Huskies send 4 to NCAAs

Four Huskies will represent the purple and gold at the NCAA track and field championships, which start today in Baton Rouge, La. Pole-vaulting junior Brad Walker is the highest-ranked Husky, making the trip with a national title on his mind.

After missing most of the indoor season but having a successful outdoor season, Walker is poised to make a run at the national pole-vault title. Last year, Walker finished 12th at the NCAA championships fresh off recovering from a bone fracture in his right foot.

This season, Walker is healthy and claimed the Pac-10 conference title with an impressive vault of 18 feet, 1/2 inch. In a highly competitive national setting, Walker looks to stay consistent in terms of performance and attitude.

"I can't change anything," Walker said. "I have to look at this like this is just another meet, and if I can keep that mindset, good things will happen."

The fourth-seeded Walker will attempt to take the No. 1 spot from Texas Longhorn Brian Hunter, who vaulted a tremendous 18 feet, 6 inches earlier this season. Walker has neither preference nor fear regarding whom he would like to face in head-to-head competition.

"I look forward to facing anyone who is among the top 10," Walker said. "Anyone who has jumped a couple of inches more or less than I have will be competitive, and with great weather in Louisiana, everyone here has what it takes to win it all."

Senior Mike Hill will also attempt to keep his momentum rolling after taking the Pac-10 title in the 3,000-meter steeplechase. Hill recorded his career best with a time of 8:46.92 earlier this season at the Stanford Invite. Hill holds the 18th seed and needs a good preliminary round today in order for his championship hopes to stay alive.

"This meet is what I have been waiting for since I came to Washington," Hill said. "I want to race like I did at the Drake and the Pac-10 championships. I don't have the luxury of relaxing on the preliminary (heat) if I want to be in the finals."

The two women representing the Huskies are junior Courtney Inman and freshman Kate Soma. The two have helped the Husky women's team finish off the year ranked 17th with 339.1 points in the U.S. Track Coaches' Association Dual Meet Power Rankings.

Inman will be running in the 1,500-meter preliminary heat tomorrow while Soma will begin today at 4:20 p.m. Soma will be one of the five Pac-10 participants in this year's pole-vault championships. Tracy O'Hara of UCLA holds the top seed in the women's pole-vault field while Oregon's Becky Holliday, Arizona's Amy Linden and Stanford's Kathleen Donahue join Soma in representing the Pac-10. Only 18 women are competing for the pole-vault championship, and Soma is tied for the 16th ranking.

"Going in ranked so low, I have no pressure whatsoever," Soma said. "I just hope to PR (personal record) while gaining valuable experience."

The top competitor in the 1,500 is Lena Neilson of UCLA, who also runs the 800. Inman will be walking a familiar path in this year's championships. She competed in the indoor track championships held in Arkansas, where she finished 11th. Inman has also competed in the 2000 junior Olympics, where she represented her home country of Canada.

"I want to run relaxed," Inman said. "Since I have been in big races before, I think my experience will help me."