USA Championships Open Today in Eugene

Athletes from across the United States are converging on Eugene, Oregon once again for the USA Track and Field Championships.

The meet, which opens later today, will also serve as the USA Junior Championships.

The USA Championships will select athletes for this summer's IAAF World Track and Field Championship in Berlin, Germany held August 15-23. Already, Minnesotans Kara Goucher and Matt Gabrielson are set to compete in the marathon in the meet.

The USA Junior Championships will select athletes for the Pan American Junior Championships to be contested in Port of Spain, Trinidad from July 31st through August 2nd.

Minnesota athletes competing in the USA Championships include, among men, former World Championships 400 meter silver medalist Andrew Rock, 1500m up-and-comers Garrett Heath and Will Leer, Team USA Minnesota 10,000m runner Josh Moen, former Stillwater and Notre Dame steeplechaser Luke Watson, 2007 USA high jump champion Jim Dilling. Gopher shot put all-American Aaron Studt, and former Gopher discus ace Karl Erickson.

In open women's competition, 2009 NCAA Outdoor runner-up Laura Hermanson and 2006 NCAA Indoor champ Heather Dorniden will compete in the 800m, Minnetonka alum Molly Lehman will race 1500m, Goucher and Team USA Minnesota's Carrie Tollefson, Emily Brown, and Meghan Armstrong will race 5000m, 2005 USA 10,000m champion Katie McGregor will race the 25-lap event, Mankato's Katelin Rains and the Gopher's Alicia Rue will pole vault, Olympian Shani Marks and Olympic Trials 5th place finisher Amanda Thieschafer will compete in the triple jump, and former Gopher star Liz Roehrig will compete in the heptathlon.

Minnesota junior athletes enter in the meet include: Minnesota's fastest high school 800m runner ever, Zach Mellon, former Winona Cotter state champion Donny Wasinger in the 1500m and 5000m, MSHSL all-time State Meet record-holder and former Wayzata stat Jordan Helgren in the triple jump, and former St. Louis Park star LaiShema Hampton in the shot put.

Competition at the championships begins today at 11:00 a.m. Minnesota time, with the Junior decathlon. Open competition begins at 1:00 p.m. CDT, also with the decathlon.

The meet schedule (and in the future, results) can be found HERE.

Heat sheets are available HERE (juniors) and HERE (open).

There's live streaming video from the meet HERE.

Flotrack will provide extensive video coverage of the meet HERE.

Look to DtB for regular updates on the competition and exclusive photos from Eugene.