Hawaii pointing at title

Despite adversity, UH hopes are high entering the WAC championships

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Hawaii track and field coach Carmyn James knows precisely when her collection of athletes became a team. It was the WAC Indoor Championships in March, which UH missed winning by one point. That kind of disappointment can destroy a squad; this time it built one.

In her final conference competition, senior Mallory Gilbert scored 27 points, and her extra effort nearly gave UH its first WAC title.

It changed the team's culture. They began to compete more for each other than themselves.

"Everybody was inspired by Mallory," James said. "Not only did she win three silvers, she got additional points in the long jump."

Pole vaulter Patricia Gauthier referenced Gilbert when she volunteered to compete in the triple jump -- an event she has little experience in -- to try to gain extra points in this week's WAC Outdoor Championships.

Even with heptathlete Annett Wichmann at her dominant best and all the role players in the world, UH is challenged by the loss of Thalia Amanakis. The elite hurdler is out with a calf injury.

Chantelle Wilder in the long runs and Meghan Weaver in the throws are among those who will try to negate her absence.

James remains optimistic.

"(Three-time defending champion) Louisiana Tech has the sprints covered, but they're not as strong in the field and don't contest anything longer than the 400," she said. "They're putting their eggs in one basket and we are putting ours in several."

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Usually, the tougher the meet the fewer events you enter.

UH TRACK AND FIELD Western Athletic Conference Outdoor Championships, Bronco Stadium, Boise, Idaho; Heptathlon today and tomorrow; field and track events Friday and Saturday. On the net: www.wacsports.com

But the Hawaii track and field team is taking the opposite approach this week at the Western Athletic Conference Outdoor Championships in Boise, Idaho.

The Rainbow Wahine have a chance to win their first WAC title, indoors or out. But -- especially with an injury knocking out one of UH's top performers -- several athletes must succeed in expanded duties for it to happen. And the Wahine hope to avoid what happened at the indoor championships, when they missed the top spot by one point.

Hurdler/sprinter Thalia Amanakis was expected to win two events and score in others, but a calf injury suffered Saturday puts her on the disabled list.

Hawaii can still win the title. But in addition to stars coming through with the expected, the Wahine have to scrounge around for points here and there. That was Patricia Gauthier's thought even before the senior pole vaulter knew Amanakis would be out. She volunteered to compete this week in the triple jump -- a very technical event in which she had next to no experience.

"In the past it was all about me, let me be the best I can be in the pole vault," the senior from Ontario, Canada, said. "But at the WAC indoor championships, we turned into a team. That meet proved one point makes a difference. Now I'll run the relay, do the triple jump. We're all willing to do anything where we can get points."

Trying something different is nothing new for Gauthier.

"When we recruited her, she was a sprinter and a hurdler," James said.

But it wasn't long before Gauthier was at the pole vault pit with volunteer coach Spencer Chang.

"I think there were two reasons," Gauthier said. "I was not that good at hurdles, and I was tall, fast and have a gymnastics background."

Those factors -- along with just eight months of pole vault training -- added up to a third-place finish at the 2005 WAC outdoors meet when Gauthier vaulted 12 feet, 5 1/2 inches.

Juniors Jessica Custance and Samantha Weaver have also already qualified for NCAA regionals, and expect to score heavily this week.

The pole vault is just one of many field events where UH is leaps and bounds -- and, in some cases, throws -- ahead of the rest of the conference.

With two-time WAC heptathlon champion Annett Wichmann leading the way, the Wahine expect to pile up points, particularly in the off-track action.

"We will definitely dominate the field events," James said. "Especially the vertical jumps, the high jump and the pole vault."

The heptathlon today and tomorrow is just a warmup for Wichmann. She's also entered in the shot, javelin, high jump, long jump and possibly the 4x400 meters Friday and Saturday.

James said Amber Kaufman could be the next great UH multi-event star, but her first priority is volleyball. Still, Kaufman could lead a Wahine sweep of the top three places in the high jump with Wichmann and Emily Sheppard. Kaufman cleared 5-10 3/4 last month.

She'll also try a new event for her this week, the javelin.

"She saw Annett throwing it and said, 'Hey, that looks neat, can I try?' She threw it 36 meters. If she adds four meters, she'll score," James said.

Chantelle (Laan) Wilder is taking on rare triple duty; UH's top distance runner is entered in the 1,500, 5,000 and 10,000 meter races. The 1,500 trials are at 2:35 p.m. Friday, with the 10K at 6:25 p.m. The 1,500 final is at 5:12 p.m. Saturday and the 5k at 6:40 p.m.

"It's going to be a battle," Wilder said. "A few others might attempt it, but it's highly doubtful."

"She never did all three in one meet. But her training indicates she can do it," James said.

The formula is simple. More events equals more possible points equals better chance for a team victory. James said she's been flooded with volunteers for different events, some which she turns down.

"Rather than being so narrowly focused, we're broadening ourselves," she said. "At the same time we don't want them to spread themselves too thin."