Ten ParaSport Spokane athletes competed at Mt Sac’s fantastic Hilmer Lodge Stadium in Walnut, CA for the US Paralympic Track and Field Championships this past weekend. 
 
The event not only served as the National Championships, but also as the final qualifier for the 2024 World Para Athletics Championships in Kobe Japan. The Kobe team of 30 was named on Monday March 18th with two ParaSport Spokane athletes qualifying.
Big congrats to Taylor Swanson and Bob Hunt on making the team!
 
The #redherd showed up ready to compete, earning eight national titles. 
Leading the charge off of her double silver medal performance at the Para PanAmerican Games last November was Taylor Swanson. Securing National titles in the T37 100m and 200m for ambulant athletes with neurological impairments, Swanson’s performances ranked her very highly amongst her peers and earned her a coveted spot on the World Championships team. This will be her first time representing team USA at the World Championships. The 31 year old only discovered Para Track and Field two years ago and moved to Spokane last November to pursue her newfound Paralympic dream of competing in the Paris Paralympic Games this coming August. 

Wheelchair racer Bob Hunt won the T53 100m race and was 2nd over 400m. His performance qualified him for a relay slot on the World Championships team. This will be the second World Championships for the EWU student, with his first back in 2013. 

Lindi Marcusen has raced into the record books becoming the fastest female above the knee amputee (T63) in USA history and in the Americas Region with her 100m national title. She also placed 2nd in the T63 long jump while setting a huge personal best. She is currently in Italy preparing to compete at a World Para Athletics Grand Prix meet in Jesolo. 
 
National Titles were also won on the track by Michael Anwar in the 100m T72 Frame Runner event.
In the throws events, ParaSport Spokane athletes with shot stature Michelle Kazuba threw to two National titles in the F40 shot put and discus throw, while her training partner Ben Foos also secured the national title in the F40 shot put. 
 
Wapato based thrower Alicia Guerrero set a personal record on the discus throw placing 4th in the combined F44/64 event and also placed 3rd in the F44/64 shot put. 
 
A trio of high schoolers also achieve strong results at the national level. Lauren Fields T34 wheelchair racer placed 2nd and 3rd in the 100m and 800m respectively. Kady Hammer of Winthrop had two second place runs in the T13 100 & 200m. Alaina Gott of Airway Heights raced to a second place finish in the T13 400m and two third place finishes in the 100 & 200m. Both Hammer and Gott are athletes with visual impairments.