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Lead Stories: Thursday, August 28, 2008

Inspiration at the Trials

Posted July 16th, 2008 at 11:00 AM by Jesse Squire

Section: News & Results, Motivation, Success Stories, Track & Field, Olympics

Of all the almost-famous people I crossed paths with at the Olympic Trials, the most inspirational was not an athlete.

After the women’s 800 meters, I was waiting for winner Hazel Clark to come off the awards stand when I glanced behind me and noticed a tall, thin black woman in her mid-40s, and thought “that must be Joetta Clark“. Standing next to her was a man of undetermined but advanced age, and I realized it was Joe Clark.

Joe Clark was made famous by a Time Magazine cover story on his resuscitation of the rough Eastside High School in Paterson, New Jersey. The story was dramatized in the 1989 film Lean On Me; Clark’s part was played by Morgan Freeman.
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Four-Runner Pile-Up in the Women’s 800 Semifinals, All Advance

Posted June 28th, 2008 at 8:33 PM by Stephanie Lowe

Section: News & Results, Track & Field, Olympics

The women’s 800-meter semifinals saw some tough competition. As expected, Alice Schmidt got out fast and stayed in front during the first heat. The real action occurred behind Schmidt as Becky Horn tripped near the 300-meter mark and caused a four-person pile-up. The crowd cheered as they immediately got right back up.

Schmidt won the first heat in 2:03.27, followed by Maggie Vessey (2:03.81) and Nikeya Green (2.03.90). The entire field of athletes in the first heat will advance due to the crash.

The second heat included high school sophomore Laura Roesler. She shows great potential with her 2:06.82 time. Those who qualified in the second heat were Morgan Uceny (2:02.10), Hazel Clark (2:02.14), Katie Waits (2:02.38), and Geena Gall (2:03.3).Uceny ran an outstanding race considering she was recently injured.
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Schmidt Runs Fastest Time in Women’s 800m Prelims

Posted June 27th, 2008 at 11:33 PM by Stephanie Lowe

Section: News & Results, Track & Field, Olympics

The prelims of the women’s 800-meter run began with a false start in the first heat. Then Hazel Clark lead the entire race through a 62.1-second first lap and a 2:03.65 win, followed by Morgan Uceny (2:03.90) and 10th-grader Laura Roesler (2:04.03).

The second heat started faster with a 60.08 first 400 meters and ended with Alice Schmidt running the fastest time of the night (2:03.58). Katie Waits was not far behind in 2:03.73.

The third and final heat of the women’s 800 meters was also the slowest. Kameisha Bennet finished first in 2:04.85, after a 60.84 first lap. Nicole Teter was second with a time of 2:05.01 and Geena Gall was third in 2:05.04.
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Photo Gallery: Jamaica International Invitational

Posted May 6th, 2008 at 9:30 AM by Adam Jacobs

Section: News & Results, Track & Field

The sprint events, topped by Usain Bolt’s (Pictured) sizzling 9.76 in the 100m, stole the headlines at the Jamaica International Invitational this past weekend.

To relive the action, check out the following slide show that we put together using photographs courtesy of Getty Images. In addition, official race results for highlighted middle & long distance events can be found below.

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Hershey’s Track & Field Games celebrates 30th year with yesterday’s legends and tomorrow’s rising stars

Posted August 6th, 2007 at 5:09 PM by Jessica Galvano

Section: News & Results, Track & Field

Notorious for it’s beloved chocolates, Hershey recently celebrated a thirty-year commitment to youth athletics. At this year’s 30th Hershey’s Track & Field Games, Olympic icons joined 560 youth athletes in an effort to promote active lifestyles among North America’s children and teens.

Originally founded by Dr. Donald P. Cohen, Hershey’s Track & Field Games had an early beginning in 1975. Thirty years later, the event has gained international acclaim; this year, Hershey’s field of over 500 North American youth athletes proudly welcomed 16 of their Chinese peers in competition.

Along with the increasing global interest in the Hershey Games, Olympic athletes have begun to involve themselves in encouraging the world’s youth to embrace fitness as a part of everyday life. Legendary figures of years past to attend to event included Carl Lewis, Bruce Jenner, Michael Johnson, and Rafer Johnson.
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Wins by Jamal, Sinclair the highlights in chilly Lausanne

Posted July 11th, 2007 at 7:55 AM by Martin Kennedy

Section: News & Results, Track & Field

Running in chilly conditions that dipped below 50 degrees F (9 C.), Maryam Yusuf Jamal and Jamaican Kenia Sinclair produced the chief highlights at the Athletissima Super Grand Prix in Lausanne tonight.

After a dismal 13th place finish in Paris last Friday, Jamal was clearly trying to illustrate a point 1500. Running before a supportive hometown crowd –the 22-year-old Ethiopian-born Bahraini has been based in Lausanne since fleeing Ethiopia in 2002– Jamal cruised to a front-running victory in 4:03.61. Never seriously challenged –she had a near four second lead at the bell– Jamal easily held off the late race charge of Ukraine’s Iryna Lishchynska (4:04.27) and Russians Olga Yegorova (4:04.64) and two-time world champion Tatyana Tomashova (4:05.48).

U.S. champion Treniere Clement briefly followed Jamal and pacesetter Olga Komyagina’s solid tempo, but paid for it dearly 800 meters into the race. Fading badly over the final lap and a half, she finished 22nd in the 23 woman field.
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Fast times take Webb, Robinson & Johnson to
U.S. Outdoor T&F Titles

Posted June 24th, 2007 at 7:00 PM by David Monti

Section: News & Results, Track & Field

The air was warm and definitely sticky, but that didn’t prevent Alysia Johnson, Khadevis Robinson and Alan Webb from posting fast times as they each won their respective events on the final day of the AT&T USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships at the Michael A. Carroll Stadium at Indiana University-Purdue University.

Johnson, the University of California star who won the NCAA 800m title on June 9, needed to run nearly the same fast time here to beat back the challenges of Hazel Clark, three-time USA 800m champion, and Alice Schmidt, the 2006 USA indoor champion.
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AT&T USA Outdoor T&F Champs: Robinson tops Symmonds in 800m; Other middle-distance results

Posted June 24th, 2007 at 3:00 PM by Jeanie Rebb

Section: News & Results, Track & Field

Khadevis Robinson put on a brilliant display in the Tyson men’s 800 meters, leading from start to finish as is his custom and finishing in 1:44.37 to win his fourth national title. It is the fastest time by an American this year and second-fastest in the world. USA indoor champion Nick Symmonds was second in 1:45.17, with Duane Solomon of USC third in 1:45.69. Robinson and Symmonds are the only two athletes currently with the A standard of 1:45.40.

The men’s steeplechase was as exciting as its outcome was uncertain. Max King took early leading duties as the packs strung out closely behind him. American record holder Dan Lincoln, currently a full-time medical student, sprinted to the lead with 600m to go, but BYU grad and 2007 U.S. leader Joshua McAdams passed him with 250m to go.
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AT&T USA Outdoor T&F Champs: Sunday event previews

Posted June 24th, 2007 at 12:00 PM by Allyson Rosen

Section: News & Results, Track & Field

WOMEN’S 20K RACEWALK FINAL

Key Athletes: Teresa Vaill, Sam Cohen, Jolene Moore

Vaill won two in a row before yielding to Joanne Dow last year. Dow is not competing this time, so look for the 44-year-old Vaill to win here based on her victory at the Pan Am Cup Trials in March.

GILL WOMEN’S POLE VAULT FINAL, 12:00 p.m.

Key Athletes: Jenn Stuczynski, Jillian Schwartz, Niki McEwen

Stuczynski has been the dominant US vaulter since bursting onto the scene in 2005, setting her latest American record with the nation’s first 16-0 clearance at the Reebok meet June 2. She is best in the world so far this year. Schwartz was the USA runner-up 2006, and McEwen was third at the Reebok meet with a 14-10 3/4 vault.

AT&T MEN’S 200 SEMIFINAL & FINAL, 12:00 p.m. & 2:20 p.m.

Key Athletes: Tyson Gay, Wallace Spearmon, Xavier Carter

All of the major players who showed up for the prelims advanced easily to the next round, led by Gay’s 20.66 in the fourth heat. Spearmon won last year and went on to record the third-fastest time ever at 19.65. Carter zipped to the #2 time ever at Lausanne in ‘06, clocking 19.63, and he won this year’s Pre Classic with a season-best 20.23.
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U.S. Javelin record for Greer in Indianapolis, 9.98 for Gay in Opening Round

Posted June 22nd, 2007 at 5:29 PM by Bob Ramsak

Section: News & Results, Track & Field

The AT&T USA Outdoor Championships got off with a bang in Indianapolis yesterday when Breaux Greer extended his own national record in the javelin throw to 91.29m [299-6].

“I didn’t hit it hard but I hit it clean,” said Greer, whose massive effort eclipsed the 90.71 [297-7] mark he set at last month’s adidas Track Classic in Carson, Calif. It was the fourth national record for the 30-year-old, and the performance extended his own 2007 world lead in the event.
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