Pelluer Far From A Waltz Accidents, Wind Tarnish Annual Track Meet, But WSU Thrower Improves National Mark

One guy took a javelin in the thigh. Another was knocked cold by slamming head-first into the track after the men’s 400 meters.

Alas, the 26th Pelluer Invitational was not for the faint of heart, right down to the bone-chilling wind that ripped through Eastern Washington’s Woodward Stadium on Friday.

The survivors included Washington State thrower Ian Waltz, who moved up to third in the NCAA shot put standings with a personal-record throw of 63 feet, 9-1/2.

Eastern Washington’s Seville Broussard also thrived, winning the 400 hurdles in a meet-record 59.46 seconds, a remarkable time under such difficult circumstances.

Others were less fortunate.

Ken Brown, a veteran meet official from Spokane, became an early casualty when he was felled while working the men’s javelin competition. Brown managed to joke with trainers before he was whisked away to a hospital, and his wife later reported that the injury was not serious.

A couple hours later, EWU sprinter Steve Carey tripped and fell hard moments after winning the 400. He struck his head on the track and was taken away on a stretcher, but only after trainers and paramedics spent more than 15 minutes tending to him at the site.

Carey, who was held overnight for observation at Deaconess Medical Center, waved to onlookers as he was carried off. “Now, I don’t have to run the mile relay,” he quipped.

Carey was being treated for shoulder and hand injuries. His winning time was 48.49 seconds.

Waltz won the shot put and discus (196-10) less than 24 hours after throwing around several hundred pounds in the WSU weight room.

“He lifted hard yesterday,” WSU coach Rick Sloan marveled. “He bench-pressed the 150-pound dumbbells 10 times, one in each hand, and I saw him squatting about 565, probably five times.”

All part of the Waltz routine.

The Post Falls native and reigning Pacific-10 Conference shot and discus champ can be as intense as they come. Upon stepping into the ring, the 6-foot-2, 290-pounder paws at the concrete with his feet, almost resembling an agitated bull.

Moments later, Waltz can often be seen chumming it up with teammates.

“I’m serious when I get in the ring but I like to have fun,” the Post Falls native said. “It keeps your head better when you have a little fun.”

Waltz, having long since become an automatic qualifier for the NCAA Championships, doesn’t have to get too serious until next month’s Pac-10 championships.

“I kind of thrive off the pressure a little bit, usually compete good under pressure,” he said. “There’s plenty of meets for that in the future.”

Among the other Pelluer highlights: Whitworth’s Chet Doughty won the long jump at 23-10; WSU’s Molly Moore won the shot put with a season-best 44-11; former Community Colleges of Spokane star Dusty Lane, who is redshirting, won the 400 hurdles in 52.42; and EWU’s Andre Ervin won the high jump at 6-10-3/4.