Lolo Jones celebrates as she crosses the finish line in the women's 60m hurdles (© Getty Images)
With the weather warming up to 10-12 Celsius but the wind still swirling and gusty, Lolo Jones and Dusty Jonas continued their indoor successes with victories at the 99th Drake Relays on Saturday (26).
Jones, the World and American indoor champion in the 60metre Hurdles and a Des Moines native, got off to a poor start in the featured 100m Hurdles, but recovered handily and was in control by the fourth barrier. She drew away steadily to win in 12.74 (just wind-legal at +1.9), two metres ahead of Jamaica's Osaka finalist Vonette Dixon.
Jonas, a fourth-year student at the University of Nebraska and the recent winner of the NCAA indoor High Jump, beat a strong field and tricky winds to win the men's High Jump here. His 2.30m winning jump beat seven others who have cleared that height or better – including Jamie Nieto and Jesse Williams (both 2.20 today).
The wind was a major factor; it wasn't always helpful, but it was always there. Lolo Jones's race was the only non-windy hurdles race, but the other three were more than respectable. Fast-improving Tiffany Ofili won the university women's 100 Hurdles easily in 12.81 (+4.5); Anwar Moore, who ran a windy 13.00 here a year ago beat a strong field with another wind-aided time, 13.14 (+4.0); and Shawon Harris of Texas Tech won the men's University 110m Hurdles in 13.52 aided by a 2.3 following wind.
Other results of interest on the track included a 49.26 400m Hurdles win by Justin Gaymon of the University of Georgia; a 3:04.13 4x400m Relay by Baylor University which featured a 44.3 split by Trey Harts; and a 9:45.38 women's Steeplechase victory by Emily Brown of the University of Minnesota.
Cantwell over Scott and Resse
In the field events, world Indoor champion Christian Cantwell won the men's Shot Put with 20.88m, well ahead of Jamaican Dorain Scott (20.34m) and Reese Hoffa, the World champion outdoors, who reached a modest, by his standards, 20.32m.
Elsewhere Derek Miles, next to Brad Walker the most consistent American pole vaulter, won his event at 5.61m (vs. his 5.71m effort three days ago winning an exhibition in a shopping mall); Brittney Reese won the women's Long Jump with 6.57m (+2.2) after slightly injuring her ankle in the High Jump; and Shani Marks won the women's Triple Jump with 13.81 (+ 3.7).
With performances hampered on Friday (25) by swirling winds of 10-12 m/s and temperatures around 5 degrees Celsius, the only marks which approached world class prior to Saturday were two 80-metre throws in the javelin authored by 20-year-olds.
Chris Hill, the 2007 U.S. national junior champion who is a student at the University of Georgia, won the event with a last-round throw of 81.72, bettering the earlier 78.09 PB he had established four throws earlier. He beat Adam Montague, an Australian studying at the University of Florida, who improved his own PB by seven metres with a throw of 80.20.
James Dunaway for the IAAF
