Yates Qualifies for Finals

While we have two athletes competing at the US Championships (Shapard and Iverson) we have another freshman competing at her countries championships. I am visiting England and have come to watch our freshman 800 meter runner, Lucy Yates, who is competing in the Under 20 English Championship meet. She finished fourth in her preliminary race on Saturday afternoon and gained one of the time qualifying spots. Her opening round time was 2:10.09 with splits of 66-64. She felt good about her race and is looking forward to tomorrows final. I was able to take a few pictures of the championship facility in Bedford, UK, Lucy at the start of her race, and Lucy with her club coach (George) and father (Peter). George is a coaching legend in England and has coached some of the best runners in British athletics history. It was fun to meet him and listen to some of the stories from his coaching career.

Really???

Senior Chelsea Shapard ended her storied Utah track career at the U.S. Championships in Eugene, OR with another outstanding performance in the prelims. She clocked 58.89 and missed making the semi finals by .01 (aggghhhhhh....the story of our season)! She finished 17th out of 22 competitors even though she had one of the very last qualifying marks for the meet.

I couldn't be prouder of her because not only does she run fast, but she represents everyone at the University of Utah in a first class manner. Congrats to Chels.

Freshman high jumper, Langley Iverson will compete on Saturday in the U.S. Junior meet also being held in Eugene. Look for jump by jump details on www.twitter.com/utah_trackfield

Endersen Named Academic All American

Senior Lauren Endersen has been selected to the ESPN the Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All America First Team. Endersen was a third team selection a year ago. She finished her collegiate career with a 3.992 GPA in biology/chemistry and will attend the Ohio State University medical school in the Fall.

According to longtime University of Utah athletic academic advisor, Rob Rainey, Endersen is one of the most intelligent student athletes he has ever worked with.

"Lauren earned her GPA in one our institutions most rigorous majors and always took class loads that were very difficult. For her to maintain such a high GPA and be a student athlete is pretty amazing," commented Rainey.

Six Utes Land on All West Region Team

We had six athletes in three events be named to the 2009 All West Region Team by the US Track/Cross Country Coaches Association.

Chelsea Shapard, Sr (4oo hurdles and 4x400m relay)

Sarah Grimm, Jr (Hammer)

Josefin Berg, Sr (Hammer)

Chelsey Kaplar, Jr (4x400m relay)

Whitney Wellington, Jr (4x400m relay)

Ashley Patterson, Sr (4x400m relay)

This is the highest number of All Region team honorees in one year in Utah school history.

USA Championships

Follow Chelsea Shapard (400m hurdles) and Langley Iverson (Jr Women's High Jump) as they compete at the USA Senior/Junior Championship meets this weekend in Eugene, OR. Chelsea competes in the preliminary round on Thursday evening. The semi finals are Friday and finals on Saturday. Iverson will compete on Saturday afternoon.

Coach Bockman will be providing twitter updates at www.twitter.com/utah_trackfield

NCAA Championship Pics

Pics include a couple shots of the $9 million facility at the University of Arkansas (John McDonnell Field). My college coach (Chris Bucknam) is finishing his first year as the head coach of the vaunted Arkansas men's track/xc programs. He took over last July after Coach McDonnell retired. In a small way it felt like a home meet due to all of the familiar people who came from Iowa to support our teams.

Our final meet of the season will be the U.S. Championships where Chelsea Shapard will compete in the 400 meter hurdles and freshman Langley Iverson will take part in the junior (19 and under) women's high jump. Shapard opens with the preliminary round on Thursday June 24th and Iverson competes on Saturday June 27th. Check out www.twitter.com/Utah_trackfield for instantaneous results.

Close Calls

Half of the length of a baton and a blink of the eye....by that much we missed having two All Americans here at the NCAA meet.  Junior Sarah Grimm came up five inches short of making the finals in the hammer and being named an All American for the first time ever.  She won her first Mountain West Conference title back in May before qualifying for the NCAA meet.  I can't think of anyone on our current team who has improved as much as she has in the past two years.  She works hard and listens to instructions from our throws coach Tapio Kuusela.  This is the fifth straight year Tapio has had a hammer thrower at the NCAA meet.  

Last night was another close call.  Research proves that it takes .14 seconds to blink.  Senior Chelsea Shapard missed the final of the 400m hurdles by .16 seconds.  Coming up the home stretch and off the final hurdle she was right in the mix for the fourth and final qualifying spot.  As the crossed the line however, she was edged out in a blanket finish and had to settle for seventh in her heat with a time of 58.36.  

She definitely ran a much more competitive race and didn't have to come from as far behind as she did in the prelims.  Like Grimm, Shapard finished 13th overall in her final collegiate track meet.  

I have mixed emotions because on one hand Chelsea ran how we told her she'd need to run to even have a chance to make the final.  But she just missed and so I am sad for her because her goal was to be an All American and make that final.  She came agonizingly close, but that is the NCAA meet.  

It was a great finish to one of the best seasons in recent Utah Track & Field history.  The challenge now will be to sustain this success and continue to build on this momentum next year.   

Pre Meet

We have arrived in Fayetteville, AR for the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships.  It has been very hot and humid so far.  Fortunately, most of the events are in the evening under the lights.  The meet will be televised live on CBS College Sports on Friday and then on CBS Sports on Saturday...check your local listings for times.  

Our hotel is less than a mile from the track and of course....a Wal Mart.  Bentonville, AR is the world headquarters and is only about 25 minutes up the road.  

Practice has gone well.  Competition for both are gals begins tomorrow (Wednesday).  Sarah throws in the prelims of the hammer at 1:30pm.  (Top 12 move on to Fridays final).  Chelsea runs in the last of five preliminary heats.  Top three in each heat plus the next three fastest times move on to Thursdays semis.  

Look for results on Coach Bockman's twitter page immediately after the events....www.twitter.com/utah_trackfield

We are off to dinner...and a relaxing night.  KK

Pre's Rock

One of the most sacred spots in American Distance Running.  Pre's death only intensified his relationship with and affect on track & field fans every where.  

We're Talking About Practice

A low key day at the track on Thursday for a shake out and some strides as final preparation before we begin competing on Friday.  Go Utes!

Hayward Field

We arrived in Eugene last Wednesday for the 2009 West Region Championships.  We practiced Wednesday and Thursday prior to the meet starting on Friday.