NCAA outdoor finals
Mother nature didn”t stop two University of Idaho track and field athletes from qualifying for the big dance. Senior distance runner Kinsey Gomez and junior long jumper Arphaxad Carroll qualified for the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.
The two competitors were among five other Vandal athletes to compete in the preliminaries in Lawrence, Kansas beginning Thursday. Poor weather conditions delayed the first day of competition.
The first event of preliminaries started Friday with the 10,000-meter run featuring Gomez.
Gomez placed fourth with a time of 34:24.97. She set the second fastest final lap time.
In the long jump, Carroll leapt to a career-best jump of 7.53 meters. Carroll placed 11th to qualify for nationals.
The other three Vandals who competed in preliminary competitions were senior Ben Ayesu-Attah, senior Derek Haas and senior Matt Sullivan.
Ayesu-Attah concluded his Vandal career with a 32nd place effort in the 400-meters with a time of 47.61 seconds.
Baylor freshman Wil London earned the best time in the 400-meter dash at 45.84 seconds, almost two seconds faster than Ayesu-Attah.
Haas finished 10th in his flight and 41st overall in javelin with a 57.17 meter throw.
Sullivan started at 5.13 meters and was unable to clear the height after three attempts.
The national championships will take place in Eugene, Oregon, June 8-11.
Cooling community
The Hamilton Lowe Aquatics Center (HLAC) will open its doors to the public Thursday, June 9th. With the sudden heat wave and scarcity of lakes around the Moscow area, HLAC offers a unique chance to take a dip with your family and friends. Many people flock from places all over the Palouse to attend the outdoor water park each summer – some from as far away as Lewiston make the journey every weekend.
The giant tub slides at the HLAC offer another way to stay cool this summer, and make a big splash in the community of Moscow.
“I think it”s awesome that the kids have the park available to them to learn new things and hang out with other kids their age,” said Brenda Ely, a professional nanny who cares for a multiple child household in Moscow. “Lily, the little girl I take care of, says her favorite part about getting to go to the pool is learning how to swim.”
Attractions at HLAC include two giant waterslides, an interactive water play structure with tumble buckets, a toddler water slide, a mini lazy river, a 25-yard lane pool and a full service concession area with lounge chairs and wireless internet. The center also sponsors special programming like adult swims on the weekends from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., the Inflatable Fun Run (a water obstacle course) on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., Thursday Theme Nights and a lap swim schedule.
HLAC, according to their page on the City of Moscow website, has family season passes available that guarantee up to five live-in family members to attend the park as many times as they wish for the duration of the summer season. Even a daily outing at the park is affordable, with tickets as low as $4.25 for the day.
For more information visit the HLAC page on the City of Moscow website at www.ci.moscow.id.us
It’s always SUNY
In an email sent out Thursday, June 2, Provost and Executive Vice President John Wiencek announced Jean Kim”s departure from the University of Idaho.
Kim, who was hired as Vice Provost of Student Affairs in 2014, has accepted the position of interim Vice President of Student Affairs at SUNY Purchase, a liberal arts college in Westchester, New York.
During her time at UI, Kim helped deploy Enroll Idaho, an initiative aimed at educating high school students about college. She also led the Student Life Task Force, which provided administrators with insight about campus life.
Dean of Students Blaine Eckles will host an informal reception from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Friday, June 17 in the TLC 232 for students, staff, faculty, and community members to say good-bye to Kim. Wiencek said the administration will be taking steps toward the future regarding the leadership of Student Affairs in the coming weeks.