or Matty Erickson decline their spots. Both Hassan and Erickson are ahead of O'Toole in the descending order top list of 30 competitors. Erickson is currently preparing to run the 800m at the NCAA championships for Oregon.
John Rivera of the Brooks Beasts, who ran 1:46.10 in Boston on February 22nd, just 2/10th of a second off the automatic qualifying standard of 1:45.90, and is inside the World Athletics descending order top list of 30, could possibly be added to Puerto Ricos's team.
The complicating factor is that Puerto Rico's federation did not submit his name to World Athletics.
Shortly before this piece was published (it was published the day before on our Buy Me A Coffee premium site), Canada's federation formally named Hassan and Erickson to their team, with O'Toole as the alternate.
Puerto Rico's subsequently submitted Rivera's name to World Athletics, and he will now go to Poland for his second straight world indoor championships.
NOTE: World Athletics contributed to this report.
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