Penn 2004 - Marion Jones brings home the USA 4 x 100m team (© Kirby Lee)
Marion Jones' comeback from motherhood in 2003 and a mediocre 2004 ran into another weekend of slow going at the Kansas Relays here on Saturday (23 April). But she doesn't think so.
"I felt really powerful coming down the stretch"
Anchoring an all-star Vector Sports team of U.S. internationals in the featured 4x200m relay, Jones crossed the finish line in an overall time of 1:34.56, which doesn't make the top 40 all-time list, and to be brutal about it, was even bettered by an American high school team in 2004.
Jones 200m split was 23.4, despite the fact that she had a running start and a following wind in the home straight.
She ran a strong, even impressive curve, looking like the Marion Jones who was ranked Number One in the world at 100m and 200m from 1997 through 2002. But halfway down the home straight she appeared heavy-legged and slowed visibly. Her team was disqualified for an out-of-the-zone second exchange, but 1:34 is still 1:34 - six seconds slower than the world record set by a Jones-anchored team at the 2000 Penn Relays.
Next outing in GPII meeting in Martinique
Jones, who had shrugged off her last-place 55.03 400m last Sunday at Mt. SAC as, "one of those days," was - surprisingly to this observer --almost ecstatic about her performance here.
She said, "Everybody kept saying, 'It's just a relay,' but regardless of that, you're on the track in front of all these fans and you want to put up a good performance. I still had that pre-race excitement that's totally necessary before you step on the track. I felt good. We ran good.
“It really felt good. I felt really powerful coming down the stretch….I don't think you can even compare it to last week. I felt good when I came off the straight. I'm injury-free and ready to go into the next competition." She is scheduled to run next week in the IAAF Grand Prix II meeting in Martinique.
Her parting words were, "I'm at a point in my career where I'm taking one race at a time. My goals are the same. I want to win. I want to be the best in the world. I want to get back on top, and get better race by race. If I do that, I'll be right where I need to be for (the World Championships in) Helsinki. In the overall picture, Helsinki is my biggest goal this year."
Earlier in the day, her coach, Steve Riddick, reportedly told a Relays official, "Marion is in fantastic shape." And she was, for the first 100 metres or so...
Greene – “I have a lot of work to do”
Maurice Greene, favored to win the men's 100 meters, found his hands full with veteran (and HSI teammate) John Capel and youngster Mark Jelks. Capel proved stronger at the finish, winning in 10.10 (+2.1) to 10.15 for both Jelks in second and Greene in third. Jelks, who is coached by Greene's first coach, the redoubtable Al Hobson, signed a professional contract with Nike earlier this month.
A happy Capel said, "I hit the first step and saw that Maurice was still right next to me, and that never happens. We have had a lot of competitive races, but today was a milestone."
For Greene, a former Kansas state high school champion at 100, 200 and 400 metres, competing in this meet is part of his contribution to the sport. He said, "This is just the start of my season and I have a lot of work to do. I never like to lose, but we will be running against each other next week, and it's going to be another close race." He later went on to anchor an HSI 4 x 100m squad home in 39.24.
Jelks stamped himself as a sprinter to watch in his big-time professional debut. Before the race he said, "Honestly, I don't care who is next to me. I am not worried about who I am going to run against." And lining up against Greene, the most famous old boy of his school, Kansas City Community College, Jelks looked him in the eye and didn't blink.
Jackson starts well with 48.67
Bershawn Johnson, who didn't make the 2004 U.S. Olympic team but was the third fastest 400m Hurdler of 2004 (47.86), started his 2005 season impressively here. Despite chopping his step very badly between the fourth and fifth hurdles, Jackson got back into stride and won in 48.67, the fastest time in the world this year. Also posting the year's best time was Dominique Arnold, winner of the 110-meter hurdles in 13.33.
In other events, former Iowa State thrower Jamie Beyer upset Christian Cantwell, the world's top-ranked shot putter in 2004, 68-6 to 67-8 1/4; Benson Chesang, a Kenya competing for the University of Kansas, won the mile in 4:05.63, as U.S. Olympian Charlie Gruber finished third.
James Dunaway for IAAF
RESULTS
Men
100m (wind +2.1m/sec): 1. John Capel 10.10, 2. Mark Jelks 10.15, 3. Maurice Greene 10.15
200m (+4.5): 1. Leo Bookman 20.52, 2. Nate Probasco 20.74, 3. Leonard Scott 20.85
110m Hurdles (+1.1): 1. Dominique Arnold 13.33, 2. Arend Watkins 13.47, 3. Joel Brown 13.53
Mile: 1. Benson Chesang (KEN) 4:05.63, 2. Christian Smith 4:07.73, 3. Charlie Gruber 4:08.66
400m Hurdles: 1. Bershawn Jackson 48.67, 2. Ian Weakly (JAM) 50.08, 3. Joey Woody 51.26
400m: 1. Leonard Byrd 46.60, 2. Ashton Collins 47.15, 3. Rene Quow (TRI) 47.24
Pole Vault: 1. Jacob Pauli 5.70m, 2. Eric Eshbach 5.50m, 3. Ray Scotten 5.50m, 4. Pat Manson 5.35m, 5. Nick Hysong 5.35m
Shot Put: 1. Jamie Beyer 20.88m, 2. Christian Cantwell 20.63m, 3. Dan Taylor 19.64m, 4. Sheldon Battle 19.64m
High Jump: 1. Matt Hemingway 2.20m, 2. Kyle Lancaster 2.15m, 3. Jamie Nieto 2.15m
4x100 relay: 1. HSI (John Capel, Leonard Scott, Kaaron Conwright, Maurice Greene) 39.24, 2. University of Nebraska (Richard Davidson, Nate Probasco, Oliver Williams, Dusty Stamer) 40.16
Women
100m (+2.4): 1. Muna Lee 11.10, 2. Rachlelle Boone-Smith 11.28, 3. Wyllesheia Myrick 11.29, 4. Inger Miller 11.48
200m (+2.1): 1. Rachlelle Boone-Smith 23.02, 2. Stephanie Durst 23.07, 3. Wyllesheia Myrick 23.47
100m Hurdles (3.9m): 1. LaShinda Demus 12.93, 2. Jenny Adams 13.10, 3. Priscilla Lopes 13.21
400m: 1. Rosemary Okafor (NGR) 55.75, 2. Marlene Smith (JAM) 55.90, 3. Alicia Harris 56.55
High Jump: 1. Gwen Wentland 1.85m, 2. Amy Acuff 1.80m, 3. Marisa Uzoaru 1.70m
Pole Vault: 1. April Steiner 4.25m, 2. Amy Linnen 4.25m, 3. Kate Sultanova 4.15m
4x200m relay: 1. Southwest Missouri State (Julia Murray, Ciara Jones, Danielle Norville, Genna Williams) 1:37.03, 2. University of Kansas (Crystal Manning, Kara Euler, Tiffany Cherry, Octavia Garrett) 1:38.89, 3. Emporia State University (Courtney Bruna, Shannon Butler, Ashley Melichar, Danielle Sedivy) 1:40.19
...
DQ: Vector Sports Management (Muna Lee, Stephanie Durst, LaShinda Demus, Marion Jones) baton exchange out of zone
