Published: June 30, 2009 11:21 pm         

'Til It's Over: Valley track products hold their own at USA Championships

TERRE HAUTE — An NCAA steeplechase All-American on the track, Jordan Fife was joined by two Indiana State Sycamores with NCAA national championship credentials last weekend at the USA Track and Field Championships.

Fife, who has trained with Team Indiana Elite in Bloomington since graduating from ISU in 2007, finished ninth for his best USA Championships finish Saturday night in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at legendary Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore.

The 2009 indoor and outdoor NCAA pole vault champion, Kylie Hutson, took home 13th place, and 2001 60-meter hurdles NCAA champion Aubrey Herring was 11th Saturday in the 110-meter hurdles. Current Sycamores Lauren Martin (triple jump) and Major Clay (high jump) also competed at “Track Town USA.”

After his fifth trip to the national meet, Fife expressed that he was glad to see some familiar faces competing with the best the country has to offer in track and field.

“I can’t really recall that many current and former athletes out there. It’s also nice to see a couple ISU coaches around,” Fife said.

The Seymour native and two-time All-American for the Sycamores made the finals in the meet for the first time.

“I hadn’t made the finals at a USA Championships in several years of competing so I was looking to turn that around and first and foremost make the final,” Fife said. “Kind of a back of the mind goal was top 10, but I thought I could potentially be 6th or 7th or maybe even 5th. I know there’s a lot of room for improvement.”

Fife’s time of 8:48.16 in the finals was 12 seconds shy of his personal best of 8:36.69.

“I definitely would have liked to run a better time. Being 12 seconds off my best time tells me I shouldn’t be too satisfied with 9th,” Fife said.

This year’s USA Championships were also a qualifier for the 2009 World Championships. Next year, that won’t be the case with the indoor world championships scheduled for next year.

“Next year I’ll put more emphasis on the indoor season, I think, because there’s a chance to make a world championship team,” Fife said.

Fife, Hutson and some other Sycamores have time to make plans for a return trip to Eugene in 2012 for the U.S. Olympic Trials. With a few more years of training, you never know what they could do.

• • •

• Strong triathlon finishes — Emily Oilar of the Forward Motion Athletics multi-sport club in Terre Haute was the top women’s finisher in Sunday’s Fat Rabbit Sprint Triathlon at Columbus, Ohio.

The Terre Haute North graduate was a swimmer at Indiana University.

• On June 21, Terre Haute firefighter Jay Umbaugh completed the Cutting Edge Half Classic at Effingham, Ill., on a 90-plus degree day. The half-ironman distance includes a 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike ride and 13.1-mile run.

• Also on June 21, Steve Fleschner of Terre Haute completed his first triathlon of any kind and it was an Ironman distance. Fleschner completed the 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike and 26.2-mile run at Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. He turns 60 on July 4.

• Open meets — For those wanting to compete in track and field, Terre Haute North High School will be the site of open meets at 6:30 p.m. each Wednesday this summer. Events offered will be determined by participants. For more information, call Mike Dason at (812) 239-4207.

• Fast Track Mile — The annual Fast Track Mile, sponosored by the Wabash Valley Roadrunners, is Saturday morning on Wabash Ave.



Craig Pearson can be reached by e-mail at craig.pearson@tribstar.com or by phone at (812) 231-4357.