University of Washington
USA Championships
Thurmond Leads Big Day For Dawgs At USAs
June 23, 2011 | Track & Field
June 23, 2011
USA Track & Field Championships
Eugene, Oregon - Hayward Field
June 23-26
Schedule & Results | Senior Start Lists | Junior Start Lists
» Roth, Walker Lead 'Awesome' Huskies Weekend At U.S. Championships
» Large UW Contingent Meets At USA Championships
EUGENE, Ore. - If it's a U.S. Track & Field Championships, chances are you'll find Husky Hall of Famer Aretha Thurmond on the podium. The three-time Olympian in the discus secured herself a spot on yet another Team USA, this one heading to the IAAF World Championships starting in late August in Daegu, Korea. Thurmond's effort was just one of several impressive performances by Husky athletes past and present, as the U.S. Championships continue through Sunday at Hayward Field.
Today, Thurmond took second by less than two feet behind 2008 Olympic gold medalist Stephanie Brown-Trafton. The top three athletes earn spots on Team USA. Thurmond tossed 205-3 on her second throw which put her comfortably in second. Trailing only the 207-10 mark of Brown-Trafton, Thurmond let loose with another big throw on her sixth and final attempt, improving by a foot to 206-3 but not quite enough to earn her another national title. It will be the fourth World Championships appearance for Thurmond, who was 10th at Worlds back in 2009 in Berlin.
In her first full season as a professional, 2010 grad Katie Follett powered her way into her first career U.S. final, as she placed third in her fourteen-woman heat in a very brisk time of 4:09.94. That would be the third-fastest semifinal time of the day. One of twelve women advancing, Follett will look to go top-three in Saturday's final.
Also advancing through the prelim heats today was 2009 graduate Jordan Boase in the 400-meter dash. Boase got an automatic qualifying spot with the sixth-fastest time of the day, running 45.78 in the first heat. Boase will need to run a semifinal on Friday to reach Saturday's final. In the third heat, Husky freshman Maurice McNeal was fifth out of seven runners, clocking 46.33, which was 18th overall and just two spots short of advancing.
Starting the week off for UW was a couple local javelin standouts who will look to build on the burgeoning Husky javelin tradition as freshman next season. Tacoma's Quinn Hale of Bellarmine Prep finished third with a best of 208-1 on his fourth attempt. King's High product Curtis Clauson threw 203-1 on his final attempt to finish sixth overall. Last year, current UW sophomore Joe Zimmerman won the U.S. Junior javelin title.
Also tossing the discus today was former Husky Will Conwell. An Olympic Trials finalist in 2008, Conwell threw 192-5 on his third attempt but it was just a few feet short of making the final. Conwell wound up 11th overall.
Players Mentioned
