Pasco native Marisa Howard wins steeple in Lapinlahti...

In Lahpinlahti, Finland, Pasco HS alumna Marisa Howard (left/photo by Paul Merca) scored a big personal best as she won the 3000 steeplechase at the Savo Games in the Finnish town Sunday.


Howard, paced by Washington alum Mel Lawrence and sister Collier, ran 9:30.92, dropping almost ten seconds from her previous personal best of 9:40.42, set at the USATF High Performance meet at Occidental College in Los Angeles in May.

Her mark is the fifth fastest time in the country this season.

Earlier in the meet, Mel Lawrence was fourth in the 1500, running 4:12.64, as Shannon Osika of the USA won in 4:07.60.  Washington State alum Abby Regan was sixth in a personal best 4:16.18.


In Rabat, Morocco, Vancouver native Kara Winger threw 196-8 (59.94m) to finish fifth at the Meeting International Mohammed VI d’Athletisme, the tenth stop of the IAAF Diamond League tour.

Former Olympic champ Barbora Spotáková won with a toss of 209-1 (63.73m).

University Place resident Andrea Geubelle finished eighth in the triple jump with a best of 43-8.75 (13.33m), as reigning Olympic champion Caterine Ibarguen of Colombia won with a mark of 47-7.25 (14.51m).

Geubelle has until this Friday (July 21st) to achieve the qualifying standard of 46-3.25 (14.10m) to compete at the IAAF world championship meet in London that begins in less than three weeks.

The IAAF Diamond League tour resumes Friday at the Herculis Meeting in Monaco.


In Bydgoszcz, Poland, the University of Washington’s Jacopo Spanò ran the second leg of the Italian mens’ 4 x 100 relay team that finished second in the semis of the European Under 23 Championships Sunday.

The Italians ran 39.69 in the semis behind Great Britain’s 39.45.

Unfortunately, the Italians were disqualified in the finals for a pass outside the exchange zone.

Germany won in a photo finish over Great Britain, with both teams timed in 39.11.

In the women’s long jump finals, Washington State’s incoming recruit Martha Traore of Denmark was seventh with a best of 20-8.5 (6.31m).

France’s Yanis Davis won with a personal best of 21-6.25 (6.56m).


NOTE: The IAAF and European Athletics contributed to this report.

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