U.S. stars overcome challenging weather at 100th Drake Relays
Posted Saturday, 25 April, 2009
DES MOINES, Iowa - Cold, windy and rainy conditions did not keep Jeremy Wariner, Alan Webb, Suzy Powell-Roos, Chaunte Howard, Tiffany Williams, Derek Miles and many other U.S. stars from turning in outstanding performances Saturday at the 100
th running of the Drake Relays on the campus of Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa.
The second event of the 2009 USA Track & Field Outdoor Visa Championship Series, the 100th Drake Relays will be televised April 26 from 2 p.m.-3:30 p.m. Eastern Time on ESPN2.
Held under cloudy skies with intermittent rain showers and temperatures in the 40s, Saturday's final day of the Drake Relays was a sellout for the 44th consecutive year with 14,504 tickets sold. America's finest track and field athletes will return to Drake Stadium next year when it hosts the 2010 USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
Wariner dominates men's 400 meters
2004 Olympic gold medalist Jeremy Wariner ran even with the field for the first 300 meters in Saturday's men's invitational 400 meters before switching on the afterburners and winning in the second-fastest time in the world this year of 45.06 seconds. A two-time Olympic 4x400m relay gold medalist, and the 2008 Olympic 400m silver medalist, Wariner cruised the final 25 meters before crossing the finish line well ahead of his competitors. Jeremy Davis was the runner-up in 46.24 seconds, with Erison Hurtault third in 46.29.
In the women's special 400 meters, Shareefa Lloyd was the victor in 52.87 seconds, with Lacretia Sibley second in 52.88 and Trish Bartholomew of Grenada third in 53.05.
Webb wins at Drake again
American record holder Alan Webb toed the line in the Drake Relays Visa Men's Mile for the first time since setting the Drake Relays invitational mile record in 2007 of 3:51.71. Webb was challenged the entire way before crossing the finish line first in 4:00.61. Peter Vanderwesthu of South Africa was the runner-up in 4:00.84, with Mexican national 800m and 1,500m record holder Pablo Solares in third place in 4:00.88.
In the women's 1,500 meters, former Baylor University standout and 2007 Big 12 800m champion Lauren Hagans was the winner in 4:18.24, with Dacia Perkins second in 4:19.80 and 2007 Drake champion Jenelle Deatherage third in 4:20.60.
Williams wins 400m hurdles
2008 Olympic Trials champion and Olympic Games finalist Tiffany Williams won the women's 400m hurdles in 56.10 seconds, which is the second-fastest time by an American and fifth-fastest time in the world this year. Latosha Wallace was the runner-up in 57.02, with Christine Spence third in 57.26.
American record holder Powell-Roos wins women's discus
The women's invitational discus was contested at the Drake Relays for the first time since 1988 featuring America's finest competitors in that event.
Three-time Olympian Suzy Powell-Roos fared the best under the difficult cold and windy conditions with a winning throw of 59.15 meters/194 feet 1 inch. 2008 Olympic gold medalist Stephanie Brown Trafton finished as the runner-up with a toss of 58.76m/192-9 and Olympic Trials fourth-place finisher Becky Breisch was third with a best of 57.69m/189-3. Three-time Olympian Aretha Hill was fourth (55.49m/182-1).
Oh no for Lolo
Des Moines native and crowd favorite Lolo Jones got out well at the gun in the Asics Women's 100m hurdles, but started slowing down in the middle of the race before hitting the eighth hurdle hard and coming to a complete stop. Jones, who finished the 2008 season ranked #1 in the world after being stopped by the ninth hurdle in the final at the Beijing Olympic Games, grabbed her right hamstring area after she stopped running. During an interview over the public address system following her race, Jones said she suffered a slight tear in her hamstring.
University of Michigan senior and reigning NCAA Outdoor champion Tiffany Ofili won the race in 12.82 seconds, with Yvette Lewis the runner-up in 12.85 and 2003 world outdoor champion Perdita Felicien of Canada third in 12.88.
2008 Olympic Trials semifinalist and 2003 NCAA Outdoor champion Ryan Wilson won the men's 110m hurdles in 13.21 seconds, which is a new Drake Relays record, bettering the 13.39 standard run by Anwar Moore in 2005. It also bettered the Drake Stadium record of 13.25 set by Ty Akins in 2008. Wilson's mark is the second-fastest in the world this year. Two-time national junior college champion Dexter Faulk was second in 13.30, with Richard Phillips third in 13.44.
Taylor wins Visa Men's Shot Put
In what was considered the finest field ever to compete in the Visa Men's Shot Put at the Drake Relays, 2009 USA Indoor champion Dan Taylor continued his winning ways this year with his victorious second round throw of 21.38 meters/70 feet 1.75 inches, which is the second best toss in the world this outdoor season.2008 Olympic Games silver medalist, current world leader and Drake record holder Christian Cantwell was the runner-up with a best throw of 21.00m/68-10.75, with two-time Olympic silver medalist and 2005 World Outdoor champion Adam Nelson finishing third in his first-ever appearance at the Drake Relays, with a toss of 20.31m/66-7.75. 2007 World Outdoor champion Reese Hoffa was fourth with a best of 20.27m/66-6.
2008 Olympic Trials fifth-place finisher Liz Wanless, who ended last year ranked #4 in the U.S., was the victor in the women's shot put with her second round throw of 18.31 meters/60 feet 1 inch, which leads the 2009 U.S. outdoor list. Her mark also bettered the previous Drake Relays record of 17.75m/58-3 by Teri Steer set in 2002. Olympic Trials runner-up Kristin Heaston was the runner-up again this afternoon with a toss of 17.55m/57-7, with Beijing Olympics finalist Jill Camarena third with a best of 17.46m/57-3.50 and Olympic Trials champion Michelle Carter fourth with a throw of 17.44m/57-2.75.
Howard wins competitive women's high jump
2009 world outdoor leader and 2008 Olympic finalist Chaunte Howard won the women's high jump with a clearance of 1.86 meters/6 feet 1.25 inches. Former University of Connecticut standout Deirdre Mullen, who finished fourth at the 2008 Olympic Trials, and Lavern Spencer of Saint Lucia, equaled Howard's winning clearance, but a greater number of misses during the competition caused them to finish second and third respectively. Four-time Olympian and four-time Drake winner Amy Acuff finished fourth with a best clearance of 1.81m/5-11.25.
Williams, Miles soar high
After finishing last year ranked #1 in the U.S. and #6 in the world, 2008 Olympic Trials champion Jesse Williams was the winner in the men's high jump with a clearance of 2.20 meters/7 feet 2.50 inches. 2008 Olympic Trials runner-up and 2004 Olympic Games fourth-place finisher Jamie Nieto, and current world leader and 2008 Olympian Andra Manson, equaled Williams' winning clearance, but finished second and third respectively in accumulating more misses than the winner.
2008 Olympic Trials champion Derek Miles, who finished fourth at the Beijing Olympics and ended the 2008 campaign ranked #3 in the world, won the men's pole vault with a clearance of 5.67 meters/ 18 feet 7.25 inches. Jeremy Scott, who placed fifth at Drake last year, was second with a leap of 5.62m/18-5.25, with Mark Hollis third (5.62m/18-5.25).
In college action Saturday at the Drake Relays, Georgia's Justin Gaymon became just the second performer to win three straight men's university-college 400m hurdles titles since Gregg Byram of Oklahoma accomplished the feat (1977-79). Gaymon crossed the finish line first in 50.71 seconds.
Earlier this week, 2008 Olympian Jacquelyn Johnson set the Drake Relays heptathlon record with her winning total of 6,020 points, bettering the previous meet record of 5,788 points by Fiona Asigbee set last year.
For more information on the 100th Drake Relays, including the complete results, visit:http://www.godrakebulldogs.com/SportSelect.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=15700&KEY=&SPID=8142&SPSID=71588
For more information on the 2009 Outdoor Visa Championship Series, visit: www.visachampionshipseries.com
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