Cougars’ Anderson sets pace in 400 hurdles
EUGENE, Ore. – Washington State junior Jeshua Anderson had the fastest time in the men’s 400-meter hurdles semifinals Wednesday during the first day of the NCAA Track and Field Championships at Hayward Field.
The two-time defending NCAA champion in the 400 hurdles, Anderson clocked a time of 49.21 seconds in his heat and will race for his third straight title in Friday’s final.
South Carolina’s Johnny Dutch, who entered the race with the fastest national time of the year at 48.12, won his heat and finished second overall with a time of 49.23.
Anderson holds the second-best national time at 48.63 and owns the school record of 48.47, set in 2009.
WSU freshman Holly Parent was one of nine women who did not clear the opening height of 5 feet, 7
University of Idaho junior Ulrike Hartz had a strong start in the women’s heptathlon, but a foot injury sustained in the second event forced the Western Athletic Conference heptathlon champion out of the competition.
Hartz, who ran a season-best 13.95 in the 100 hurdles and sat in sixth place to open the seven-event competition, injured her right foot on her second attempt in the high jump and was unable to continue.
Shadle Park grad Richard Nelson, a senior at BYU, advanced to Friday’s final in the men’s 3,000 steeplechase. He finished fifth in his preliminary and 10th overall with a time of 8:44.39.
WSU junior and Central Valley grad Anna Layman finished 14th in the 800 semifinals in 2:07.60 and did not advance to Friday’s final.