May 30, 2001

By Michael C. Lewis
The Salt Lake Tribune

SALT LAKE CITY - Even as she ran down the homestretch and broke the tape at the finish line, Tara Northcutt couldn't believe that she won the women's 10,000 meters at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships last year. So what is she going to think if she does it again this year?

"That would be awesome," she said.

The senior at Brigham Young is among more than two-dozen Utah collegians competing at the national meet that starts today at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore. She has a chance Thursday to become only the second woman to win individual championships in back-to-back seasons for the Cougars. Discus thrower Anna Mosdell did it in 1991 and 1992, and she is one of only seven women aside from Northcutt to win a title for BYU at all.

"I'm just out there to run my hardest," Northcutt said. "If I win, great. But if not, I just want to run my best. . . . Obviously, though, [winning] is something I want, and I'd like to do it again."

While none of the Utah schools will be seriously in the hunt for a team championship -- the Stanford men and UCLA women are the favorites -- as many as four individual titlists could come from Utah. Aside from Northcutt:

Weber State's Charles Clinger has the world's best high jump this year at 7 feet, 8 1/2 inches, and would love to finally win an outdoor title. Clinger has won a national championship indoors, but was sick and missed the high jump at last year's outdoor meet before failing to make the 2000 U.S. Olympic team on misses.

Elizabeth Jackson of BYU is the overwhelming favorite to win the steeplechase title. The event became official for women only this year, and the former state champion from East High holds the American record at 9:55.63 -- nearly six seconds faster than the next-fastest qualifier.

Utah State's James Parker has an outside chance of finally overcoming the foreign influence and winning the hammer throw. The Layton native was fifth at nationals two years ago and fourth by about four inches last year. Now, the senior has the nation's second-best throw. Unlike Jackson, who leads a strong contingent of Utah steeplechasers, Northcutt figures to have a tremendous battle on her hands in the 10,000.

Although she has the second-best qualifying time at 33 minutes, 27.59 seconds -- a personal best and more than 20 seconds faster than her winning time a year ago -- behind Colorado's Jodie Hughes, Northcutt knows there are at least three other women right on her heels. One of them is former champion Leigh Daniels of Texas Tech, who passed Northcutt on the final lap to win in 1999 after having to stop early in the race to put her shoe back on.

"I see a race with a hungry athletes," Northcutt said.

The women's steeplechase should be the Cougars' strongest event, and could help them challenge their fourth-place finish a year ago. Aside from Jackson, Nan Evans, Courtney Meldrum and Tara Haynes each have top qualifying times, as does Weber State's Rebecca Bennion. Bennion and Jackson also plan to run the 5,000, where Jackson has the third-best qualifying time.

The Cougars will be without two outstanding athletes, though. Long jumper and hurdler Kirsten Bolm will miss the meet with attending her ill grandfather back home in Germany, while Josh Rohatinsky -- Northcutt's brother -- is out with a stress fracture.