Wilt adds steeplechase to resume

Published on April 15th, 2010

By VAN WILLIAMS

After earning all-conference honors as a distance runner in track and field and all-West Region honors in cross country, nobody could blame Unalaska's Hallidie Wilt for wanting a new challenge.

She certainly found it in the 3,000-meter steeplechase.

"I thought it would be fun to try," Wilt said recently.

The steeplechase draws from horse racing in which participants must clear a series of three-foot hurdles and 12-foot long water jumps over several laps.

It's an event that demands athleticism, strategy and bravado.

"I'm really scared of the water pits," Wilt admitted.

It's not the depth of the water that freaks her out-the deepest part is only 27 inches and slopes upward-as much as how the obstacle offers up crashes that are made for the Internet.

Just search Google using "Steeplechase falls" as key words.

"I've been watching wipeouts on YouTube," she said.

Have you had any major wipeouts?

"Yeah, I've had a few crashes," she said. "I get so scared I jump, like, way over (the hurdles). I'm getting used to it, though. I'm usually fine after a few minutes."

Wilt has managed to stay on her feet most of the time and despite not having a ton of experience assert herself as the gold medal favorite in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference. She has the fastest steeplechase time in the conference by a whopping six seconds and also owns the school record at the University of Alaska Anchorage.

The 21-year-old came into her junior season as a distance specialist, excelling in everything from the 800 to the 5,000 meters. She had grown fond of the steeplechase while watching teammates and this year figured it was her turn.

"It's a lot of fun," she said.

Right from the start Wilt proved to have the right stuff.

At the season-opening meet in March in Las Vegas, Wilt ran the 3,000-meter steeplechase in 11 minutes, 10.43 seconds-shattering the previous UAA record by an incredible 27 seconds.

That's like winning a hockey game by double figures.

"I wasn't expecting that," Wilt said.

Three weeks later at the Stanford Invitational in California, Wilt ran an even faster 10:53.23-the fourth-quickest steeplechase time in GNAC history.

Wilt's sensational season continued last week at the Willamette Invitational in Oregon when she ran a personal-record in the 800. Her time of 2:18.28 ranks fifth in the GNAC and No. 1 among UAA runners.

She also ranks fourth in the conference in the 1,500 in 4:38.65.

All told, Wilt is arguably the most versatile runner for the Seawolves.

"I get pretty excited about track," Wilt said. "I try to do the best I can in all of my events."

The GNAC Championships are May 14-15.