Colorado State University Athletics
Malone and Smith make 2008 Olympic team
7/8/2008 12:00:00 AM | Indoor Track & Field
July 8, 2008
By Danielle Marshall
Athletic Media Relations
After an impressive weekend from former student-athletes Casey Malone and Loree Smith at the U.S. Olympic trials in Eugene, Ore., Colorado State will have at least two alumni attend the 2008 summer games in Beijing, with the possibility of two more coming as the Canadian national team is announced.
Smith reaches the “A” Standard
On Saturday, Smith, who is sponsored by the New York Athletic Club, placed fourth in finals with her best hammer throw at 67.11 meters. A 2005 NCAA Champion in the hammer throw and school-record holder in both the shot put and hammer, Smith used her “A” standard throw from earlier in the season to move ahead of the third-place finisher at trials.
Every athlete that makes the team must hit the Olympic "A" standard, which is 69.50 m (roughly 228 feet) for a female hammer throw, at some point during the season or at trials. Smith was one of five that hit the standard. If an athlete places in the top three at trials and does not have the "A" standard then they will be bumped by an athlete that has thrown reached the standard. The athlete that finished in third at trials had not reached the "A" standard, so Smith moved into the third position and finds herself bound for Beijing.
Malone
Malone, who threw on Sunday, came in third with his best discus throw at 62.67 m. He partners with Nike and also has his name branded on the top 20 lists for CSU track & field. Before graduating in 2000, he held the school record in the discus throw and is fifth in the indoor shot put. He also won an NCAA championship in 1998.
Coach Brian Bedard will continue to coach Malone in the summer games. Malone currently lives just west of Fort Collins.
Canadian Qualifiers
Rob Watson, a former CSU student-athlete and 2007 graduate and school record holder in the steeplechase (8:38.92), won the 3000 m steeplechase Sunday at the Canadian Olympic trials by more than nine seconds. Nigel Joseph, a current sophomore at CSU, took second in the 400 m hurdles.
Both athletes are waiting for official word whether they can go to the Olympics.
The games will begin with the torch relay and opening ceremony on August 8.