Waltz Leads WSU Track Hopefuls Idaho’s Bruder Enters Meet With 2nd-Best Steeplechase
Post Falls sophomore Ian Waltz of Washington State University has a shot at All-America designation in two events at this week’s NCAA track and field championships.
Coming off an impressive performance at last week’s Pac-10 championships, Waltz is one of six Cougars at Indiana University for the NCAAs.
A winner at the Pac-10 meet in both the shot put and discus, Waltz must finish among the top eight U.S.
competitors in either event to become a track and field All-American.
His throw of 196 feet, 4 inches in the discus rates sixth in the NCAA. Waltz is ranked eighth in the shot with a personal-best 61-8-1/4.
WSU looks potentially strong in the men’s 1,500 meters with Bernard Lagat and Eric Kamau, who finished 1-2 in the Pac-10 championships. Lagat, a sophomore from Nairobi, Kenya, has run the NCAA’s fifth-best 1,500 (3:41.19).
He also qualified for the 5,000 but will not run the longer race.
The Cougars will be represented today by Rasto Kiplangat in a semifinal heat of the 800 meters.
Other WSU qualifiers are long jumper Hilary Mawindi and heptathlete Heidi Shultz, the lone senior.
Steeplechaser Frank Bruder is the best hope of the Idaho Vandals.
Bruder, a senior from Neubulach, Germany, has the NCAA’s second-best 3,000-meter steeplechase time, 8:34.88.
Other Vandals entered are Tawanda Chiwira, 400 meters; Chris Kwaramba, triple jump; Oscar Duncan, javelin, and shot putter Jill Wimer.
Wimer, a senior from Grangeville, Idaho, was told Saturday morning by an NCAA official that she qualified for both the shot and javelin. Later Saturday, she was informed that the NCAA had erred and that she was qualified in neither event.
Finally, Wimer was packing when her coach, Julie Taylor, received word that Wimer had indeed made it in the shot with a best of 50-4, the 19th and final mark accepted in the meet.
“Who needs the little carnival ride by the mall when you have my life?” Wimer told the UI sports information office this week.
, DataTimes