Fast Break
NCAA track
Anderson wins in record time
Washington State freshman Jeshua Anderson won the men’s 400-meter hurdles with an NCAA West Regional record time of 49.41 seconds Saturday at the NCAA West Regional Track & Field Championships at Matador Stadium on the California State University at Northridge campus.
Anderson, a graduate of nearby Taft High in Woodland Hills, Calif., led the intermediate hurdles race from start to finish. His time improved his freshman school record and became the second-fastest time in WSU history.
“I wanted to keep a steady pace, get in rhythm and then finish through,” Anderson said. “I prayed over this race and God blessed me and got me through it. I felt good about it. I tried to take control at the beginning, pass up the field, get on the front end, run my race and finish.”
WSU junior Barry Leavitt will also be going to the NCAA Championships after he finished third in the race with a time of 50.44, seventh-best time in WSU all-time records.
Track
Bolt sets world record in 100m
Like a bolt out of nowhere, Usain Bolt is now the world’s fastest man.
The Jamaican runner, who doesn’t even consider the 100 meters his best race, set the world record with a time of 9.72 seconds at the Reebok Grand Prix in New York, .02 seconds faster than the old record held by his countryman, Asafa Powell.
He was using the 100 for “speed work” when he ran the world’s second-fastest time last month at 9.76. Even then, he said he wasn’t sure if he would give up the 400 meters for the 100 at the Beijing Olympics.
Olympics
Bird named to Olympic team
Seattle Storm guard Sue Bird is going to her second Olympic Games.
USA Basketball announced Saturday that Bird has been named to the 2008 USA women’s senior national team. She was a member of the USA’s gold medal team at the 2004 games in Greece.
Former Storm head coach Anne Donovan will coach the 2008 women’s national team at the Olympics in China.
Lisa Leslie and rookie Candace Parker from the Los Angeles Sparks were also named to the team.