NSU's Hoover, Hatten try to advance Thursday, Friday in Eugene

EUGENE, Ore. - Northwestern State great Trecey Rew Hoover hopes to rebound from a disappointing outing last week in the discus qualifying when she competes Thursday in the qualifying round of the shot put at the USA Olympic Trials for track and field hosted by the University of Oregon.

Hoover, who married over the winter, will try to reach Friday's 12-woman final in hopes of making the Team USA roster for the Summer Olympic Games in London. Another former NSU Lady Demon All-American, javelin thrower Samantha Ford Hatten, competes Friday in her second Olympic Trials, hoping to improve on her eighth-place finish in 2004.

The top three finishers in each event make the Olympic Team, with fourth-place finishers as alternates. With triple jumpers LaMark Carter (2000) and Kenta Bell (2004, 2008), NSU has had alumni competing at the last three Olympic Games for Team USA. Neither Bell or Carter is competing in Eugene.

The 24-woman shot put qualifying round involving Hoover is Thursday at 5:40 PDT with the finals Friday at 3:30. Hatten throws in the javelin qualifying beginning a hour earlier Friday with finals set Sunday at 2:45 PDT.

Trecey feels comfortable and is aiming to get to Friday," said NSU women's track and field coach Mike Heimerman, who coaches the throws. "She is a little disappointed after what happened in the disc, but she's focused ahead. She's had a couple good practices, and today we've gotten our best day of weather yet, no rain, cool temps in the 60s. It's very pleasant compared to what we've experienced until now.

"The discus was contested in miserable conditions last week. She threw in heavy rain and it is tough to hold the discus in that weather. It was disheartening considering how well she had thrown in the disc this year and how well she warmed up before the weather hit, but that's the luck of the track meet," he said. Hoover did not reach the finals in the discus.

In the shot put, Hoover has a personal best of 58-8 and Heimerman believes she needs to throw around 57-0 to be one of the top 12 advancing to Friday's finals.

Hatten has thrown 175 feet in the javelin and has prepared back in Louisiana before traveling Wednesday to Eugene.

Samantha has had a couple good practices back in Natchitoches. Tonight and tomorrow, the biggest thing is to get her acclimated to the weather, because it's going to be a huge shock. If it breaks 70 here, I'll be amazed. They're saying it's unseasonably cool here, and for us, it's like early spring or late winter, nights in the 40s," said Heimerman.

"Friday, I think it will take her throwing in the upper 160s to advance. She has that, so it's just matter of putting it together and the biggest factor will be getting loose and comfortable if the weather gets nasty," he said.

Live results will be available at the usatf.org website.