Punahou's Iacovelli will join Michigan track team

By Dennis Anderson
Advertiser Staff Writer

State distance running champion Todd Iacovelli of Punahou said yesterday he would attend University of Michigan and "try to follow in the footsteps of Henry Marsh in the steeplechase."

Marsh, a 1972 Punahou graduate, ran on four U.S. Olympic teams and was inducted last year into the USA Track and Field Hall of Fame. His American record of 8 minutes, 9.17 seconds in the steeplechase, set 17 years ago, still stands.

Iacovelli has been communicating with Marsh, who lives in Utah, since Iacovelli ran an all-time Hawai'i high-school best 3,000 meters of 8:33.36 at Stanford on March 29.

"We think the steeplechase might be a good event for me because of my height, 6-feet-4," Iacovelli said. The 3,000-meter race includes hurdles and a water jump.

Michigan "should really be fun," Iacovelli said. "Their freshmen this year include (Alan Webb), who broke Jim Ryun's national high school record in the mile, and (Nathan Brannan) of Canada, who also ran under 4 minutes. So they have a good, young team."

Iacovelli noted that Vera Simms, the state hurdles champion for Mililani in 2000, is on Michigan's women's team. She has long jumped 19-4fl and run the 400-meter hurdles in 59.58, both career bests, this season.

Iacovelli was the state high school 3,000-meter and cross country champion in 2001.

Iacovelli will be a biology/pre-medicine student at Michigan. "I've always wanted to help people and that seems like a good way to do it," he said. He said his financial aid the first year will be "just for books, very small," but that he will get more if he performs well.

He also was recruited by Oregon, Columbia and California.