Image provided by: Clackamas Community College; Oregon City, OR
About The Clackamas print. (Oregon City, Oregon) 1989-2019 | View Entire Issue (May 21, 2008)
The ClackamasPrint Sport Wednesday, May 21, 2008 An insider's guide the challenging eve Hurdles: The height differs for men and women. The men’s hurdle is 36 inches and, for women, 30 inches. There are five of them, including the one that directly precedes the water pit. gll| Water Pit: The water pil 12 feet by 12 feet long, andi deep end, it is 2.29 feet. See Water Pit (IAAF). . Andrea Simpson I I Sports Editor It was added in the Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges (NWAACC) for women merely four years __________ The event is 3,000 grueling meters of constant speed change, obstacles and a pit of water at frigid temperatures. A domesticated form of cross country, it may be one of the hardest events in the sport of track. It is the steeplechase. The length of the race - customarily 3,000 meters - is just less than two miles. The number of laps depends on the placement of the water pit, which is sometimes located on the inside of the lane or on the outside of lanes eight and nine. Runners encounter 28 barriers as well as seven water jumps. The steeplechase barriers, although they may seem much like hurdles, are in fact much sturdier and will not fall over when hit The runners often use the top of the barrier as a means of pushing themselves off to gain momentum. The steeplechase originated in Britain, where athletes would run from one town’s steeple to the next The steeples were plainly visible to runners, making them easy markers. Participants would regularly have to jump over creeks and obstacles they encoun tered. Oxford University refined the activity into a sport in 1860, according to the International Association of Athletic Federations ago. One Clackamas alumnus has made quite a name for himself in the sport Brian Abshire was the United States Olympic Trials Champion in 1988 and went on to compete at the 1988 Games in Seoul, South Korea. He also holds the ninth fastest time for the steeplechase in United States history with a time of eight minutes and 20.83 seconds. At Clackamas, only two women have participated in the steeplechase since it was added. Lyndsey McKillip, an alumna who trans ferred last year, participated in the steeplechase and took first at the Southern Region champi onships last year. She is now ranked 12th in Division 2 of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Jessica Harper - who did not participate in the steeplechase at Clackamas, as it was not offered at the time she competed - is now ranked eighth in Division 2 of the NCAA. Karly Osten, a freshman from Gladstone, is primarily a long- k Photo illustrations by Kayla Berge and Andrea Simps« distance runner. She runs the 5,000 meter and 3,000 length of the steeplechase wasn’t anything unusual Osten ran in toe event for the first time at the Pat meet May 2. “She was so nervous that when she was doing ra ups, she was falling onia Head Coach Keoni Mel she actually did fairly first time. It wasn’t the! school history, but I waa she tried it” Osten said, ‘T havefl injury before, so I didn’t] d I J fid I be a flare-up. But I was how it was different races.” Osten hadn’t practicec] chase in its entirety uni I A meet She rehearsed the of toe race in toe sand jump pit. '' The shock of hitting fl id I toe first time in toe race impression on her. “It was cold!” she sal d think it would be that splashed all the way up fl was soaked by toe end oil McHone says that! requires more endurancl track events because afl continually adjust their 1 is hard on toe body. ‘Tt is more stimulatd running hurdles,” Osten] more like cross countfl jumps and toe water.” ] I Photos by Robert Crawford Clackamas Print Chris Baker, center, and Jared Correll, right, compete in the men’s steeplechase event at the Saints and Cavaliers meet April 26. Jared Correll crouches as he prepares to push off-the steeplechase hurdle and jump into the water pit.
