Doug Logan on LaShawn Merritt’s positive test for ‘male enhancement’ drug

Press Release by USA Track and Field

Indianpolis (April 22) - “We understand that Mr. Merritt’s case is still ongoing with the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, and USATF awaits USADA’s decision on the case. Any professional athlete in this sport knows that they are solely responsible for anything that goes into their bodies.

For Mr. Merritt to claim inadvertent use of a banned substance due to the ingestion of over-the-counter supplements brings shame to himself and his teammates. Thanks to his selfish actions, he has done damage to our efforts to fight the plague of performance-enhancing drugs in our sport.

“Mr. Merritt has been an integral part of Team USA and the sport in this country. He has now put his entire career under a cloud and in the process made himself the object of jokes. In this day and age, a professional athlete should know better. Personally, I am disgusted by this entire episode.”

Queen Harrison named Athlete of the Week

INDIANAPOLIS - Virginia Tech’s Queen Harrison has been named USA Track & Field’s Athlete of the Week after winning both the women’s 100m and 400m hurdles Friday at the Florida Relays in Gainesville, Fla.

A 2008 Olympian, Harrison broke her own school record in the 100m hurdles, running a world-leading time of 12.65 seconds to win the event on Friday. Harrison previously held the school record of 12.70, set in 2008. Later that day, Harrison won the 400-meter hurdles in 56.06, the fastest time by an American so far this year. Harrison also ran the lead-off leg of the 4×400m relay, which ran 3:33.15 and finished third overall.

Now in its ninth year, USATF’s Athlete of the Week program is designed to recognize outstanding performers at all levels of the sport. USATF names a new honoree each week and features the athlete on the USATF website. Selections are based on top performances and results from the previous week.

Winners: January 13, Jen Clayton; January 20, Shalane Flanagan; January 27, Nolan Shaheed; February 3, Bernard Lagat; February 10, Bernard Lagat; February 17, Shalane Flanagan; February 24, Amber Campbell; March 3, Amber Campbell; March 10, Phil Raschker; March 17, Ashton Eaton; March 31, Lisa Koll; April 7, Queen Harrison.

BEST MARKS WEEK ENDING APRIL 4

MEN

100 - 10.11 Jeff Demps (Florida) - Gainesville, FL 4/2
200 - 20.47 Evander Wells (Tennessee) - Gainesville, FL 4/2
400 - 45.55 Christian Taylor (Florida) - Gainesville, FL 4/2
800 - 1:47.75 Sharif Webb (Kentucky) - Gainesville, FL 4/2
1500 - 3:43.72 Justin Taylor (Florida) - Gainesville, FL 4/2
3000SC - 8:49.95 Trevor Van Ackeren (Princeton) - Princeton, NJ 4/2
5000 - 13:53.09 Colin Leak (William & Mary) - Williamsburg, VA 4/2
110H - 13.32 David Oliver (Nike) - Gainesville, FL 4/2
400H - 49.52 Johnny Dutch (South Carolina) - Gainesville, FL 4/2
HJ - 2.31/7-7 Andra Manson (Nike) - Austin, TX 4/3
PV - 5.71/18-8.75 Jason Colwick (Rice) & Jordan Scott (Kansas) - Austin, TX 4/3
LJ - 7.77/25-6 Allen Simms (unat) - Lynchburg, VA 4/3
TJ - 16.64/54-3.25 Zuheir Sharif (Texas A&M) - Austin, TX 4/3
SP - 20.31/66-7.75 Cory Martin (Nike) - Auburn, AL 4/3
DT - 65.98/216-6 Jason Young (unat) - Abilene, TX 4/1
HT - 72.56/238-1 Jake Freeman (NYAC) - Princeton, NJ 4/3
JT - 74.90/245-9 Sam Humphreys (Texas A&M) - Austin, TX 4/3
Dec - 8310w Ashton Eaton (Oregon) - Austin, TX 4/1

WOMEN

100 - 11.13 Gabby Mayo (Texas A&M) - Austin, TX 4/3
200 - 22.92 Francena McCorory (Hampton) - Gainesville, FL 4/2
400 - 51.42 Shana Cox (adidas) - Gainesville, FL 4/2
800 - 2:06.34 Devotia Moore (Duke) - Durham, NC 4/2
1500 - 4:18.29 Phoebe Wright (Tennessee) - Gainesville, FL 4/2
3000SC - 10:28.20 Hannah Moen (Arizona) - Tucson, AZ 4/3
5000 - 16:12.05 Kim Ruck (Clemson) - Gainesville, FL 4/2
100H - 12.65 Queen Harrison (Virginia Tech) - Gainesville, FL 4/2
400H - 56.06 Queen Harrison (Virginia Tech) - Gainesville, FL 4/2
HJ - 1.89/6-2.25 Brigetta Barrett (Arizona) & Epley Bullock (Nebraska) - Tucson, AZ 4/3
PV - 4.27/14-0 Natalie Willer (Nebraska) - Tucson, AZ 4/3
LJ - 6.40/21-0 Mindy McClurkin (BYU) - Austin, TX 4/2 & April Sinkler (Clemson) - Gainesville, FL 4/2
TJ - 13.38/43-10.75 Deanna Young (New Mexico) - Austin, TX 4/3
SP - 16.95/55-7.5 Karen Shump (Oklahoma) - Austin, TX 4/3
DT - 59.39/194-10 Aretha Thurmond (Nike) - Auburn, AL 4/3
HT - 69.46/227-11 Amber Campbell (Nike) - Durham, NC 4/2
JT - 56.71/186-0 Marissa Tschida (Washington State)- Austin, TX 4/3
Hept - 5937 Bettie Wade (Nike)- Tucson, AZ 4/2

Press Release by USA Track & Field

Palmiero-Winters, Bizzarri named Sullivan Award finalists

NEW YORK - Two runners are among six finalists for the AAU Sullivan
Award. An inspiring athlete, Team USA member, mother and
ultramarathoner, Amy Palmiero-Winters of Hicksville, N.Y., on Monday was
named a finalist, as well as multi-time NCAA champion and Honda Award
winner Angela Bizzarri of the University of Illinois.

Other
finalists for the prestigious honor include University of South Florida
soccer player Zach Boggs, luger Erin Hamlin, Penn State volleyball
player Megan Hodge and West Point baseball player Clint Moore.

The
winner of the AAU Sullivan Award will be announced April 14 at the New
York Athletic Club. The Award annually honors the outstanding amateur
athlete in the USA. Presented since 1930, the Sullivan also is based on
leadership, character, sportsmanship and the ideals of amateurism. Track
and field athletes have won the Sullivan Award more than athletes from
any other sport. Past winners include National Track & Field Hall of
Famers Carl Lewis, Bruce Jenner, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Joan Benoit
Samuelson, Mary Decker, Michael Johnson, Florence Griffith-Joyner, Rafer
Johnson, Frank Shorter and Edwin Moses.

The first amputee ever
named to a USA national team, Palmiero-Winters’ year was culminated and
highlighted by the “Race to the Future” on New Year’s Eve, in which she
beat all able-bodied male and female finishers. Covering 130.04 miles in
the 24-hour race, her performance qualified her for the Team USA roster
at the 2010 International Association of Ultrarunners’ 24-hour Run
World Championship, to be held in Brive, France on May 13-14, 2010.

Competing
in no fewer than 10 ultra-distance races in 2009, Winters also won the
women’s division at the Heartland 100 Mile in October, earning USATF
Athlete of the Week honors. She became the first amputee to qualify for
Western States 100 mile ultra marathon and was the first amputee to run
the Mount Washington Race.

Palmiero-Winters is a single mother of
two who works as a youth fitness director, coach and motivational
speaker. She is particularly devoted to working with children who are
recovering from amputations. After a 1997 motorcycle accident and 27
surgeries, Palmiero-Winters had her left leg amputated below the knee.
She has subsequently become a single-leg below-the-knee amputee world
record holder in over a dozen events, including the marathon and Ironman
distance triathlon.

Named the National Cross Country Athlete of
the Year by the USTFCCCA, Bizzarri was a surprise winner at the 2009
NCAA Cross Country Championships in Terre Haute, Indiana. The University
of Illinois standout won the national crown in 19 minutes, 46 seconds
and took the Honda Award for cross country as well as the Dick Eddelman
Award as the University of Illinois’ Female Athlete of the Year. Earlier
in the year, Bizzarri won the 5,000m at the 2009 NCAA Outdoor Track
& Field Championships, besting the field by almost 10 seconds with
her winning time of 16:17.94. She went on to finish third at the USA
Outdoor Championships in 15:33.02.

Press Release by USA Track and Field.

Distance Gala Weekly, March 29 - April 4

By Scott Bush

March 29 – April 4

The first big meet weekend of the outdoor season took place this past weekend, with large meets in Texas, Alabama and Florida. Some of the nation’s best distance runners unleashed their talents, piling up some tremendous results. See what took place in this week’s Distance Gala Weekly.

The Top Five

There are some athletes, who every time out, seem to put up a noteworthy performance. This past weekend saw four of those individuals come up big, showing why they’re the best in the country.

5. Blacksburg (VA) – Running the top 4×800m relay time in the country over the weekend, Blacksburg (VA) showed why they will be a force come New Balance Nationals later this season. At the Bradford Relays (VA), Blacksburg won the girls 4×800m relay in 9:09.39, while also winning the 4×1,600m relay in 20:52.06.

4. Craig Lutz (Jr., Marcus, TX) – It was only a matter of time before Craig Lutz put up an eye catching performance this season. On Friday evening, Lutz did just that, winning the 3,200m run at the Texas Relays in a US#2 time of 8:58.71. Lutz outkicked Texas rival Ryan Dohner (Sr., Klein Oak, TX), as Dohner ran a US#3 mark of 8:59.14. Showing how deep the state of Texas is in distance running, a total of five athletes dipped under 9:10 in the race.

3. Cory McGee (Sr., Pass Christian, MS) – After a strong indoor season, Cory McGee kicked off her final outdoor track and field season, winning the mile at the Mobile Challenge of Champions (AL) in a US#1 time of 4:49.76. Using her patented final kick, McGee pulled away from the strong field, showing once again why she is one of the best middle-distance runners in the country. Emma Brink (Jr., Sacred Heart, KY) earned a new personal best of 4:52.51 to place second.

2. Tyler Anyan (Sr., Brookwood, GA) – The improvement Tyler Anyan has made this season is inspiring. The Brookwood H.S. senior put up another great performance this past weekend at the Florida Relays, besting his teammate Carter Hewitt (Sr., Brookwood, GA) in the final strides of the 1,600m, crossing the finish 4:12.43-4:12.50.3,200m earlier in the week 8:57.73 at the Gwinnett County Championships, Florida Relays 1,600m 4:12.43, beat teammate Carter Hewitt 4:12.50.

Not to be forgotten, Anyan ran a US#1 time earlier in the week (on Monday), running 8:57.73 at the Gwinnett County Championships, becoming the first runner to dip under the 9-minute barrier this season for 3,200m.

1. Chelsey Sveinsson (Jr., Greenhill, TX) – Well, Chelsey Sveinsson was at it again, this time putting up some tremendous performance marks at the Texas Relays. A week after running a US#1 mark for 1,600m, Sveinsson came back to the annual showcase of talent at the University of Texas, putting up a US#1 mark for 3,200m, winning the event by over 30 seconds in 10:07.75. Leading from start to finish, Sveinsson dominated and put on quite the show. On Saturday, the Texas junior doubled back to win the 1,600m event, crossing the finish line in 4:51.33.

Midwest Distance Gala – “Bringing the Best to the Midwest”

On Saturday, June 12, the sixth annual Midwest Distance Gala will take place at Benedictine University in Lisle, IL. With registration opening in less than two weeks, things are starting to heat up for this annual showcase of talent.

In 2009, runners from across the country took part, with some amazing results occurring. Rhode Island’s Andrew Springer won the boy’s mile in 4:02.70, a time that ranked him US#1 for the season, while earning the second fastest mile time in event history (#1 being Rob Finnerty’s 4:01.09 from 2008).

Also of note, Illinois’ Lukas Verzbicas ran a gutsy race, outkicking Foot Locker champion Solomon Haile in the two mile, running a new national freshman record of 8:53.98.

While last year’s event was the best collection of talent in Gala history, 2010 is shaping up to be even better, with many nationally ranked athletes already showing interest. With just over two months to the Gala, make sure to check out the event website, Twitter and Facebook accounts, as news and information starts to be released. See you in June!

Distance Gala Website / Distance Gala Twitter / Distance Gala Facebook

Articles of Interest

World XC: Emily Sisson’s Daily Blog (MileSplit)

World XC: Walter Schafer’s Daily Blog (MileSplit)

Interval Session with Chloe Curtis (Dyestat)

Would it Benefit You to Eat Like a Kenyan (Running Times)

Rising Expectations: An Interview with Dorian Ulrey (Windy City Running)

A Brief Chat with Garrett Heath (Runner’s World)

To submit an article or results to Distance Gala Weekly please contact Scott Bush at: scott@midwestdistancegala.com
The Midwest Distance Gala is one of the premier post-season high school track competitions in the United States. Through strong competition and a professional environment, the Midwest Distance Gala has continued a steady rate of growth and success. The fifth edition of the event takes place on Saturday, June 13, 2009, at Benedictine University in Lisle, Illinois. For more information please visit the Midwest Distance Gala website at www.midwestdistancegala.com. To receive more Midwest Distance Gala info follow us on twitter.

Distance Gala Weekly Copyright © 2010 Midwest Distance Gala, Inc. Printed with permission.

BERNARD LAGAT, JESSICA ENNIS TO COMPETE IN NEW YORK

NEW YORK (April 1, 2010) — Newly crowned world indoor champions Bernard Lagat of the United States and Jessica Ennis of Great Britain as well as American record-holder Hyleas Fountain will ride the wave of their recent successes when they compete at the adidas Grand Prix on June 12, organizers announced Thursday. The adidas Grand Prix, held at Icahn Stadium on Randall’s Island, will be the fifth stop on the inaugural 14-meet, international Diamond League circuit.

Lagat joins previously announced sprint king Usain Bolt, the Olympic and World champion at 100 and 200 meters and world record holder in both events, as the featured athletes in their respective events, the 1500 and 100m. The golden girl of British Athletics, Ennis will face-off against Fountain, the Olympic heptathlon silver medalist, in a special multi-event challenge featuring the long jump, shot put, and 100m hurdles. The adidas Grand Prix will be Ennis’ U.S. debut, and it will be Fountain’s first appearance.

“Winning the world indoor title gives me a load of confidence heading into the summer, and now what a great opportunity it is for the multis to be included within the adidas Grand Prix’s Diamond League structure,” Ennis said. “This meet is known for producing great results, and I’m excited to use the energy and support of the New York City crowd in making my U.S. debut.”

Lagat, 35, of Tucson, Ariz., captured his second world indoor title in the 3000m at the IAAF World Indoor Championships in Doha in early March, making him the first U.S. champion in the event. The victory brings his career World Championship medal count to eight—four of them gold. A two-time Olympic medalist, Lagat most recently made history in New York, winning his record eighth Wanamaker Mile at the Millrose Games in Madison Square Garden in January.

Ennis, 24, is dubbed the world’s greatest female athlete after becoming the first British woman to win both indoor and outdoor world titles in 2009 and 2010. She was victorious in the pentathlon in Doha, and just seven months prior, Ennis dominated in similar fashion at the IAAF World Outdoor Championships in Berlin, setting a personal best in becoming the world heptathlon champion.

Fountain, 29, of Kettering, Ohio, also had a stellar performance in Doha, finishing fourth in the pentathlon and equaling the American record of 4,753 set in 1999 by DeeDee Nathan. It was an encouraging performance for Fountain, who was forced to miss the World Outdoor Championships last summer due to an injury after winning the Olympic silver medal in Beijing a year earlier.