March 31, 2009

PHILADELPHIA - Two distinguished La Salle track and field alums stand out this week, as today (March 31st) marks the anniversary of an historic vault of John Uelses '66 and a more recent alum - Solomiya Login '03 - made the U.S. National Team in the 20K walk.

Uelses, who had become the first man in the world to clear the 16-foot mark in the indoor pole vault in February 1962, fittingly became the first man to clear the mark in outdoor track as well on March 31, 1962. He cleared 16-3/4 (4.90m) in Santa Barbara, Calif. He held the La Salle school record of 16'3 for over two decades until Greg McIntyre hit 16'10 in 1996. He remains La Salle's only NCAA track champion (1964), was a three-time IC4A champion and two-time MAC champion. Uelses was inducted in La Salle's Hall of Athletes in 1987.

Also making headlines this week is Login, who made the U.S. National Team on Sunday by placing second in the 20K walk at the USA Team Trials. She crossed the finish line in 1:46:10, just 7.1 seconds behind first-place winner Maria Michta of Nesconset, N.Y. She will be competing with the national team in El Salvador on April 28-29. Login was a distance standout who was All-Atlantic 10 in 2002 and still holds the school record in the 3,000-meter steeplechase (10:48.41).