Eastern’s Hopes Hit Stride
For a few moments back in February, Rosalind Wallace shed her role as Eastern Washington women’s track coach and assumed the perspective of just a normal track fan.
She was delighted that Seville Broussard had decided to pass on some national recruiting pitches and stayed in the area because “it is going to be so much fun to watch her develop,” Wallace said.
The coach had just seen her prize freshman from Walla Walla set school records in the high jump (5 feet, 11 1/4 inches) and the 55-meter high hurdles (8.15 seconds), and was certainly imagining the impact - regionally and perhaps nationally - Broussard was going to have.
That may all come to pass, but it will have to wait awhile as Broussard faces knee surgery to repair a tendon damaged when landing in the long jump pit in an indoor meet at EWU.
“It’s hard on her and it’s disappointing,” Wallace said. “But she’s dealing with it great.”
While the loss of Broussard comes as a disappointment, Wallace has enough talent left to lift her spirits.
“We’re a great team with her, but without her, we’re still a very good team,” Wallace said.
Speedy Joyce Rainwater returns for her senior season, with six Big Sky Conference titles already to her credit.
Last year, she set conference meet records in the 100 and 200 as she won her second Athlete of the Meet honor.
Rainwater is the quickest of a deep and talented EWU sprint crew.
All four legs of the school’s recordsetting 400 relay team return, with Nakia Walker, Christian White and Chundranae Nicholson on hand.
Beyond that, former State AA sprint champ Azure Thompson has returned to health after a freshman season slowed by hamstring problems.
“We’re still a little weak in the field events, but we’re working on building there,” Wallace said.
Washington State
Of the 10 individual places the Cougars took in last year’s Pac-10 Conference meet, only one placewinner - 10,000-meter runner Kristin Liebich - returns this season.
“We certainly miss some of our big graduates from last year, but we’re coming along pretty well at this point,” coach Rob Cassleman said.
Helping Liebich in the distances will be transfer Carrie Tacheira - “one of the top California JC distance runners,” Cassleman said.
The improvement of Kolleen Faires in the triple jump, meanwhile, will help soothe the losses of Sharon Li and Sheila Phillips - a pair of Pac-10 placers.
Talented sophomore Yashiva Edwards returns in the 200 and 400. And although she’s been slowed by a sore hamstring, “she should be a big factor for us down the road,” Cassleman said.
Tamika Brown, a freshman from Fort Bragg, Calif., will help Edwards in the sprints and the relays.
Nicolle Booth and Tori Hall could score in the hurdles, while Kim Hulse and Kristen Christopher are expected to dominate the weights.
Multi-talented Heidi Schultz has already qualified for the Pac-10 heptathlon.
Idaho
Jill Wimer, school record-holder in the shot put, will seek to improve on her second place in the Big Sky indoor shot put.
Vandals distance runner Angie Mathison is expected to find her stride in the 10,000.
Freshman Shelly Zickler will tackle the 1,500, with senior Amy Johnson returning in the 400, an event in which she was a finalist at the Big Sky indoor meet.
Whitworth
Pirate track will have a different look this year with a new track.
“It’s a nice facility. From my perspective, it’s the best around,” coach Sam Wiseman said.
The facilities will get plenty of work from school record-holders Seline Tatum in the triple jump and Mandy Beck in the high jump.
Perhaps the most promising addition has been Trina Gumm, a freshman from Colville who has already recorded marks of more than 134 in the javelin and 130 in the disc.
CCS
Coach Curt Ransford sees his team on the rise from recent seasons, with Heidi Stull in the high jump, Jennifer Vangement in the throws and Wendy McVaugh in the distances.
Gonzaga
Discus thrower Heather Carlisle has one of the best marks in the region, with a 142-foot effort, while Heather Bellusci is expected to continue lowering her marks in the 800.