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Lead Stories: Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Lomong To Be U.S. Flag Bearer at Opening Ceremony

Posted August 7th, 2008 at 2:14 PM by David Monti

Section: News & Results, Track & Field, Olympics

USA Track and Field announced here yesterday that 1500m runner Lopez Lomong, one of the Lost Boys of Sudan, would be the flag bearer at tomorrow night’s Opening Ceremony at the 29th Olympic Games. Lomong, 23, who was raised by adoptive parents in Tully, N.Y., was informed of the decision by telephone in Dalian, the Chinese coastal city where the American athletics team has its training base.

“This is the most exciting day ever in my life,” Lomong said in a statement released by USATF to the media. “It’s a great honor for me that my teammates chose to vote for me. The Opening Ceremony is the best day and the best moment of Olympic life. I’m here as an ambassador of my country and I will do everything I can to represent my country well.”

Lomong made his first Olympic team by finishing third at the U.S. Trials, just 1/10th of a second behind second place finisher eonel
Manzano, the former University of Texas star. The Trials race was won by two-time Olympic medalist, Bernard Lagat, completing a full three-man team in that event, all of whom were born outside of the United States. Lomong had also competed in the 800m at the Trials, finishing fifth, one week earlier.
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Note on the News: Watch “USA vs. the World” on the Web

Posted January 21st, 2008 at 4:39 PM by David Monti

Section: News & Results, Track & Field

Today’s USA vs. The World - Run For The Dream meeting, the first event of the 2008 USATF Visa Indoor Championship Series, will be broadcast on the web today at the following link:

http://usatf.sportnet.com/

The invitational tier of the meet, which will be held at the Save Mart Center at Fresno State University, will begin at 10:00 p.m. EST (7:00 p.m. PST) and will feature the following events:
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Josh McDougal named USATF Athlete of the Week

Posted November 27th, 2007 at 4:43 PM by Jeanie Rebb

Section: News & Results, Cross Country

Josh McDougal Liberty University Josh McDougal has been named USA Track & Field’s Athlete of the Week after winning the men’s NCAA Division I Cross Country Championship Monday, November 19 at the LaVern Gibson Cross Country Course in Terre Haute, Ind.

A senior at Liberty University, McDougal out-kicked Galen Rupp of Oregon in the men’s 10 km race in a thrilling homestretch battle, crossing the finish line in 29 minutes 22 seconds.

Rupp finished just one second behind in 29:23. McDougal is the first Liberty athlete to win an NCAA Cross Country title.
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Charity Fundraising by Runners Now $714+ Million

Posted October 30th, 2007 at 8:00 PM by J. R. Markham

Section: News & Results, Marathons

Marking a trend of continued growth, road runners and walkers raised $714 million for charity in 2006, USA Track & Field (USATF) announced Monday. The figure marks a nearly 9 percent increase over 2005 and shows continued, steady increases since USATF began its annual charity survey in 2002.

The Nike Women’s Marathon and Half-Marathon was named the 2006 USATF Charitable Race of the Year, while the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and its GREAT STRIDES program was honored as 2006 Charitable Organization of the Year.
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Gay, Felix lead Visa Championship Series standings

Posted May 22nd, 2007 at 12:00 AM by Adam Jacobs

Section: News & Results, Track & Field

Tyson Gay and Allyson Felix hold the respective early leads in USA Track & Field’s Outdoor Visa Championship Series following Sunday’s adidas Track Classic in Carson, Calif.

Gay grabbed the men’s series lead with his victory in the 100 meters in the wind-aided time of 9.79 seconds, and reigning World Outdoor 200m champion Allyson Felix jumped out to the lead in the women’s Visa Championship Series competition with her world leading time of 22.18 seconds.
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U.S. names marathon team for IAAF World Champs in Osaka

Posted May 16th, 2007 at 7:45 AM by David Monti

Section: News & Results, Marathons

USA Track & Field named their marathon squads for the 2007 IAAF World Championships in Osaka in August (with personal best times):

MEN -
Mbarak Hussein (Albuquerque, N.M.), 2:08:10, Seoul, 2004
Simon Sawe (Albuquerque, N.M.), 2:13:33, Grandma’s, 2005
Fernando Cabada (Bristol, Va.), 2:12:27, Fukuoka, 2006
Mike Morgan (Rochester Hills, Mich.), 2:15:11, Chicago, 2006
Kyle O’Brien (Rochester Hills, Mich.), 2:15:13, Chicago, 2006

WOMEN -
Mary Akor (Gardena, Calif.), 2:33:50, Twin Cities, 2006
Zoila Gomez (Alamosa, Colo.), 2:35:26, Twin Cities, 2006
Ann Alyanak (Bellbrook, Ohio), 2:38:55, Boston, 2007
Kristin Price (Raleigh, N.C.), 2:38:57, Boston, 2007
Samia Akbar (Hendon, Va.), 2:34:14, New York City, 2006
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Defar to chase 2 mile world best in Carson on May 20th

Posted April 27th, 2007 at 7:45 AM by Bob Ramsak

Section: News & Results, Track & Field

Meseret Defar, the world record holder in the 5000m, will be looking to add the world best over the 2 Mile to her growing list of achievements at the adidas Track Classic in Carson, Calif., on May 20.

The Olympic 5000m champion, Defar, still just 23, will be chasing the 9:11.97 best set by Regina Jacobs in 1999. The mark by Jacobs equates roughly to an 8:31.00 performance over 3000m, well within the capabilities of the young Ethiopian, who earlier this year lowered the world record indoors to 8:23.72, while her outdoor best over that distance is 8:24.66 set last summer in Stockholm.

The men’s 3000 field is filling as well, currently featuring Irishman and University of Arkansas alum Alistair Cragg, the 2005 European indoor champion, and American Anthony Famiglietti, a 2004 Olympian in the steeplechase and this year’s national 8-K champion.
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Thornton, Bolden slated to head 2008 Olympic T&F Teams

Posted March 16th, 2007 at 10:15 AM by Martin Kennedy

Section: News & Results, Track & Field, Olympics

University of Texas men’s head coach Bubba Thornton and UCLA women’s head coach Jeanette Bolden have been nominated to serve as the men’s and women’s head coaches, respectively, for Team USA’s track and field squads for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, USA Track & Field announced Thursday. James Li and Rich Torrellas are nominated as head managers.
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Abdi, Torres, Famiglietti Headling US 8k Champs

Posted March 15th, 2007 at 4:00 PM by Hariz Siddiqui

Section: News & Results

The 2005 USA 8K and 2006 USA 10,000 meter champion Jorge Torres from Boulder, Colo. leads the field for the USA Men’s 8K Championship in New York City’s Central Park on Saturday, March 17.

Torres, 26, who ran 22 minutes, 47 seconds to win the U.S. title two years ago, will face formidable competition including 2004 Olympians Abdi Abdirahman and Anthony Famiglietti and rising stars Max King, Matt Gabrielson, Fernando Cabada, Ed Moran and Rod Koborsi. Olympians Dathan Ritzenhein and Adam Goucher recently withdrew from the race because of injury and illness respectively.
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U.S. Olympic Team to be based in Birmingham in 2012

Posted March 4th, 2007 at 8:00 AM by Jeanie Rebb

Section: News & Results, Olympics

In a joint press conference here today, the Birmingham City Council and USA Track & Field (USATF) announced that the American athletics team for the 2012 Olympic Games in London would be based in this Midlands city of approximately 1,000,000 people.

“We’ve had a wonderful experience here,” said Stephanie Hightower, the chair of USATF women’s track & field executive committee, who said that the U.S. training base would be at Alexander Stadium.

She said that the U.S. team would begin arriving here three or four days after the conclusion of the U.S. Olympic Trials which will be held in July, 2012. Hightower envisioned approximately 150 athletes, coaches, officials and other support personnel coming to Birmingham.
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