Thursday, Feb. 5, 2009 | midnight
Katie Palmer started her sophomore indoor track season at BYU on the right foot.
The Boulder City High graduate won her first race of the season, capturing the 800-meter run in 2 minutes, 10.31 seconds, at the Bengal Shootout at Idaho State in Pocatello, Idaho, on Jan. 17.
"It was a good way to start the season and now I've got three big meets ahead of me," she said.
Palmer is referring to the upcoming Washington Invitational in Seattle on Jan. 30 and 31, the New Balance Invitational in New York City Feb. 6 and 7, and a second Washington Invitational in Seattle Feb. 13 and 14.
She is trying to build from an impressive freshman season during which she earned All-American status and won the 800 in 2:06.70 at the Mountain West Conference outdoor championships.
"Two of the girls I looked up to last year in my event are gone now, so I've had to become more of a leader," Palmer said.
She became an All-American at the 2008 NCAA Indoor championships when her distance medley relay team finished fifth in 11:10.96. The distance medley consists of 400, 800, 1,200 and 1,600. Palmer ran the 800 leg.
"I expect more from myself this year and I know the coaches are expecting more from me as well," she said.
BYU women's track coach Craig Poole said Palmer is one of the leaders of a talented group of underclassman.
"Katie is talented and works hard, and with her success as a freshman, she should have another great year," Poole said.
Palmer also ran cross country for the Cougars this season, her first time participating in the sport.
"I always did soccer or volleyball in high school during cross country, so this was a new experience for me," she said. "I'd hit the 2:06 mark and think I'd normally be done now."
Palmer is focused on three goals — repeating as conference champion, reaching the NCAA Championships and being an All-American for the second year.
"I'm excited for the season. There are some great girls here and I think I've been improving," she said.
Palmer reached the NCAA Regionals last year, but she hopes to qualify for the NCAA championships this year. To get there she will need to log the NCAA's qualifying time of 2:05.40.
"My goal this year is to get in the 2:04 range. If I do that, I can make the NCAAs," she said. "It means a lot to me that people still follow what I'm doing."
Palmer was a 12-time state champion at Boulder City High, winning state titles in the 300 hurdles (2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007), 100 hurdles (2005, 2006 and 2007), 800 (2005, 2006 and 2007) and 1600 (2006 and 2007). She was also the Gatorade Nevada player of the year for girls track and field in 2007.
Brent Hinckley can be reached at 990-7822 or [email protected].
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