TERRE HAUTE, IND. ? Four members of the Indiana State University track & field team will make the trip to Eugene, Ore., this weekend for the U.S.A. Outdoor Track & Field Championships including junior Kylie Hutson, junior Lauren Martin, freshman Sarah Snapp and sophomore Major Clay.
Returning to one of the most hallowed sites in the sport, the 2009 USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships will take place at Hayward Field, site of the '72, '76, '80, and the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials. Eugene has long been dubbed "Track Town, USA" for its rich track and field history and the community's overwhelming appreciation of the sport.
Hutson (Terre Haute, Ind.) made it a clean sweep in the women's pole vault this season, winning both the indoor and outdoor Missouri Valley Conference championships and the indoor and outdoor NCAA National Championships.
She is the top collegian and the eighth ranked athlete in the field that will be competing at 2:30 p.m. (ET) on Sunday.
“She is going up against some of the best in the nation and is about a foot below what they are jumping,” John Gartland, Indiana State women's track & field coach, said. “But I think that her experience at the Olympic Trials last year will help her tremendously.”
Hutson did not make it out of the qualifying round of the Olympic Trials, which were also held at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore., tying for 13th overall.
“Unlike the Olympic Trials and the NCAA Championships which had qualifying one day and the finals the next, this meet will have all the pole vault competition on one day,” Gartland said. “I think that will also help Kylie.”
Hutson is the school record holder, and the all-time Missouri Valley Conference record holder, in both the indoor and outdoor pole vault and both were set in winning the 2009 national championship. The Sycamore junior went 14'4.75” to win the indoor title and 14'5.25” to win the outdoor title.
Martin (Schaumburg, Ill.) finished 10th in the women's triple jump at the 2009 NCAA Outdoor Championships and tied for 15th at the 2009 NCAA Indoor championships. She qualified for the USA Outdoor Championships with a school record leap of 44'4.75” at the NCAA Mideast Regional, which is also an all-time Missouri Valley Conference record.
“Lauren has been jumping really well lately and I think that she could come away from the USA Championships with another school record,” Gartland said.
The Sycamore junior is the top collegian in the competition and the eighth best athlete that will be competing at 7:50 p.m. (ET) Friday.
Martin and Hutson were both named All-Americans by the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) in their respective events for both the indoor and outdoor campaigns. The award is given by the USTFCCA to the top eight American finishers in each event.
Hutson is only the second member of the Indiana State women's track & field team to win a national championship in any event. Holli Hyche, an All-American sprinter for the Sycamores, won three outdoor championships and four indoor championships from 1993 through 1994. Hyche won titles in the 55 meters and 200 meters during the indoor season and in the 100 meters and 200 meters during the outdoor season.
Indiana State sophomore Major Clay (Springfield, Ill.) will be competing in the high jump at 2:55 p.m. (ET) Sunday. Clay is the sixth best collegian in the field and 17th overall.
“Clay had a problem slipping on the wet surface at the NCAA Championships while using short spikes,” Gartland said. “He just couldn't get his footing as he neared the bar but he has been jumping really well the last two weeks.”
Clay has cleared 7'3 in practice last week and was well of seven-feet this week during workouts in preparation for the USA Championships. He qualified for the USA Championships with a personal best leap of 7'2.5” at the Indiana State Pacesetter Invitational.
“I believe that you will see a better result from him this time around,” Gartland said.
The final competitor for the Sycamores will be Sarah Snapp, who will be competing in the USA Junior Outdoor Championships in the 100 meter hurdles.
“The juniors are for the elite high school athletes and those college freshmen who have not turned 20 yet,” Gartland said.
The freshman from Shelbyville, Ind. qualified for the USA championship by running 14.34 in the preliminaries of the 2009 Missouri Valley Conference Outdoor Championships. Snapp is ranked 18th among the field who will compete at 5:40 p.m. (ET) in the preliminaries. The finals will be run at 10 p.m. (ET) Friday.
“This will be a great experience for her,” Gartland said.
The United States' best athletes will also invade Oregon for the chance to represent Team USA in Berlin, Germany this August at the IAAF World Championships, the first major international track and field event in the Olympic stadium since the 1936 Olympic Games. Recalling history, this pre-World War II Olympic Games is the seminal event in USATF's history. During the 1936 Games, Jesse Owens' four gold medal performance established his legendary status as an American and international icon.
The 2009 U.S. Junior Outdoor Track & Field Championships will serve as the selection meet for the 2009 Pan American Junior Athletics Championships, which will be held at the Hasley Crawford Stadium in Port of Spain, Trinidad on July 31st and August 1st & 2nd. The top two finishers in each event will qualify to compete in these Championships.
Coverage of the USA Championships will be shown on ESPN from 8-10 p.m. (ET) Friday and from 7:30-9:30 p.m. (ET) Saturday. NBC plans to televise the event from 4-6 p.m. (ET) Sunday.
For live coverage on the internet, go the USA Track & Field Outdoor Championship home page at http://www.usatf.org/events/2009/USAOutdoorTFChampionships/
