Navigation
Familar Faces Will Head to Berlin World Championships: Top Billing for Team USA Distance Talent with Beijing Games Experience
Virginia Native, Beijing Gold Medalist LaShawn Merritt Defends His National 400m Title
From USA Track & Field
June 29, 2009
Eugene, OR
The final event of the 2009 USATF Outdoor Visa Championship Series, the USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships serves as the selection event for the 2009 World Outdoor Championships in Berlin, Germany, August 15-23. The meet was hosted by the University of Oregon at Hayward Field in Eugene, OR.
Thursday, June 25
Oregon Track Club member Any Yoder Begley thrilled the Hayward Field crowd in finishing third at the Olympic Trials last year, bettering the Olympic Games women's "A" qualifying standard in the process, and she brought an even bigger roar tonight as she won her first national championship and set a Hayward Field record.
Yoder Begley and 2008 Olympic 10,000m bronze medalist Shalane Flanagan traded the lead twice in the final lap, with Yoder Begley emerging as the victor in 31 minutes, 22.69 seconds, which is the #9 U.S. women's 10,000m time in history. Flanagan was the runner-up in 31:23.43. Both times shattered Flanagan's previous Hayward Field record time of 31:34.81, set in winning the 2008 Olympic Trials. 2008 Olympic Trials fourth-place finisher Katie McGregor punched her ticket for her third U.S. World Championships team with her third-place finish in 32:08.04.
Women's 10,000m Finals
1 Amy Begley                  Nike                 31:22.69
2 Shalane Flanagan            Nike                 31:23.43
3 Katie McGregor              Reebok               32:08.04
In his last ever race in a University of Oregon singlet, 2008 NCAA Cross Country champ, and 2009 5,000m and 10,000m winner Galen Rupp battled two-time Olympian Dathan Ritzenhein most of the way in the 10,000m final, until Rupp broke away with 150 meters to go before winning the race in 27:52.53.
Ritzenhein punched his ticket for a second World Outdoor Championship with his runner-up finish in 27:58.59, and Oregon TC Elite member and 2008 Olympic Trials tenth place finisher Tim Nelson finished third in 28:01.34
Men's 10,000m Finals
1 Galen Rupp                  Oregon               27:52.53
2 Dathan Ritzenhein           Nike                 27:58.59
3 Tim Nelson                  Oregon TC Elite      28:01.34
Friday, June 26
2008 Olympic Games 5,000m and 10,000m finalist Kara Goucher faced a strong challenge from fellow 2008 Olympian Jenn Rhines in the Nike Women's 5,000 meters.
It was a two-person race for most of the last five laps between Goucher and Rhines before Goucher took command for good with 250 meters left. Goucher captured the win and her second consecutive USA Outdoor 5,000m title in 15 minutes 20.94 seconds. Goucher, who earlier qualified for the Team USA Marathon Team that will compete at the 2009 World Championships, will compete only in the marathon in Berlin.
Rhines, who has now qualified for fourth U.S. World Championships team, finished second in 15:26.92 and 2009 NCAA Outdoor champion and University of Illinois standout Angela Bizzarri finished third in 15:33.02.
Women's 5000m Finals
1 Kara Goucher                Nike                 15:20.94
2 Jennifer Rhines             adidas               15:26.92
3 Angela Bizzarri             Illinois             15:33.02
The Hayward Field crowd was overjoyed to see three of its own take the top spots in the men's 5,000m final. 2007 World Outdoor Championships fourth-place finisher and 2008 Olympic Games finalist Matt Tegenkamp was first across the finish line in 13:20.57 in winning his first-ever USA Outdoor title.
Two-time NCAA Outdoor 5,000m champion Chris Solinsky had his best ever finish at a USA Outdoor Championship in finishing second in 13:20.82, and Evan Jager posted a personal best with his third place finish in 13:22.18. All of the top three finishers hail from Wisconsin.
Fifth-place finisher German Fernandez set a new U.S. Junior record with his time of 13:25.46, bettering the previous standard of 13:29.98 set by Stanford's Chris Derrick in May. A freshman at Oklahoma State, Fernandez won the 2009 NCAA 1,500m title earlier this month in Fayetteville, Ark.
Men's 5000m Finals
1 Matt Tegenkamp              Oregon TC Elite      13:20.57
2 Chris Solinsky              Oregon TC Elite      13:20.82
3 Evan Jager                  Oregon TC Elite      13:22.18
Saturday, June 27
2008 Olympic gold medalist LaShawn Merritt remained unbeaten this outdoor season, winning the Gatorade Men's U.S. 400m title. He competed at the 2007 World Outdoor Championships held in Osaka, Japan, where he was the Men's 400m silver medalist.
The #1 ranked quarter-miler in the world, LaShawn Merritt was in control of the race from start to finish as he captured his second-consecutive national men's 400m title in 44.50 seconds. Merritt's performance matches his world-leading time originally set on May 1 at Baie Mahault, France.
Men's 400m Finals
1 LaShawn Merritt             Nike                    44.50
2 Gil Roberts                 Texas Tech              44.93
3 Kerron Clement              Nike                    45.14
2008 Olympian Josh McAdams won his second career national title in the men's 3,000m steeplechase with his time of 8 minutes 29.91 seconds. 2008 Olympic Trials fifth-place finisher Dan Huling was the runner-up in 8:32.86 and 2008 Pac 10 champion Kyle Alcorn finished third in 8:34.65. Brigham Young University standout Kyle Perry finished fourth in 8:36.65.
Men's 3000m Steeplechase Finals
1 Joshua McAdams              New Balance           8:29.91
2 Daniel Huling               Reebok                8:32.86
3 Kyle Alcorn                 Nike                  8:34.65
2008 Olympic Trials champion and Olympic Games finalist Shannon Rowbury trailed Christin Wurth-Thomas until the final stretch before overtaking her and reaching the finish first in 4:05.07.
Wurth-Thomas made a mad dash in an attempt to steal the race, at one point leading by 30 meters, but ran out of gas over the final 200 meters and finishing as the runner-up in 4:06.00.2008 Olympic Trials 3,000m steeplechase champion and former national record holder in that event Anna Willard secured her place in Berlin by finishing third in 4:07.70.
Women's 1500m Finals
1 Shannon Rowbury             Nike                  4:05.07
2 Christin Wurth              Nike                  4:06.00
3 Anna Willard                Nike                  4:07.70
Sunday, June 28
American record holder Jenny Barringer, who won the 1,500m and 3,000m steeplechase at the 2009 NCAA Championships, took control of the women's 3,000m steeplechase final early on and cruised to her second U.S. title in this event with her time of 9 minutes 29.38 seconds.2008 Olympic Trials champion and former U.S. record holder Anna Willard was the runner-up in 9:35.01, with Bridget Franek posting a personal best time of 9:36.74 in finishing third in the race. 2008 Olympic Trials finalist and 2007 U.S. Championships runner-up Lindsey Anderson finished fourth in 9:36.74.
Women's 3000m Steeplechase Finals
1 Jennifer Barringer          Colorado              9:29.38
2 Anna Willard                Nike                  9:35.01
3 Bridget Franek              Penn State            9:36.74
Three-time Olympian Hazel Clark won her fifth career USA Outdoor 800m title and the fourth in the last five years by crossing the finish line first in this afternoon's final in 2:00.79.
Clark, who qualified for her fourth U.S. World Outdoor Championships team, finished ahead of two-time NCAA Outdoor champion from the University of Michigan Geena Gall (2nd-2:01.01), University of Tennessee standout Phoebe Wright (3rd-2:01.12) and 2005 NCAA Outdoor Championships runner-up Maggie Vessey (4th-2:01.19).
Women's 800m Finals
1 Hazel Clark                 Nike                  2:00.79
2 Geena Gall                  Oregon TC Elite       2:01.01
3 Phoebe Wright               Tennessee             2:01.12
Eugene area resident Nick Symmonds won the most dramatic race of last year's Olympic Trials at Hayward Field, and he continued his success here this afternoon in being named the Visa Athlete of the Meet following his dramatic win in the Nike Men's 800 meters.
Symmonds began the race in his customary place near the back of the pack before building a sizeable lead coming off the final turn. 2004 Olympian Khadevis Robinson, who finished fourth at last year's Olympic Trials, began closing on Symmonds down the stretch but didn't quite have enough to catch him. Symmonds edged Robinson at the finish, crossing the line first in 1:45.86. Robinson finished as the runner-up in 1:45.97, with former University of Washington standout and 2006 NCAA Outdoor champion Ryan Brown third in 1:46.67. Christian Smith, who finished third at last year's Trials, finished fourth at 1:46.92.
Men's 800m Finals
1 Nicholas Symmonds           Oregon TC Elite       1:45.86
2 Khadevis Robinson           Nike                  1:45.97
3 Ryan Brown                  Asics                 1:46.67
2008 Olympic Trials third-place finisher and 2007 NCAA champion Lopez Lomong won his first U.S. Outdoor title in holding off former University of Texas star Leonel Manzano in an exciting Nike Men's 1,500m final.
Lomong held the lead coming off the final turn and Manzano gave chase through to the finish. Although Manzano gained ground on his 2008 Olympic teammate, Lomong held on to win in 3:41.68, with Manzano finishing second in 3:41.82. 2009 NCAA Outdoor Championships fourth-place finisher Dorain Ulrey was third in 3:42.84, with 2008 NCAA Outdoor Champs runner-up Steven Pifer fourth in 3:44.21.
Men's 1500m Finals
1 Lopez Lomong                Nike                  3:41.68
2 Leonel Manzano              Nike                  3:41.82
3 Dorian Ulrey                Arkansas              3:42.84
See the USATF Web site for Complete Results
Comments