Jenn Stuczynski clears a U.S. record 4.82m in Boston (© Victah Sailer)
Beijing Olympic medallists Jenn Stuczynski and Hyleas Fountain along with yearly world leaders Lolo Jones, Terrence Trammell and Lindsay Gallo will be among the competitors in the USA Track & Field Indoor Championships at the Reggie Lewis Center at Roxbury Community College on Saturday (28 Feb.) and Sunday (1 Mar.)
Stuczynski, the 2008 Olympic silver medallist in the women’s Pole Vault is well acquainted with the runway at the Reggie Lewis Center. She set an American record of 4.82m at the Reebok Boston Indoor Games on 7 Feb. and has won the U.S. Indoor title in three of the last four years at the Reggie Lewis Center.
Fountain, the Heptathlon runner-up in Beijing, will compete in the 60m Hurdles and Long Jump. The 60m Hurdles will pit Fountain against reigning World Indoor champion Lolo Jones, who has run the three fastest times in the world this season including two clockings of 7.82 sec.
Trammell, the two-time World Indoor champion, is the standout in the men’s 60m Hurdles, having clocked 7.45 in the Millrose Games in New York on 30 Jan for a share of the world lead.
The USATF Indoor Championships is the fourth and concluding stop on the VISA Championship Series that included meetings at the Millrose Games (30 Jan), Boston Indoor Games (7 Feb.) and the Tyson Invitational (13 Feb.).
Stuczynski and Scott the vault favourites
The women’s Pole Vault will feature the most dominant vaulters in U.S. history with Stuczynski and former World record holder and 2000 Olympic champion Stacy Dragila, who won eight U.S. Indoor titles between 1996 and 2005 when the event was first included in the event programme.
Stuczynski ended Dragila’s nine-year reign as American indoor record holder with her win in the Reebok Boston Indoor Games. Dragila, who has been plagued by injuries in recent seasons, has cleared 4.61m this season.
In the men’s Pole Vault, Jeremy Scott has cleared a PB 5.76 this season. The field also includes 2009 Reno Pole Vault Summit champion Darren Niedermeyer and Jacob Pauli.
Fountain faces U.S. Olympians in the Women’s Long Jump
In the women’s long jump, Fountain is the defending champion but will be challenged Beijing Olympians Brittany Reese and Funmi Jimoh, 2005 outdoor World Champion Tianna Madison (who will also run in the 60m), and 2006 and 2007 U.S. Indoor champion Akiba McKinney.
Erica McLain, a member of the 2008 U.S. Olympic team in the Triple Jump, is entered in the Long Jump and Triple Jump. In the Triple Jump, the American collegiate record holder will face 2004 Olympic Trials champion and American record holder Tiombe Hurd.
Matthew Turner and Randall Flimmons are the U.S. yearly leaders in the men’s Long Jump. In the triple jump, Brandon Roulhac is coming off a personal-best 16.89 in Birmingham (GBR) on 9 Feb.
Middle Distances lose Lagat to injury
The 1500m lost some lustre with the withdrawal of Bernard Lagat, who had been planning to make his first appearance in the U.S. indoor nationals, after suffering an ankle injury in Birmingham last Saturday (21 Feb).
American Mile record holder Alan Webb, Chris Lukezic, Rob Myers and Steve Sherer are among the headliners in the 1500m in Boston. The men’s 3000m start list has Josh Rohatinsky, Brian Olinger and David Torrence.
Khadevis Robinson is seeking his third national title in the 800m in four years and fourth overall after winning his inaugural title in 1999. The 800m will pit Robinson with Christian Smith, who dove at the finish of the 2008 U.S. Olympic Trials to finish ahead of Robinson for the third and final spot for the Beijing Olympics.
In the women’s distances, Jen Rhines is scheduled to double in the 1500m and 3000m. Rhines, a three time Olympian in the 10,000m (2000), the Marathon (2004) and the 5000m (2008), is seeking her first national indoor title.
Lindsay Gallo ran a world leading 4:27.90 in the Mile at the Reggie Lewis Center in the Boston Indoor Games. In the USATF Championships, Gallo will run in the 1500m in an a field that features 2009 Tyson Invitational and 2008 U.S. Steeplechase Olympian Anna Willard, Sara Hall, Lindsay Gallo and 2007 champion Shayne Culpepper.
The 3000m entrants include Amy Begley, who finished third in the 10,000m in the 2008 U.S. Olympic Trials, Julie Culley and Rebecca Donaghue. In the women’s 800m, former champions Hazel Clark (2000 and 2005) and Nikeya Green (2007) will square off with 1500m specialist Treniere Clement and Katie Waits.
Jones and Trammell lead Hurdles
Lolo Jones is the defending champion in the Women’s 60m Hurdles and posted the world’s top three times of 7.82, 7.82 and 7.85 in a 14-day span earlier this month on the European circuit.
Jones top challengers will be 2005 and 2006 champion Danielle Carruthers, Fountain and 2007 NCAA Indoor champion Shantia Moss.
Terrence Trammell has had a productive indoor campaign with his 60m Hurdles win at the Millrose Games and a victory in the 60m at the Tyson Invitational. The hurdles field in Boston includes Dexter Faulk, who has timed 7.50 this season, Eric Mitchum and Jeff Porter.
U.S. season leaders Williams and Day headline High Jumps
Jesse Williams has continued his success after winning the 2008 U.S. Olympic Trials to the 2009 indoor campaign. The former NCAA champion from USC cleared a career-best 2.36m in a High Jump-only competition in Banska Bystrica on 11 Feb.
In Boston, Williams will face 2008 World Indoor bronze medallist Andra Manson, 2008 NCAA Indoor champion Dusty Jonas and 2007 U.S. Outdoor champion Jim Dilling.
The women’s High Jump will be highlighted by 2008 U.S. Olympians Sharon Day and Amy Acuff. Day, the 2004 World Junior bronze medallist, cleared an Indoor PB of 1.93m in her season opener at the Run for the Dream meet on 19 Jan. Acuff, a four-time Olympian and 10-time U.S. indoor and outdoor champion, who has indicated that she may retire after the 2009 season was the winner of the Millrose Games at 1.93m.
Nelson the overwhelming favourite in absence of Cantwell and Hoffa
Adam Nelson will be the one to watch in the men’s Shot Put in the absence of Christian Cantwell and Reese Hoffa, the world’s Nos. 1 and 2 throwers of the season. Nelson is seeking his third indoor U.S. title with his last coming in 2002.
The weight throw is anticipated to be a duel between defending champion Kibwe Johnson and four-time champion A.G. Kruger.
In the women’s shot put, Beijing Olympian Jill Camarena is the four-time time defending champion. Amber Campbell is seeking her fourth title in a row in the women’s Weight Throw.
Barber leads women’s sprints
The women’s 60m will pit 2006 World Indoor Champion Me’Lisa Barber and Hasani Roseby. Barber (2006) and Roseby (2007) have combined for two of the last three U.S. Indoor titles. The field also features 2005 World Outdoor 200m silver medalist Rachelle Boone-Smith and 2007 Pan-American Games 100m runner-up Mechelle Lewis.
The women’s 400m field will include Shana Cox, Nina Gilbert, Miriam Barnes and Ashlee Kidd.
Two-time World Long Jump champion Dwight Phillips, Carlos Moore, Mark Jelks and Dabryan Blanton are among the entrants in the men’s 60m. Entrants in the 400m are 2000 and 2001 champions James Davis, Jamaal Torrence, Ahmad Hubbard and Kelly Willie.
Kirby Lee for the IAAF
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