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Lead Stories: Friday, December 5, 2008

Willard Breaks American Record in Women’s Steeplchase Final

Posted July 4th, 2008 at 1:47 AM by Stephanie Lowe

Section: News & Results, Track & Field, Olympics

Image details: U.S. Track and Field Olympic Trials - Day Five served by picapp.com

Fireworks lit the night sky as Anna Willard shattered the American record in the Olympic Trials 3000m Steeplechase. She ran the race in 9:27.59. Lindsey Anderson (9:30.75) and Jenny Barringer (9:33.11) will join her in Beijing.

Going into the race, Willard and Barringer both wanted the record. Willard tried at the American Milers Club meet in Indianapolis and Barringer came close at the NCAA DI Championships, but neither succeeded. This was the day to do it. Barringer was in front until the last 800 meters.

“I wanted to go out and set the stage for an American record,” she said.
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Barringer Breaks Hayward Field Record in 3000m Steeplechase Semifinal

Posted June 30th, 2008 at 11:44 PM by Stephanie Lowe

Section: News & Results, Track & Field, Olympics

Who will get to run in the first-ever Olympic women’s 3000-meter Steeplechase? Eight women are one step closer to achieving that dream today in the preliminary race of the U.S. Olympic Team Trials.

The first heat involved Nicole Bush and Kathryn Andersen racing side by side the entire time. In the end it was Bush with the win in 9:49.53 and Andersen in 9:49.71. The battle for third and fourth place was just as competitive. In the end, Lisa Galaviz finished in 9:52.66 followed by Kara June in 9:53.01.

Jenny Barringer broke the Hayward Field record in heat 2 of the 3000-meter Steeplechase with her time of 9:48.50. Anna Willard (9:52.06) got out fast from the start and held Barringer off until the final lap when she made her move. Behind Barringer and Willard were Carrie Strickland (9:53.43) and Carrie Messner-Vickers (9:53.78).
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Barringer Breaks Own Collegiate Record, Looks Towards Olympic Trials

Posted June 28th, 2008 at 2:15 PM by Cheryl Lowe

Section: News & Results, Track & Field, Interviews, College

Image details: AT&T USA Outdoor Track And Field Championships - Day 1 served by picapp.com

Jenny Barringer, a cross country and track star at the University of Colorado at Boulder, won the preliminary and final races in the women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase event at the 2008 NCAA National Championship Track and Field meet on June 13 at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa.

Barringer, 21, also managed to break her own collegiate record, finishing the finals race on June 13 in a wicked fast 9 minutes and 29.20 seconds. When Barringer ran the race up front and alone since the gun start, she did not know that she was on pace for the 2nd fastest ever 3,000-meter steeplechase run by an American woman, and that she missed the US record by only a few tenths of a second. Lisa Galaviz set the US record of 9:28.75 in Belgium last year.

“I wanted to win, take home another national championship and set the collegiate record,” said Barringer about her 2008 performance. The collegiate record time to beat was 9:38, and Barringer’s coach, Mark Wetmore, had a finishing time of 9:41 down on paper. “It was a realistic pace with a kick, within range of the record,” stated Barringer, who will be a senior this fall.
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2008 Track & Field
Previews & Predictions:
Women’s Middle-Distance

Posted January 25th, 2008 at 5:25 PM by Jimmie R. Markham

Section: News & Results, Track & Field, Olympics

Maria Mutola recently announced that she will retire at the end of the 2008 season. That’s a shame because she has been the ambassador of women’s 800m running ever since she broke on the world-class middle-distance running scene in 1991 with a time of 1:57.63. Since then she’s run between 1:55.19 and 1:58.98 a staggering 108 times. The only other woman to come even close to running that many world-class times in the 800m has been the great Cuban runner Ana Quirot, who ran between 1:54.44 and 1:58.95 a total of 72 times between 1986 and 1997. The 800m event will truly be diminished when Mutola retires.
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Year-End Rankings Feature
32 Total Sports Athletes

Posted January 13th, 2008 at 11:00 AM by Martin Kennedy

Section: News & Results, Track & Field

Sprint newcomer Carmelita Jeter (Nike/USA) and jumps veteran Pegge Devetzi (Adidas/GRE) headline the year-end Track and Field News world rankings which featured 14 Total Sports athletes. Jeter completed the 2007 season ranked no. 3 in the women’s 100 meters according to the magazine, while Devetzi earned the same ranking in the women’s triple jump.

Xavier “X-Man” Carter (Nike/USA) [Pictured]bounced back from an early season injury and ranked no. 4 in the men’s 200 meters, while Luis Tsatoumas (Puma/GRE) used a big early season jump to rank 4th in the men’s long jump. Joining Carter and Tsatoumas with a no. 4 ranking was one-lap specialist Novlene Williams (Adidas/JAM) who took the bronze medal in Osaka. David Payne (Nike/USA) rounded out the list of Total Sports athletes in the top five ranking at no. 5 over the short barriers. Lolo Jones (Asics/USA) in the 100 hurdles, and Kenia Sinclair (Nike/USA) in the 800 meters, just missed top five rankings as they finished in the no. 6 spot in their respective events.
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Podcast 78: Olympic hopeful &
“Steeplechic” ANN GAFFIGAN

Posted September 11th, 2007 at 4:07 PM by Adam Jacobs

Section: News & Results, Track & Field, Special Features, Interviews, Podcasts

Episode sponsored by: Bill Rodgers Sportswear
After 21 years Bill Rodgers Sportswear is closing out their line of high-quality running apparel. Visit shopfest.com to take advantage of an unprecedented 50% discount on all in-stock items!

Episode 78 of The Final Sprint Podcast features my interview with Olympic 3000m steeplechase hopeful, former University of Nebraska star and steeplechics.com developer ANN GAFFIGAN.

In the interview, Ann talks about her current health, overcoming nagging injuries, the “relief” of not competing at the USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships because she knew she was unable to give her best efforts, and cutting her weekly mileage from 100 to about 55 to get back on track.

Download the podcast to hear Ann discuss these topics, as well as, thoughts of competing in the marathon, the need for more, post-collegiate track & field running groups, admiring the success of her fellow, American female steeplers, and much more!

Listen In
[PLAY] (To Download: Right click and select “save as”)

[RSS] Add The Final Sprint Podcast RSS feed to your RSS reader to have the show delivered to you

Host: Adam Jacobs | Guest: Ann Gaffigan
Producer: Greg Cherniet
Musicians: Ryan Ahlwardt & Darnell Perkins
File Size: 17.4 MB | Length: 25:23 MIN

Episode sponsored by: Bill Rodgers Sportswear
After 21 years Bill Rodgers Sportswear is closing out their line of high-quality running apparel. Visit shopfest.com to take advantage of an unprecedented 50% discount on all in-stock items!

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Steeplechase popularity increasing among American women

Posted August 2nd, 2007 at 12:15 PM by Jimmie R. Markham

Section: News & Results, Running & Training, Track & Field, Training Tips

The 3000m Steeplechase never has had as much of a following as have other track events. In fact, only recently did it become an official Olympic sport for women. (The inaugural women’s 3000m Steeplechase will be held in Beijing, China in 2008.) All of that is beginning to change, however, especially for women in the United States.

For you ladies interested in becoming steeplechasers, there’s a great resource for you over at Steeplechics.com, a website that “provides a medium for a growing body of information, about steeplechase for girls and women.”

The site is run by Ann Gaffigan, a steeplechaser and 2004 University of Nebraska graduate. Gaffigan was the 2004 U.S. Olympic Trials champion in the 3000m Steeplechase. Gaffigan has been hindered for some time by a mysterious ailment that has kept her from performing at her best.

When I caught up with her recently, she mentioned that she was finally on her way back to top form, saying:

“I am beginning to feel better, not only physically, but mentally, which is key. Beijing is the ultimate goal, so here goes nothing!”

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USA Sets Pan Am Games Team

Posted July 2nd, 2007 at 2:30 PM by David Monti

Section: News & Results, Track & Field

USA Track & Field released their athlete roster for the Pan Am Games scheduled for Rio de Janeiro later this month. A team of 48 men and 46 women will compete from July 22 - 29. They qualified by virtue of their rank-order of finish at the recent AT&T USA Outdoor Championships.

In the middle and long distance events, the athletes best-positioned to win a medal are the recently crowned U.S. 800m champions, Khadevis Robinson (1:43.68 PB) and Alysia Johnson (1:59.29 PB).

The complete middle & long distance roster is below.

MEN -
800m:
Khadevis Robinson (Dallas, Texas)
Duane Solomon (Lompoc, Calif.)

1500m:
Andrew McClary (Shelton, Wash.)
Said Ahmed (Jamaica Plain, Mass.)

3000m S/C:
Joshua McAdams (Broadview Heights, Ohio)
Thomas Brooks (Glenview, Ill.)
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AT&T USA Outdoor T&F Champs: Saturday event previews

Posted June 23rd, 2007 at 9:00 AM by Martin Kennedy

Section: News & Results, Track & Field

HEPTATHLON, Day Two

Key Athletes: GiGi Johnson, Hyleas Fountain, Diana Pickler, Jacquelyn Johnson

The past two USATF champions are in the field with GiGi Johnson (2006) and Fountain (2005), but it is US list leader Pickler who topped the standings with 3,636 points after the first day. Fountain is 18 points adrift, with Johnson two more behind her. NCAA champ Johnson is fifth at 3,495.

DECATHLON, Day Two

Key Athletes: Tom Pappas, Paul Terek, Jake Arnold

Four-time U.S. winner Pappas, who leads with 4,394 points, is the defending champion and could tie Bill Toomey and Dan O’Brien for most U.S. titles in the event after the withdrawal of ‘05 world champion Bryan Clay. Arnold recently claimed his second NCAA title, scoring 8,215 for the victory, and is sxth after five events. Terek scored 8,134 to win at Desenzano on May 6 and is seeking his third Worlds team berth.
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AT&T USA Outdoor T&F Champs: Thursday event previews

Posted June 21st, 2007 at 11:21 AM by Martha Jones

Section: News & Results, Track & Field

WOMEN’S STEEPLECHASE 1st ROUND, 4:15 p.m.

Key Athletes: Lisa Galaviz, Anna Willard, Lindsey Anderson

Galaviz, the defending champion, won the Belem GP race in May. Willard and Anderson recently placed first and second at the NCAA Championships. Willard won in 9:38.08, the current U.S. leader.

WOMEN’S 800 METERS 1st ROUND, 4:45 p.m.

Key Athletes: Alice Schmidt, Hazel Clark, Alysia Johnson

Two-time defending champion Clark, who has three USATF titles, headlines a talented field. Clark recently claimed the Reebok GP in 1:59.07. Schmidt is the current US leader at 1:58.75. Johnson won the NCAA title with the second-fastest collegiate time ever, 1:59.29. Another win for Clark would tie her with sister Joetta for most consecutive wins in this event.

TYSON MEN’S 800 METERS 1st ROUND, 5:05 p.m.

Key Athletes: Khadevis Robinson, Derrick Peterson, Nick Symmonds

Robinson and Peterson are both three-time USATF champions, with Robinson winning the past two titles. A three-time NCAA Division III champion and the 2006 USA runner-up, Symmonds posted a U.S.-leading time of 1:44.54 to win the Nike Prefontaine Classic while Robinson, who won the Reebok GP, was third in 1:44.99.
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