By Terry Mosher

Editor, Sports Paper

Bremerton track and field coach Lloyd Pugh knows the potential Julie Belden has, but he’s not quite sure that Belden does. But if she comes out for track and field this spring – and she says she will – then the Knights might have a future state contender in the 400.

“We have one girl, maybe, who is worthy of a story,” said Pugh when contacted last month about possible prospects that might do well. “Julie Belden, as a freshman last year, ran the 400 in 1:03.”

Belden, whose brother Jacob quarterbacked the Bremerton football team, came out for track instead of playing fastpitch softball because some friends decided to try the spring sport.

“I just thought about it a lot, my friends were doing it, and I thought it might be good to try something new,” said Belden, who played fastpitch at Mountain View Middle School.

She didn’t know what she could do once she went out for track, but it was apparent soon enough that besides having the speed to be on a 400-relay team Belden had the talent to make an impact on the 400.

The trouble is that she didn’t wait around to the end of the season to find out just how good she could be. A friend had invited her to vacation in Mexico and she went there instead of wrapping up the season with a possible trip to the 3A West Central District meet.

“She was pretty good,” says Pugh,” but because she didn’t finish the season she is not in good standing with the coach.”

That has been smoothed over some and Pugh elected to take her back. Now it will be interesting to see just how fast Belden can go in the 400.

“She’s a pretty good little prospect,” says Pugh. “She probably could break 60 seconds.”

The 60-second barrier is the benchmark between being a prospect and being a state contender. Nine girls finished under 60 seconds at last year’s state 3A track and field meet. Rainier Beach’s Dyneeca Adams won the 400 with a time of 56.89.

Jacki Hill, now a sophomore at Washington State where she competes with the Cougar track and field team, holds the Bremerton record in the 400 with a time of 56.73.

There are some athletic bloodlines in her family, besides her brother. Her older sister Jessica ran hurdles for Pugh when he first got the job as head coach at Bremerton. Her mother (Wendy) also ran hurdles at a Virginia high school.

Belden also competed in track when she was younger, with the Bremerton Eagles Track Club, doing the long jump and high jump. But once in middle school she turned to fastpitch. Now she is back on the track.

If Belden stays serious about it, Pugh believes Belden could be a very good 400 runner. Whether she would fit into the Hill category is unknown, but she has three years left to make a run at it.

“She could be a dandy, actually,” says Pugh. “She’s strong, she’s tall, and she’s build like a runner should be built.”

Pugh, though, is taking a wait and see attitude. He welcomes Belden back, but he wants to see the results of season-long practice before making a final judgment.

“Last year she was a freshman and had not been in a program like mine where you are supposed to come to practice and be on a team,” Pugh said. “You are expected to practice all the way through the season. If you get disqualified by better competition, so be it. But don’t walk away from the team.”

For her part, Belden is anxious to get started. She just recently began to take steps to get ready for the season.

“I’ve just decided to start running and lifting and things like that,” Belden says. “I guess I’m getting myself prepared for it before I go out and exhaust myself.”

Now that she knows what she can do in the 400, Belden has her sights set on making a big impact.

“I’m going to try and work to break 60 seconds,” Belden says.