Team USA dominates the World at the first stop on the Visa Championship Series
By Vicky Oddi, USATF
Posted Tuesday, 22 January, 2008
FRESNO, CALIF. - With wins in 11 of 16 events, Team USA dominated Team World Monday evening at USA vs. the World at the Run for the Dream at the Save Mart Center, located on the campus of Fresno State University in California. Scored as a dual meet, Team USA won 96-66.
Three-time Olympian Amy Acuff won the women's high jump with her clearance of 1.95 meters/6 feet 4.75 inches. After three near-misses at the Indoor American record, Acuff was named Visa Athlete of the Meet for her efforts. 2005 NCAA Outdoor champion Sharon Day was second with her clearance of 1.90m/6-2.75.
After one false start and one call back, 1996 Olympic gold medalist and four-time 110-meter hurdle champion Allen Johnson led the men's 55m hurdles wire-to-wire to win the race in 7.14 seconds. 2001 NCAA Indoor champion Aubrey Herring was second in 7.27.
Reigning World Indoor and Outdoor champion Reese Hoffa stole the show in the men's shot put with his winning heave of 21.06m/69-1.25. 2007 U.S. Outdoor runner-up Dan Taylor was the runner-up with 19.99m/65-7.
2007 World Outdoor 100m bronze medalist Carmelita Jeter edged out hometown favorite and 2005 Visa Indoor champion Angela Daigle-Bowen in the women's 55m dash, crossing the line in 6.84 to Daigle-Bowen's 6.85. On the men's side, Fresno State's Josh Norman won in 6.20. 2004 Olympic long jump gold medalist and two-time World champion Dwight Phillips took third in 6.35.
In the men's 600 yards, four-time U.S. Outdoor 800m champion Khadevis Robinson took the lead with one and a half laps to go and never looked back, winning in 1:09.97. 2005 World Outdoor 400m hurdles champion Bershawn Jackson was edged out at the end to take third in 1:10.61 to two-time Olympian Michael Blackwood's (Jamaica) 1:10.58.
In the women's 600 yards, 2005 World Outdoor 400m hurdle silver medalist Lashinda Demus led the entire race, before being caught on the final straight by Ysanne Williams (Jamaica) who won in 1:21.75. Demus, in her first race back since giving birth to twins last year, was the runner-up in 1:22.11.
2004 Olympic silver medalist John Moffit won the men's long jump with a leap of 7.69 meters/25 feet 2.75 inches. On the women's side, 2001 U.S. champion Jenny Adams, who returned to the long jump after a four-year hiatus from the event, was the runner-up with her mark of 6.33m/20-9.25.
Team USA won the men's and women's 4x400m relays. The men's team of Daryl Terrell, Mike Mitchell, Derrick Brew and Chris Berrian crossed the line in 3:21.53 for the win while the women's team of Sheena Johnson, Sherron Rhetta, Angel Perkins and Jessica Cousins held off a late charge by Team World to win in 3:45.87.
The men's pole vault saw three-time NCAA champion Tommy Skipper and 2006 U.S. Outdoor champion Russ Buller clear 5.58m/18-3.75 with Skipper taking the win on fewer misses. 2004 Olympian Jillian Schwartz won the women's pole vault with a height of 4.37m/14-4.
Also on the track, 2006 U.S. Indoor and Outdoor runner-up Damu Cherry was second in the women's 55m hurdles in 7.58. In the men's mile, Said Ahmed was the runner-up in 4:05.74 and 2003 U.S. steeplechase champion Steve Slattery was third in 4:11.01.
The Visa Championship Series continues January 26 with the Reebok Boston Indoor Games; February 1 with the Millrose Games in New York City; February 15 with the Tyson Invitational in Fayetteville, Ark., and February 23-24 with the AT&T USA Indoor Track & Field Championships in Boston. For more information, including TV broadcast schedules, visit www.visachampionshipseries.com
QUOTES
Jillian Schwartz - womens pole vault winnner
It was a pretty good day. I tried out a new run so it worked out pretty well. I jumped on Friday in practice and decided to take out the skip and it went well in practice. It worked well here. It was pretty consistent. It's a really good track.
Tommy Skipper - men's pole vault winner
I feel good. Today my coach and I were working on a few things.
There's a few things we didn't do, that we will do in my next meet.
Overall, today was about a "B" day. I think it is something to work off of. I'm just really happy I'm healthy.
Reese Hoffa - men's shot put winner
I just didn't go out here and throw as well as I should have. I'll go home and correct the things that I did wrong tonight. I definitely just wanted to put the mark out there to beat for the Visa Championship Series.
Jessica Cousins - women's 4x400m anchor
I had just finished running the 600, I knew the other ladies would give me the best race possible. This was my first meet as a professional. I'm proud of what I've done today. I'm going to use every race I've got until June as a stepping stone.
Amy Acuff - women's high jump winner
I didn't know anything about what to expect tonight. I've been feeling really good in practice but sometimes you get all wild with adrenaline before a meet. Tonight was good. I wanted to put the bar up for Fred Arnold and for this track to have a record. It's a really world-class facility. My goal for the season is to be steady and consistent and not jump myself to death.
Jenny Adams - women's long jump runner
It's been four years since I've jumped. I'm focusing on both the long jump and the hurdles this year. I just wanted to see where I'm at in the long jump. My goal is to double this year. I feel really good.
Khadevis Robinson - men's 600 yard winner
I thought I'd be able to get out a bit faster, but those guys got out pretty quick. I let the guys come to me. I decided to kick and finish. Surprisingly, I felt extremely good during and after the race. I came through pretty quickly in the 400 and I hope it carries over to the 800 next week in Boston.
Josh Norman - men's 55 meter winner
I wish all my track meets were here. I got out of the blocks okay and it was all downhill after that.
Anytime you get a win, its just going to boost your confidence and it'll carry over to the next race.
Allen Johnson - men's 55mH winner
I definitely plan to compete every year until I can't anymore. I haven't run indoors since 2005. I'm running basically to get ready for outdoors.
If I didn't know how old I was, I wouldn't know how old I was.
The race (today) was okay. I was a little rusty since it was the first race of the season. I'm happy with the way I responded in the middle of the race.
Carmelita Jeter - women's 55m winner
I tried to get out on the first one and of course I jumped the gun. The second one I sat there and had to catch up at the end.
It feels good to get the cobwebs out.
Contact:
Vicky Oddi
Communications Coordinator
USA Track & Field
317-713-4670
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