Devers, Lagat lead electric 100th Millrose Games
Posted Monday, 5 February, 2007
Contact:
Jill Geer
Director of Communications
USA Track & Field
317-713-4663
NEW YORK - In a night filled with legends, living legend Gail Devers stole the show at the 100th Millrose Games Friday evening at Madison Square Garden, while legend-in-the-making Bernard Lagat closed off the evening with a stirring win in the Wanamaker mile.
Celebrating the rich history of the Garden's longest continuously held event, Millrose honored many of its notable performers in an on-field ceremony, in front of 14, 905 fans. But it was the legend over the hurdles who turned the most heads at the second stop of USA Track & Field's Visa Championships Series.
Devers: "40 is the new 20"
Already the meet and American record holder and a future Hall of Famer, Devers had gained attention when she entered the meet, but no one was sure what to expect of the three-time world outdoor champion who had turned 40 last fall. In her only race of 2006, Devers finished fourth at Millrose just nine months after giving birth to her daughter, Karsen. Twelve months later, on Friday night, she won in a strong start-to-finish effort in 7.86 seconds - the fastest time in the world this year and nearly a full second better than the listed world record for masters over-40 athletes (8.71). It was also her fourth Millrose victory in the hurdles, coming 15 years after her first victory in 1992. 2004 Olympic champion and defending Millrose champ Joanna Hayes was second in 7.93, with Danielle Carruthers - who is coached and managed by Devers - third in 7.94, and former world indoor and outdoor champion Perdita Felicien of Canada was fourth in 7.96.
Lagat scores fifth Wanamaker win
With his four victories, Bernard Lagat had made winning the Wanamaker Mile look easy in recent years. But Commonwealth Games champ Craig "Buster" Mottram decided to make a race of it. Alan Webb led the pack behind Pacemaker Moise Joseph's pace of 55.59 and 1:54.99. At the half, Lagat took over leading duties until Mottram sprinted to the front with four laps to go. Knowing that Lagat considers it vital to be leading Wanamaker with two laps to go in order to win, Mottram clung to the lead, still holding the edge as the bell rang for the final lap. But the two-time Olympic 1,500m medalist Lagat used the nimble speed of his 5-8 to get around the 6-3 Mottram on the backstretch and sprinted to the win in 3:54.26. Mottram was second in an Australian record 3:54.81, with Chris Lukezic third in 4:01.48. For his win, Lagat earned Team USA Athlete of the Meet honors and a $2500 Visa Check Card.
Shot put fireworks
For the third year, the Visa men's shot put took center stage later in the evening, with a four-round competition between four men: world #1 ranked Reese Hoffa, world #2 ranked Christian Cantwell, Visa Championship Series leader Dan Taylor, and three-time world champion John Godina. The competition lived up to its front-and-center position on the event schedule, with Cantwell putting a Herculean 21.88/71-9. The defending champion and Millrose record holder, Hoffa nearly surpassed him on his third throw with a toss of 21.75/71-4.25, then popped a throw that may have bested Cantwell on the final effort of the competition. The shot landed out of the sector, however, and Cantwell went home the victor.
Sprinting drama
The Mondo men's 60m dash featured more drama per second than any even of the night. World indoor record holder Maurice Greene got out to a blistering start but took a misstep several meters into the race. As Greene went down, 2004 Olympic 200m gold medalist Shawn Crawford surged in the final 20 meters of the race to win his second race of the Visa Championship series in 6.56 seconds. Larone Clark was second in 6.64.
2005 Visa Champion Angela Daigle-Bowen earned a big victory in the Hershey's women's 60m dash in 7.25, with Marshevet Hooker second in 7.32.
Russian revolution
Opening her 2007 season and competing for the first time on U.S. soil, Yelena Isinbayeva broke both the Millrose Games and U.S. all-comers record in the women's pole vault, clearing 4.82m/15-9.75 to post a 2007 world leader. In a three-way tie for second were April Steiner, Fabiana Murer of Brazil and Jenn Stuczynski, all at 4.53m/14-10.5.
Walker winning clash of top-ranked vaulters
Brad Walker out-dueled Australian SteveHooker a matchup of the world #1 ranked vaulters the last two years in the Fred Schmertz men's pole vault. Walker, the 2005 #1 who has had some nagging early-season injuries, cleared 5.80m/19-0.25 on his first attempt to best Hooker, who cleared on his second attempt. Meet and American record holder Jeff Hartwig was third at 5.70m/18-8.25.
Another win for Tiru
Double world champion and 5,000m world record holder Tirunesh Dibaba of Ethiopia took the NYRR women's 3,000, moving away from American Sara Hall with three laps remaining to win in 8:46.58. Putting forth a gallant effort, Hall placed second in 9:01.22 with Jen Rhines third in 9:02.91.
Walking wins
In the USA Championship 1-mile race walks, the New York Athletic Club's Tim Seaman won his third consecutive Susan Rudin men's 1-mile walk and his 31st national title at any distance with a time of 5:51.18. Suffering from bronchitis, Seaman prevailed over Matt Boyles in second (6:03.00). Loretta Schuellein handily won the first women's racewalk championship held at Millrose in 6:52.12. The Manhasset High School English teacher was well ahead of Rachel Lavallee in second (7:06.34).
In Other Events...
In other events, Aries Merritt came on late in the race to win his first professional effort in the men's 60m hurdles in 7.61 seconds; additional winners included Bershawn Jackson in the adidas Mel Sheppard men's 600 (1:11.48), Mary (Danner) Wineberg in the women's 400 meters (54.44); Sheridan Kirk of Trinidad in the Daily News men's 800 (1:53.01), Christin Wurth-Thomas in the Super Runners Shop women's 800m (2:06.97), Amy Acuff in the John Thomas women's high jump1.89m/6-2.25
In high school races, Danielle Tauro won her second straight girls' mile in 4:52.81, while Jason Weller took the boys' race in a personal-best 4:15.81.
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