Schwald, Noble open in solid ways

CARSON, Calif. – Rogers High graduates had impressive showings Thursday during opening events of the four-day USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships at the Home Depot Center.

Rogers alum Sarah Schwald ran the top time in the women’s 1,500-meter preliminaries, finishing in 4 minutes, 13.25 seconds on a breezy, chilly night. Schwald, running for Nike, led 12 qualifiers into Saturday’s final.

State 4A 400 and 800 champion Becca Noble, who just graduated from Rogers, ran the fifth-fastest time in the 800 preliminaries for junior girls (19U), qualifying for today’s finals with a 2:09.66. Noble ran the second-fastest time in her heat.

Also at the meet, former Washington State University athletes Arend Watkins and Dominique Arnold qualified for today’s semifinals in the 110 hurdles. Arnold won his heat in 13.52 – the sixth-fastest time overall – and Watkins ran 13.82 to beat the cutoff of 13.87.

Colville High grad Jason Hubbard finished 14th in the men’s 10,000 at 28:57.77. Winner Abdi Abdirahman ran 28:10.38.

Miguel Pate beat Olympic champion Dwight Phillips in the men’s long jump.

Pate took the win at 27 feet, 4 3/4 inches, with Phillips second at 27-2. Brian Johnson took third at 27-4 3/4 .

Pate’s victory came after two grueling years of rehabilitation on his left knee. He tore three ligaments at the Prefontaine Classic in 2001 and wasn’t able to walk without crutches for six months.

Amy Acuff won the women’s high jump at a relatively low 6-2 3/4 . Chaunte Howard and Sharon Day also cleared 6-2 3/4 , but Acuff had fewer misses. Acuff said she had practiced only once, on Sunday, after being sidelined for six weeks with knee and calf injuries in her left leg.

Shalane Flanagan, running almost by herself, won the 5,000 in 15:10.96 seconds, nearly 6 seconds ahead of runner-up Lauren Fleshman.

Earlier, the fabulous 400 field eased through the preliminary rounds.

Olympic gold medalist Jeremy Wariner led the men’s qualifiers at 45.29. He eased up at the end and said he had plenty left for the next two days.

Wariner’s best friend and former Baylor teammate Darold Williamson, the NCAA champion who has the world’s fastest time this year at 44.27, won his heat in 45.58. Olympic bronze medalist Derrick Brew was second-fastest at 45.48.