OT: Olympic track and field trials

[tsull]

Western Oregon University has two alums running in this week's trials and Eastern Oregon has a guy advancing to the finals.

Derek Holdsworth actually got eliminated in the first round of the 800 m, he's a Western Oregon grad who let all of D2 in the indoor 800 before the season got called off a year ago.

David Ribbich of Enterprise, Oregon, is running in the 1500 this week. He's a multiple national titleist at the D2 level.

Can't remember the name but Eastern Oregon has a graduate who won his heat in the steeplechase semifinals and he's advancing to the finals, which is very impressive. He's from Alaska.

[Wildcat Khan]

Western Oregon University has two alums running in this week's trials and Eastern Oregon has a guy advancing to the finals.

Derek Holdsworth actually got eliminated in the first round of the 800 m, he's a Western Oregon grad who let all of D2 in the indoor 800 before the season got called off a year ago.

David Ribbich of Enterprise, Oregon, is running in the 1500 this week. He's a multiple national titleist at the D2 level.

Can't remember the name but Eastern Oregon has a graduate who won his heat in the steeplechase semifinals and he's advancing to the finals, which is very impressive. He's from Alaska.

That is really good for someone from Enterprise. Good luck to him!

I might drive through at area sometime this summer as I have good memories of family reunions at Wallowa lake as a young kid.

[tsull]

That is really good for someone from Enterprise. Good luck to him!

I might drive through at area sometime this summer as I have good memories of family reunions at Wallowa lake as a young kid.

Ribbich had good, not national class prep times at Enterprise but really developed in college. He often beat UO runners in meets in Eugene, ran 1,500 times that equate to sub-4 miles, great at 800 and X-C, too.

Issac Updike is the Eastern Oregon University grad, really hope he makes the Olympic team. His sponsor, Hoka shoes, just dropped him. He ran some swift times at EOU, school record 8:47 in the steeplechase, a good D1 time. He's now running 8:17-8:20. He's from Ketchikan, Alaska. Some good runners in those small towns.

[Wildcat Khan]

Ribbich had good, not national class prep times at Enterprise but really developed in college. He often beat UO runners in meets in Eugene, ran 1,500 times that equate to sub-4 miles, great at 800 and X-C, too.

Issac Updike is the Eastern Oregon University grad, really hope he makes the Olympic team. His sponsor, Hoka shoes, just dropped him. He ran some swift times at EOU, school record 8:47 in the steeplechase, a good D1 time. He's now running 8:17-8:20. He's from Ketchikan, Alaska. Some good runners in those small towns.

Really destroys the narrative that there are no good athletes West of the Cascades. Good luck to both of them on getting to Tokyo.

[tsull]

[tsull]

That's Ribich with one "b", I misspelled it all the way through and didn't feel like changing all of them.

[IronOre]

Speaking of, they're moving some of the events earlier in the day this weekend due to the Hotpocalypse that's hitting. Not sure why they didn't move all the activities, not just the long distance runs...

[Wildcat Khan]

That is definitely hot for Eugene. Even here in the Tri-Cities we get that kind of heat for just a few days in the summer and right now it is 96. I feel for the people in the Willamette Valley as they are less used to it, although I guess some of the runners may be used to it. I hope they are staying hydrated.

I also made the mistake of checking extended forecast, 118 forecast for here on Tuesday.

[tsull]

Ribich made it to the finals with a very fast time in the semi-finals, a time which would have won the second heat easily. Impressive showing for David at the trials.

Eastern Oregon University graduate Isaac Updike took the lead in the steeplechase with about 250 m to go. He stumbled a little bit on the water jump, lost his lead and ended up finishing fifth in the finals just two spots off making the Olympic team. Pretty great showing for him.

[tsull]

Ribich struggles in the Olympic trials 1500 m final, running 3:44 some 7 seconds off his semi-final time. Still a tremendous showing for David, it's very difficult to make an Olympic trials finals.

[crixus]

Ribich struggles in the Olympic trials 1500 m final, running 3:44 some 7 seconds off his semi-final time. Still a tremendous showing for David, it's very difficult to make an Olympic trials finals.

Making it to the trials is quite an accomplishment in itself, so kudos to Ribich on that.

[tsull]

Don't want to brag too much on the alma mater, all schools have great alums and accomplishments, but it's been a real good summer for Western Oregon.

They just had a former pitcher get called up to the big leagues this week with the Baltimore Orioles.