Area roundup: WSU’s Kaile Keefe runs lifetime best, just misses NCAA finals

EUGENE - Washington State sophomore Kaile Keefe ran the best race of her collegiate career Thursday, but the Yakima native finished just short of reaching the finals at the NCAA Division I women’s track and field championships.

Keefe clocked a lifetime-best 4 minutes, 15.39 seconds in a semifinal heat of the 1500-meter run at History Hayward Field, finishing sixth. The top five advance to Saturday’s final.

Keefe’s time Thursday was the second-best all-time at WSU, according to the school.

WSU junior Stephanie Cho missed the finals in the 400 hurdles Thursday, finishing 20th (59.06). University of Washington junior Emily Hamlin finished 19th (10:14.71) in the steeplechase, also failing to make the finals.

Alissa Brooks-Johnson, a WSU senior, will compete in today’s heptathlon and UW senior Amy-Eloise Neale (5000m) is slated to run Saturday.

The NCAA men’s track and field championships begins its second day today History Hayward Field.

Lanker to lead USATF women at Athletics World Cup

Coeur d’Alene High and Spokane Community College hurdles coach Linda Lanker has been tabbed to lead the United States Track and Field team at the inaugural Athletics World Cup in London.

Lanker, who was inducted into Washington State Coaches Hall of Fame last year, will head a women’s team that will compete against seven other countries July 14-15.

Only one male and one female will be allowed in each event, and all IAAF-recognized events up to the 1500m will be contested. USATF athletes will be selected based on 2018 USATF Outdoors results.

Lanker served as the head coach for the 2017 women’s Pan American Junior champion team, which won 28 collective medals in Trujillo, Peru.