Track & Field

POCATELLO, Idaho -- Both the Weber State men's and women's indoor track and field teams made improvements and picked up more conference qualifiers this weekend at the Mountain State Games. The two teams combined for nine new qualifiers as they prepare for the Big Sky Championships at the end of the month.

The Weber State women had seven new conference qualifying marks and had 20 seasonal bests in the meet. Amber Henry continued her strong season by winning the 800 meters with a time of 2:08.03. That time ranks as the fifth fastest indoor time in Weber State history.

POCATELLO, Idaho -- Weber State's indoor track and field teams opened their 2012 season at the Snake River Open in Pocatello, Idaho, on Friday and Saturday, posting some impressive early season times and marks.

Coach Jim Blaisdell's women had nine athletes qualify for the 2012 Big Sky Conference championships. AmyLyn Schmidt won the women's pentathlon with a career best 3,487 points. Schmidt had personal best times/marks in four of the five events. Her point total is the fourth most in WSU women's indoor track and field history, and she also qualified for the open 60-meter hurdles.

SEATTLE -- Here was John Carlos, an unapologetic crusader, feeling vulnerable. He looked at his mother, Violis, and tiptoed toward the one question he had spent four decades trying to ask.

This was 2008, 40 years after Carlos had lifted his black-gloved fist into the air at the Mexico City Olympics, teaming with Tommie Smith to make perhaps the most shocking political statement in sports history. Carlos summoned his courage again as he peered into Mom's eyes.

LONDON -- The IAAF's top-ranking American sees no prospect of the United States hosting track and field's world championships, an event yet to be held in the country that traditionally produces big stars and dominates the medal count.

"We just don't have the wherewithal, starting with the fact that there is no stadium that exists that could accommodate it," Bob Hersh, the senior vice president of the International Association of Athletics Federations, said Tuesday in an interview with The Associated Press.

LOS ANGELES -- It figured that Allyson Felix's apartment in Playa Vista would reflect her personality.

Soft blues and earthy browns. A spare sense in the furnishings. Everything perfectly in its place except Chloe, her 4-year-old Yorkshire terrier, who drew a mild rebuke from Felix for investigating a visitor.

OGDEN -- Weber State's men's and women's track and field teams have both earned academic honors from the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.

In addition, two Wildcats, Sarah Callister and Zach Parry, earned All-Academic individual honors.

JOHANNESBURG -- Double-amputee sprinter Oscar Pistorius achieved a career goal by qualifying for the world track championships, fulfilling a five-year-long quest to compete at the highest level against able-bodied athletes.

Now he plans to train harder and run faster.