Allyson Felix running at the 2003 Mt SAC Relays (© Kirby Lee)
Walnut, CaliforniaUSAA blustery spring week finally ended with sunny skies and warm temperatures, and the Mt SAC competitors responded with eight world-leading performances at the 45th edition of the traditional early-season competition in the valley east of Los Angeles, yesterday 19 April.
Marion Jones may be on maternity leave at the moment, but the void left by her absence - at least here at the Mt SAC Relays - has been amply filled by high school student Allyson Felix.
The seventeen-year-old, who placed fifth in the 200 at last year's World Junior Championships and already has senior international experience at the World Indoor Championships last month in Birmingham, sped away to a 22.51 in the 200 metres.
As Natasha Mayers (23.00) and former World silver medallist Inger Miller (23.04) watched from behind, Felix broke Jones' eleven-year-old national high school record of 22.58 (1992, Olympic Trials). Prior to today's run, Felix's best 200 had been 22.83 in 2002.
Felix was a highly touted athlete even last season, but she sustained a slight hamstring pull in winning the 200 metres - one of two titles she captured - at the California state high school championships at the end of her school's competitive season. This led to a month of struggle and therapy which miraculously saw her reach the finals in Kingston. But her fifth place was far from the goal she had set the previous spring.
This past winter, Felix placed second in the 200 metres at the US indoor championships, ahead of Kelli White, a holder of a bronze medal in that event at the Edmonton World Championships. In Birmingham, she advanced to the semi-finals before being eliminated. But it gave her a good idea of what the future holds.
Today, when asked if she had ever met Marion Jones, Felix shyly answered, “Yes, when I got her autograph last year at Mt SAC.” It won't be long before Felix herself will be doing the signings.
Maurice Greene made the first of his two scheduled appearances of the afternoon in the 4x100 relay, but he was given a deep hole to climb out of after two sub-par exchanges by his HSI teammates.
Seven metres behind the leader and no better than in third place with 100 metres remaining, the Sydney 100-metre gold medallist clawed his way past Tomari Wilson of the US "Blue" team and still brought his team second in 38.75, behind the world-leading 38.52 by the US "Red" Team, anchored by J.J. Johnson.
The US "Blue" team finished third in 38.83, a remarkable competition with three teams under 39 seconds at this early date.
The HSI women's team fared better, as Angela Williams, Torri Edwards, Inger Miller and LaTasha Richardson circled the stadium in 42.76, with Richardson barely holding off Chryste Gaines' finish for the US "Red" quartet in 42.80.
Greene came back seventy-five minutes later and ran a powerful 20.16 to easily win the 200 metres ahead of Coby Miller (20.59). It was a remarkable run for Greene, who had requested an outside lane because of the treacherous low-radius curves of the track. His performance was, in reality, a man-vs-the-clock affair.
The race definitely gave an emotional boost to the former 100 metres World record holder, who confidently predicted victory in both the 100 and 200 this summer in Paris at the World Championships.
When the subject of Tim Montgomery was introduced by a writer, Greene responded, “It's a shame that he has the World record. When I had the World record, I won most of my races with a really fast time. Will he be able to do that? No, not with me in the race.”
Edmonton 100 metres finalist Kelli White capitalized on a good start, and flew to a personal best of 10.97 to equal the top time in the world this season. NCAA indoor double sprint champion Muna Lee made a vain attempt to overtake White at the end, but her effort was still rewarded with a personal-best 11.04. Natasha Mayers (11.09) and Latasha Richardson (11.17) took the next two places.
The men's 100 was a tepid affair, taken by Kaaron Conwright in a tight race with J.J. Johnson, 10.14 to 10.15, with Mickey Grimes third in 10.18.
Equally mediocre, given the late entry of three-time World Champion Allen Johnson, was the men's 110m Hurdles, which Johnson won in 13.42.
Hazel-Ann Regis solidified her credentials at the international level with a stirring come-from-behind 400 metres win in 51.68. The Grenada-born student at Louisiana State put on a strong finish to overtake Allison Beckford (51.69) and Marsha Dawkins (51.82) just before the tape.
The men's race was won by former pro-footballer Corey Nelson at 45.55, as Louisiana State's Kellie Willie saw his advantage vanish in the final metres. Willie finished second in 45.62, with Brandon Couts completing the top trio at 45.90.
Kemel Thompson was an unexpected but impressive victor in the men's 400m Hurdles. The reigning Jamaican champion in the event, making his season debut in the Hurdles, ran cautiously in lane three on the tightly-configured Mt SAC oval until reaching the final straight, and then powered to a world-leading (and personal-best) 48.52.
Britain's Chris Rawlinson (49.01) and Joey Woody of the US (49.18) closed quickly for the next two places. The Edmonton bronze medallist, Dai Tamesue of Japan, was fifth in 50.91, behind American Torrance Zellner (49.71).
Kenta Bell of the US, already the season’s leader in the men's Triple Jump with 17.31 in altitude-assisted El Paso last weekend, came down to sea level and repeated that performance. “Consistency is the name of the game,” he told the crowd during a trackside interview.
Leija Tunks of the Netherlands opened her 2003 season here with a 18.54, only two centimetres off her all-time best, to win the shot put. She was challenged well by Commonwealth champion Vivian Chukwuemeka of Nigeria who continued her stellar season with 18.43, her second African record within a week's time.
Tunks' Canadian husband, Jason, added another win to the family history with a 64.12 Discus Throw which nudged out John Godina's 64.03. Chima Ugwu of Nigeria was third at 62.40.
Libor Charfreitag came to California as the season's only eighty-metre hammer thrower and with hopes of extending his personal best. Although his winning 79.47 was almost five metres ahead of second-place John McEwen (74.73), the Slovak felt he had missed a good opportunity.
“It's a new, beautiful throwing area, with a good ring. The weather was great, and the fans who left the stadium to come to watch us were good, but things just didn't fall into place,” he said afterwards.
He thought that the four-throw competition in nearby Claremont the previous day - which he won at 78.64 - might have left him more fatigued than he had expected. But anyone from the old Habsburg Empire with the name Charfreitag simply cannot, in good conscience, pass up a Good Friday meet.
The distance races were contested on Thursday evening (17 April) under cool conditions with intermittent rain.
Ejagayou Dibaba brought to the women's 5000 metres a pacemaking element that is sorely lacking in most middle-to long-distance races in the US. Although a legitimate competitor herself, the petite 20-year-old sprinted out to a lead of sometimes up to forty metres ahead of the main pack.
Her advantage eventually withered, and the bronze medallist in last year's African Championships found herself mingled among a trio of US collegians for the final two kilometres. But she had provided a fine service by establishing the running metronomes for the others, and the pace was a fast one for an April race.
The lead changed several times among Dibaba, Sara Gorton and Lauren Fleshman before the Ethiopian sprinted away on the final straight for a 15:22.58 win. Fleshman (15:23.94), Gorton (15:24.97) and Alicia Craig (15:25.75) rounded out the lead quartet which finished more than eleven seconds ahead of the others. Still, thirteen of the top fifteen - Dibaba included - posted lifetime bests.
The men's 5K saw a similar push-and-tug scenario between Ireland's Alistair Cragg and Birhanu Dejene of Ethiopia. With about 300 metres remaining, Cragg took off in his final sprint with Dejene, a finalist in last year's African championship 10K, unable to answer the call. With a splendid sub-58-second final lap, the South African-born Cragg won in a world-leading 13:25.59, with Dejene right behind at 13:26.86.
Cragg's Arkansas university teammate, Daniel Lincoln, won the steeplechase impressively while employing his usual front-running tactic. He had sized up the field perfectly, and his winning 8:29.57, which missed out on a "world-leading" label by less than two tenths of a second, was more than five seconds ahead of the next runner.
Ed Gordon for the IAAF
RESULTS (all USA unless noted; all dates 19 April unless noted):
MEN:
100 METRES (1.4): 1. Conwright 10.14; 2. J.J. Johnson 10.15; 3. Grimes 10.18; 4. Henry 10.33; 5. Buchanan and Brokenburr 10.46 . . . Did not finish: Bolden (TRI)
200 METRES (0.0): 1. Greene 20.16; 2. Miller 20.59; 3. Heard 20.78; 4. Hackley 21.05; 5. Griffin 21.28; 6. Niemi (CAN) 21.47.
Open Division: Race 3 (-1.1): 1. Christopher (CAN) 20.87; 2. M Mitchell 20.99. Race 4 (0.0): 1. Armstrong 20.79.
400 METRES: 1. Nelson 45.55; 2. Willie 45.62; 3. Couts 45.90; 4. Ammons 46.14; 5. Je Davis 46.37; 6. Baldock (GBR) 46.59; 7. Fell 47.11.
Open Division (18.4.): Race 5: 1. Rock 45.87.
800 METRES: 1. Nduwimana (BDI) 1:47.34; 2. Stember 1:47.52; 3. Thompson 1:47.58; 4. J Johnson 1:47.62; 5. Woodward 1:47.67; 6. Balan 1:47.70; 7. Murray 1:48.15; 8. Neugebauer 1:48.46; 9. Browne (JAM) 1:50.02; 10. T Thomas 1:50.93.
Open Division (18.4.): Race 4: 1. Elliott 1:49.81. Race 5: 1. Taylor 1:47.89; 2. Al Kherat (SYR) 1:49.41; 3. Doaty 1:49.71.
Olympic Development Division: 1. Stevens 1:47.76; 2. Ahmed 1:48.18; 3. Al Kherat (SYR) 1:48.59; 4. Spencer 1:48.78; 5. Hatch 1:49.09; 6. Asafo-Agyei (GHA) 1:49.46; 7. Etheridge (PUR) 1:49.63; 8. Thornton 1:49.68; 9. Knight 1:50.23 . . .
1500 METRES: Open Division (18.4.): Race 6: 1. Bowler (GBR) 3:45.90. Race 7: 1. J Jefferson 3:41.53; 2. Mulvaney (GBR) 3:42.75; 3. Ahmed 3:42.94; 4. J Torres 3:43.14; 5. Schmidt 3:44.05; 6. Lanzel 3:44.25; 7. Spencer 3:44.62; 8. Loughlin 3:45.06 . . .
MILE: 1. Strutzel 4:02.80 (world leader); 2. Lincoln 4:03.00; 3. Karanu (KEN) 4:05.14; 4. Manirakiza (BDI) 4:05.64; 5. Aragon 4:05.83 . . .
STEEPLECHASE (17.4.): 1. Lincoln 8:29.57; 2. Greaux (PUR) 8:34.80; 3. Perez (ESP) and Ibrahim (SUD) 8:35.70; 5. Blackhurst 8:37.74; 6. S Miranda (MEX) 8:37.93; 7. Festa 8:39.55; 8. Dieckfoss (GER) 8:41.61; 9. Ahnstrom (SWE) 8:42.01 . . .
5000 METRES (17.4.): 1. Cragg (IRL) 13:25.59 (world leader); 2. Dejene (ETH) 13:26.86; 3. Schiebler (CAN) 13:28.37; 4. Cheboiywo (KEN) 13:29.77; 5. Luchini 13:31.80; 6. T Vega (MEX) 13:32.04; 7. A Suarez (MEX) 13:33.12; 8. P Olmedo (MEX) 13:35.46; 9. Johnson 13:36.89; 10. Balgac (CRO) 13:37.76; 11. Watson 13:38.73; 12. Ritzenhein 13:39.17 . . .
10,000 METRES (17.4.): 1. J Morales (MEX) 28:48.31; 2. Hartman 28:52.03; 3. E Torres 28:55.41 . . .
110 HURDLES (0.8): 1. A Johnson 13.42; 2. Wilson 13.50; 3. Crear 13.59; 4. Thomas 13.62; 5. Jackson 13.80; 6. Harris 13.81 . . .
400 HURDLES: 1. Thompson (JAM) 48.52 (world eader); 2. Rawlinson (GBR) 49.01; 3. Woody 49.18; 4. Zellner 49.71; 5. Tamesue (JPN) 50.19; 6. Kamani 50.89; 7. Brazell 51.83.
Open Division: Race 4: 1. Armstrong 49.97; 2. Milner 50.29 . . .
HIGH JUMP: 1. Woods 2.22 [2.21 in jumpoff to win]; 2. Roberts 2.22; 3. Wilburn 2.22 . . .
POLE VAULT: 1. Buller 5.75; 2. Stevenson 5.70; 3. Walker 5.60; 4. Kholev (ISR) 5.50; 5. Deming 5.35; 6. Litchfield, Ryan, Grijalva, and Slover 5.35 . . .
Open Division: 1. Kilmartin 5.30.
LONG JUMP: 1. Stringfellow 8.08 (1.0); 2. Little 7.90 (0.3); 3. Masaaki 7.64 (0.3); 4. R Washington 7.51 (0.4); 5. Walwyn (JAM) 7.46 (0.8); 6. Oleksy 7.35 (0.0) . . .
TRIPLE JUMP: 1. Bell 17.31 (1.3) (equals world leader ) [17.23 - 17.31 - 16.93 - x - p - f]; 2. Simms 17.10 (1.7) [16.46 - 17.10 - 16.61 - p - p - p]; 3. Anderson 16.60 (0.9); 4. Romain (FRA) 16.56 (1.7); 5. Kapek (FRA) 16.53 (1.2); 6. Moffit 16.20 (0.5); 7. Uudmae (EST) 15.90 (1.2) . . .
SHOT PUT: 1. Hoffa 20.50; 2. Robberts (RSA) 20.27; 3. J Davis 20.02; 4. Smith (NED) 19.88; 5. Ames 19.29; 6. Ugwu (NGR) 19.26; 7. Roberge 18.90; 8. Wiegand 18.79; 9. O'Neil 18.44 . . .
DISCUS: 1. Tunks (CAN) 64.12 [63.33 - 64.12 - 63.38 - x - 61.71 - 61.97]; 2. Godina 64.03 [x - 60.48 - 64.03 - 57.58 - x - 60.98]; 3. Ugwu (NGR) 62.40; 4. Brown 61.23 . . .
HAMMER: 1. Charfreitag (SVK) 79.47 [78.06 - x - 73.06 - 77.15 - 79.47 - 77.89]; 2. McEwen 74.73; 3. Parker 73.12; 4. Haklits (CRO) 72.90; 5. Armstrong (CAN) 71.51; 6. Ingalls 70.31; 7. Kruger 70.22 . . .
JAVELIN: 1. Clever 75.04; 2. Sevin 73.82 . . .
4x100 RELAY: 1. USA "Red" (Avery - Miller - Armstrong - JJ Johnson) 38.52 (world leader); 2. HSI (Drummond - Boldon - Conwright - Greene) 38.75; 3. USA "Blue" (Grimes - Brokenburr - A Johnson - Wilson) 38.83; 4. Univ of West Virginia 40.85 . . .
4x400 RELAY: 1. USA "Red" (Hooker - Ammons - Couts - Maybank) 3:02.81; 2. USA "Blue" (Ja Davis - Nelson - Young - Kamani) 3:03.59; 3. Southern California Cheetahs 3:05.68 . . .
WOMEN:
100 METRES (0.8): 1. White 10.97 (equals world leader); 2. Lee 11.04; 3. Mayers (VIN) 11.09; 4. Richardson 11.17; 5. Edwards 11.24; 6. McKelvy 11.45 . . .
High School Division (18.4.): Race 1 (2.7): 1. Felix 11.24w; 2. Shal. Solomon 11.43w . . .
200 METRES (1.3): 1. Felix 22.51; 2. Mayers (VIN) 23.00; 3. Miller 23.04; 4. Cox 23.20; 5. A Williams 23.81 . . .
400 METRES: 1. Regis (GRN) 51.68; 2. Beckford (JAM) 51.69; 3. Dawkins (JAM) 51.82; 4. Davy 52.50; 5. Dyer 52.60; 6. Trent 54.31.
800 METRES: 1. Burnett (JAM) 2:03.17; 2. Lyne 2:03.84; 3. Cook 2:04.33; 4. Williams 2:04.43; 5. Earl 2:04.48; 6. Burgess 2:04.62; 7. Bernard-Thomas (JAM) 2:04.82; 8. Moya (PUR) 2:04.99.
Open Division (18.4.): Race 4: 1. van der Veen (NED) 2:04.82; Race 5: 1. J Nilsson (SWE) 2:05.11.
1500 METRES: 1. J Nilsson (SWE) 4:10.72; 2. Hyman (JAM) 4:13.68; 3. Messner 4:16.15; 4. King 4:16.43. 5. Inman 4:17.39; 6. Marzell-Arnold 4:18.56; 7. Couper 4:20.53 . . .
Open Division (18.4.): Race 3: 1. Novak 4:26.85. Race 5: 1. Hoge 4:25.16; 2. Mann 4:25.40; 3. Pogorzelski (GER) 4:25.70; 4. Hotchkiss 4:27.04. Race 6: 1. Wurth 4:18.70; 2. Brewster 4:19.80; 3. I Nilsson (SWE) 4:21.34; 4. Edmonson 4:21.92; 5. van Beek (NED) 4:23.21; 6. Overbeeke (NED) 4:26.22; 7. Huff 4:26.65.
High School Division (18.4.): Race 1 (2.7): 1. Felix 11.24w; 2. Shal. Solomon 11.43w . . .
STEEPLECHASE (17.4.): 1. Andersen 10:05.73 (world leader); 2. Marakurwa (ZIM) 10:09.47 . . .
5000 METRES (17.4.): 1. E Dibaba (ETH) 15:22.58; 2. Fleshman 15:23.94; 3. Gorton 15:24.97; 4. Craig 15:25.75; 5. Huddle 15:36.95; 6. Buttry 15:37.48; 7. Brooks 15:40.68; 8. Jefferson 15:41.89; 9. Mortimer 15:44.67; 10. Toland 15:45.79; 11. Newberry 15:46.27; 12. Hann 15:47.90; 13. Sauder 15:48.45 . . .
10,000 METRES (17.4.): 1. M Perez (MEX) 32:50.89 . . .
100 HURDLES (-0.4): 1. Carruthers 13.04; 2. Felicien (CAN) 13.06; 3. Stone 13.31; 4. Jones 13.37; 5. Dixon 13.38; 6. Grant 13.97.
400 HURDLES: 1. Taylor 55.38; 2. Danvers (GBR) 56.34; 3. Addy 56.61; 4. Sallins 57.40; 5. Mills 57.52; 6. Duncan (GBR) 57.74; 7. Santin 59.19.
HIGH JUMP: 1. Wentland 1.90; 2. Rifka (MEX) 1.85; 3. Jones 1.85 . . .
POLE VAULT: 1. O'Hara 4.40 (equals world leader); 2. Holliday 4.40 (equals world leader); 3. Warlick 4.20; 4. Ellis (CAN) 4.20; 5. Jerz 4.10; 6. McEwen and C Johnson 4.10; 8. Soma 4.00 . . .
LONG JUMP: 1. Simpson 6.37 (0.3); 2. Aduba 6.34 (0.9); 3. Obukhova (UKR)6.31w (3.6); 4. Rybalko (UKR) 6.27 (0.0); 5. Upshaw 6.24 (0.0); 6. King 6.24 (1.8); 7. Hill 6.21 (1.1); 8. Sesay 6.17 (1.2) . . .
TRIPLE JUMP: 1. Perez 13.85 (-0.1); 2. Walker 13.67w (2.1); 3. Pukstiene (LTU) 13.41 (-0.9); 4. Toney 13.18 (1.9); 5. Adeagbo 13.00 (0.2) . . .
SHOT PUT: 1. Tunks (NED) 18.54 [18.19 - p - p - 18.54 - 18.39 - 18.18]; 2. Chukwuemeka (NGR) 18.43 (African record) [17.90 - 18.43 - 18.08 - x - x - x]; 3. Heaston 17.28; 4. Camarena 16.83; 5. Borel (TRI) 16.78 . . .
DISCUS: 1. Hill 63.13; 2. Sua 59.29; 3. Soderberg (SWE) 55.53; 4. Ross 55.50 . . .
HAMMER: 1. Norgren-Mahon 71.33 (66.51 - x - 69.08 - 67.32 - 66.82 - 71.33); 2. Ellerbe 67.87; 3. Ezeh (FRA) 67.51; 4. Scott (TRI) 67.36; 5. Tudja 66.58; 6. Misapeka (SAM) 64.82; 7. Hart 64.46; 8. Joyce (CAN) 63.60 . . .
JAVELIN: 1. Kreiner 56.35; 2. Stasiulionyte (LTU) 54.02; 3. Wheeler 50.20 . . .
4x100 RELAY: 1. HSI (Williams - Edwards - Miller - Richardson) 42.76; 2. USA "Red" (Thornton - White - Daigle - Gaines) 42.80; 3. Illinois (Bearfield - Whitman - Pickett - Felicien) 44.56; 4. Notre Dame 44.88; 5. Arizona 45.21 . . .
4x400 RELAY: 1. Louisiana State University (Davy - Bernard-Thomas - Hall - Regis) 3:29.39; 2. Puerto Rico 3:33.38; 3. Virginia Tech All-Stars 3:34.12; 4. San Diego State 3:34.77.
Other weekend results:
Claremont (19.4.): MEN: High Jump: Nieto 2.26; Pole Vault: Schmidt 5.34; Long Jump: Moffitt 7.78 (-0.2); Shot Put: Hopley (RSA) 18.43; Hammer: Charfreitag (SVK) 78.64. WOMEN: Hammer: Scott (TRI) 65.62.
Azusa (16. - 17.4.): Decathlon: 1. Takahashi 7165; 2. Tremelling 7076. Hepathlon: Haynes (CAN) 5917. Isolated events: Barber (FRA): Long jump: 6.42 (3.0); Shot put: 13.20; High Jump: 1.81; Javelin: 46.60.
