Posted: July 31, 2004

Athletics: USATF News & Notes

OLYMPIC NOTE: Broe qualifies for Olympic Team

Olympic Trials 5,000-meter champion Tim Broe of Ann Arbor, Michigan, on Friday finalized his spot on the 2004 Olympic Team by meeting the Olympic “A” standard in his event.

The 27-year-old Broe ran 13:18.61 to place 7th in the 5,000-meters at the Norwich Union Grand Prix Friday evening in London. It was a personal best for the two-time U.S. champion, whose previous best was 13:24.13 in 2001, and it bettered the Olympic “A” qualifying standard of 13:21.50.

Broe won the 2004 Olympic Trials in Sacramento in 13:27.36, but he had neither the Olympic A nor B standard prior to Friday. As a result of his meeting the A standard, Broe will join Jonathon Riley, who placed second at the Olympic Trials and who already has the A standard, in competing in the 5,000 meters at the Olympics.

Any athlete lacking an Olympic standard has until August 9 to meet the standard.

Norwich Union Classic Highlights – another WR for Isinbayeva

In addition to Broe’s run in London, other American athletes posted runner-up finishes or a personal best, while Yelena Isinbayeva continued her world-record climb in the women’s pole vault.

Isinbayeva, the 24-year-old Russian, cleared 4.90m/16-0.75 in the vault to beat her previous WR of 4.89m/16-0.5, which she owned only since July 25. Svetlana Feofanova had become the first woman to clear 16 feet with her jump of 4.88m/16-0 on July 4 as a three-woman showdown between Isinbayeva, Feofanova and defending gold medalist Stacy Dragila continues to take shape for Athens. Feofanova placed second Friday in London at 4.80m/15-9, with Dragila fourth at 4.60m/15-1.

Also in London, Olympic Trials 1,500m champion Alan Webb improved his personal best in the mile with his fourth-place finish of 3:50.73, improving on his previous best of 3:50.83, run at the 2004 Nike Prefontaine Classic.

Runner-up finishes were turned in by 2004 U.S. Olympians Grace Upshaw in the women’s long jump (6.61m/21-8.25), James Carter in the men’s 400m hurdles (48.63) and Maurice Greene in the men’s 100 meters (9.97).

For complete results from the Norwich Union Classic, visit www.iaaf.org.

USTCA announces men’s & women’s scholar-athletes of the year

The United States Track Coaches Association (USTCA) has announced the men's and women's scholar-athletes of the year, and men's and women's All-Academic team of the year for NCAA Division I.

Brian Chaput of Pennsylvania and Candice Scott of Florida have been named the 2004 men's and women's scholar-athletes of the year for NCAA Division I. Chaput graduated with a degree in communications with a 3.60 GPA, finishing his outstanding career at Penn as the 2004 NCAA runner-up in the javelin after winning the event in 2003.

Scott compiled a GPA of 3.77 with her major of Therapeutic Recreation as the Port of Spain, Trinidad, native will be a senior this fall. For the second consecutive season, Scott won the NCAA title in the hammer throw, this year with a mark of 68.83m/225-10.

Twelve women had perfect 4.0 grade-point averages: Dara Altman of Florida, Signe Bech of Sam Houston State, Jenny Bybee of Missouri, Kim Clark of Kansas, Tia De Soto of Nebraska, Megan Foster of Kansas, Jessica Graff of Nebraska, Jenny Lake of South Carolina, Megan Manthe of Kansas, Serena Ramsey of Missouri, Kamila Rywelska of BYU and Maureen Scott of Arkansas. Five men's athletes posted 4.0 grade-point averages to top the list: Antonio Emperator of Florida, Gary File of Missouri, Greg Flint of BYU, Jaanus Uudame of Arkansas and Conrad Woosley of Missouri.

The Brigham Young University men's team, with a cumulative 3.03 grade-point average, was named the men's All-Academic Team of the Year for 2004. The Cougars finished a tie for 26th at the NCAA outdoor meet and tied for 10th at the NCAA indoor meet. The Louisiana State women's team, with a cumulative 3.11 grade-point average, was named the women's All-Academic Team of the Year. The Lady Tigers claimed the NCAA indoor title and were second by only 1 point at NCAA outdoors.