Ethiopian Bekana Daba (l) and Galen Rupp in the Fayetteville 5000m (© Kirby Lee)
National records by Americans Galen Rupp in the 5000m and Shalonda Solomon in the women’s 300m along with four world-leading efforts highlighted the 10th Tyson Invitational at the Randal Tyson Track Center at the University of Arkansas on Friday (13) night.
While Ethiopian Bekana Daba won the race with a world-leading 13.17.79, the highlight for the 4397 screaming fans was Rupp’s 13:18.12 performance. Meanwhile Solomon timed a 2009 world best of 36.45 in the women’s 300m to dip under the U.S. standard of 36.67 run by Hampton’s Francena McCorory in 2007. Allyson Felix clocked 36.33 at the 2007 Tyson Invitational but the mark was never ratified because it was run with a one-turn stagger.
Rupp’s record night
Rupp’s effort, which moved him into ninth on the all-time performer list, eclipsed the American record of 13:20.55 set by Doug Padilla in 1982, the collegiate record of Tanzania’s Suleiman Nyambui of 13:20.4 in 1981 and the U.S. collegiate record and Oregon school record of 13:22.6 set by Alberto Salazar in 1981.
Salazar, who coaches Rupp, set his record on the tightly banked 160-yard oval at Madison Square Garden as opposed to Rupp on the 200m all-weather surface at the Randal Tyson Center.
“That’s at least worth another 10 seconds so he’s going to bring that up when he talks to me about it,” Rupp said about Salazar. “We talked about (the record) a little bit and that it was a real possibility but my coaches never tell me to get too focused on one time.”
Any record didn’t seem likely after a conservative early pace. Rupp shadowed Daba and Markos Geneti (ETH), who was fifth in 13:31.71, for much of the race. Rupp took the lead with two-and-a-half laps to go before Daba surged into the lead on the bell lap.
Kenyan Sam Chelanga of Liberty University, whom Rupp outkicked to win the NCAA Cross Country title in November, was third in 13:19.79.
“I saw the split for the first lap and I saw that we were a little slow,” Rupp said. “It was kind of nice because I kind of stopped worrying about pace after that. I was well aware it might not happen today. That really cemented in my head, ‘don’t worry about pace. Just worry about competing.’ If it’s fast, it’s fast. If it’s slow, it’s slow. Looking at the long term process, it’s all about finishing races strong.”
For Solomon, a ‘breakthrough’
Solomon’s world-leading effort in the 300m was her second world leader of the 2009 indoor season. Solomon clocked 23.17 in the Reebok Boston Indoor games six days ago.
Solomon called her mark in the 300m a breakthrough. It was her first national record since relinquishing her senior season of collegiate eligibility at South Carolina to turn professional after the 2007 season. She continues to train in Columbia, S.C., with her college coach Curtis Frye.
The 300m at the Tyson meet was Solomon’s first race in the seldom contested event, indoors or outdoors. Solomon, 23, wasn’t quite sure what to expect despite predictions from friends of a potential sub-36 clocking. She wasn’t even sure what the American record was.
“People were telling me what I was going to run but I was, ‘No, I don’t know if I am going to run that,’ but God provides and he made a way for me to do that,” Solomon said. “I kept asking everybody what the American record was and tried to make a mental note of it but I just went out there and ran.”
Solomon’s effort earned her athlete of the meet honors at the third meet of the four-stop USA Track & Field Visa Championship Series that will conclude with the USATF indoor Championships in Boston 28 Feb.- Mar 1.
Another 200m Win for Knight in Arkansas
Bianca Knight has found the Randal Tyson Center much to her liking. As a University of Texas freshman, Knight set a World Junior best of 22.40 to win the NCAA Indoor Title in Fayetteville before turning professional after the meet.
Knight was never challenged on Friday, coasting to a comfortable victory in 22.88, another world leader, over Nickesha Anderson (JAM), who was second in 23.60, and Natasha Hastings (23.70).
“I guess that I just wasn’t pushed enough in the 200m to run a great time but I felt good,” Knight said.
On Friday, Knight also finished second to 2007 World Championships 100m bronze medalist Carmelita Jeter in the 60m, 7.02 to 7.20.
In the men’s 60m, Terrence Trammell was a narrow victor over 2009 world leader Michael Rodgers, 6.56 to 6.58, to avenge a defeat to Rodgers in the Millrose Games in New York City on 30 Jan.
Eight hundredths of a second separated the top five finishers with Ivory Williams (6.59), Travis Padgett (6.63) and Trindon Holliday (6.64) in third, fourth and fifth.
Chris Berrian won the 200m in 20.67 with Rodgers in second in 20.83 as the only finishers after Larry and Chris Lawson were disqualified. Xavier Carter edged intermediate hurdler Michael Tinsley, 46.98 to 47.01, to win the 400m.
Georgia freshman Torrin Lawrence was even faster in the 400m collegiate competition in the afternoon, running 46.18 to equal the world best. It was a busy meet for Lawrence, who also anchored Georgia to a come-from-behind victory in the 4 x 400m Relay in 3:07.96. Lawrence is also scheduled to run in the 200m on Saturday at Tyson on the concluding session of the two-day meeting.
Hoffa Defeats Nelson in the Shot Put
Reese Hoffa fouled on two of his four throws in the Shot Put but won the competition over Adam Nelson with a final-round effort of 21.06m. Nelson had led throughout, extending his lead to 21.01m in the third round. Russ Winger was third at 20.42m and Dan Taylor was fourth at 20.30m.
In the women’s Pole Vault, Jenn Stuczynski won at 4.63m and then took three attempts at 4.83m to try to break her American record of 4.82m set at the Boston meet last week. Former world record holder and 2000 Olympic champion Stacy Dragila was second at 4.53m.
Willis and Willard post Mile wins
Nick Willis, who ran a then world-leading 3:53.54 to win the Mile in Boston, won a tactical race in Fayetteville in 4:02.70. Steeplechaser Anna Willard won the women’s Mile in 4:30.69 over collegians Brie Felnagle of North Carolina (4:32.01) and Kenyan Sally Kipyego of Texas Tech (4:32.17).
In the 800m, Nick Symmonds outleaned Khadevis Robinson for a 1:47.72 to 1:47.76 win. Alex Becker (CAN) won the women’s 3,000m in 9:23.78.
Kirby Lee for the IAAF
