PreRaceJitters Weekend Review 5/2/11 - 5/8/11

The PreRaceJitters Weekend Review is a list of the top collegiate performances during the week by collegiate athletes for the week ending May 8, 2011.

The featured Performances were selected using qualifying standards to help identify some of the performances throughout the week.

Arkansas Twilight - May 6, 2011
Men’s
200-meter dash - Marek Nitt (Arkansas) 20.46
200-meter dash - LeShawn Butler (Arkansas) 20.68

Women’s
Pole Vault - Tina Sutej (Arkansas) 14′9.5″

Full Results

Atlantic 10 Conference Championships
Men’s
3000-meter Steeplechase - Travis Mahoney (Temple) 8:37.54

Women’s
3000-meter Steeplechase - Keara Thomas (Charlotte) 10:09.50
3000-meter Steeplechase - Nicol Traynor (Richmond) 10:11.20

Full Results

Bob Pollock Spring Invitational - May 7, 2011
Women’s
100-meter hurdles - Michaylin Golladay (Clemson) 13.09
Triple jump - Patricia Mamona (Clemson) - 46′2.75″

Full Results

Dick Taylor Tarheel Relays - May 7, 2011
Women’s
400-meter hurdles - Ti’erra Brown (Miami) 56.25

Full Results

Lone Star Conference Championships - May 6, 2011
Men’s
100-meter dash - Desmond Jackson (Abilene Christian) 10.10 +3.9w
200-meter dash - Desmond Jackson (Abilene Christian) 20.58 +3.9w

Full Results

MEAC Championships
Men’s
200-meter dash - Calvin Dascent (Morgan State) 20.66

Full Results

UCF Twilight Invitational - May 5, 2011
Women’s
100-meter hurdles - Jackie Coward (UCF) 13.10

Full Results

2011 College Conference Weekend

Live Results

Date: May 6 - 7 Lafayette College, Lafayette LA

Live Results

Date: May 5 - 8 Rider University Lawrenceville, New Jersey

Live Results

Date: May 5 -7 North Carolina A&T, Greensboro, NC

Live Results

Date: May 5 - 6 VCU Virginia Common University, Richmond, VA

Live Results

Date: May 7 - 8 Yale University, New Haven, Conn.

Live Results

Date: May 7 - 8 Duke University, Durham, NC

Live Results

Date: May 7 - 8 Monmouth University, West Long Branch, NJ

Live Results

Date: May 6 - 7 Des Moines, Iowa

Live Results

Date: May 6 - 8 Villanova, Villanova, PA

Live Results

Date: May 6 - 7 UC Irvine, Irvine, CA

Live Results

Date: May 7 - 8 UMBC, Baltimore, Md.

Live Results

Date: May 7 - 8 UNC Charlotte, Charlotte, NC

Live Results

Date: May 11 - 14 Colorado State, Ft. Collins, CO

Live Results

Date: May 11 - 14 Sacramento State, Sacramento, California

Live Results

Date: May 10 - 13 University of Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii

Live Results

Date: May 13 - 15 University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma

Live Results

Date: May 13 - 15 Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa

Live Results

Date: May 12 - 14 Utah State, Logan, State

Live Results

Date: May 12 - 15 Rice University, Houston, TX

Live Results

Date: May 12 - 15 Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL

Live Results

Date: May 12 - 15 University of Georgia, Athens, GA

Live Results

Date: May 13 - 15 Northwestern State, Natchitoches, La.

Live Results

Date: May 13 - 15 Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, TN

Live Results

Date: May 12 - 14 Sioux Falls, SD

Live Results

Date: May 13 - 15 Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, Iowa

PreRaceJitters Week In Review 4/25/11 - 5/1/11

The PreRaceJitters Week In Review is a list of the top collegiate performances during the week by collegiate athletes for the week ending May 1, 2011.

The featured Performances were selected using qualifying standards to help identify some of the performances throughout the week.

BCS Buster Track & Field Invitational - April 29 - May 1, 2011
Men’s
High jump - Brandon Childs (Wichita State) 7′1″

Full Results

Drake Relays - April 27 - 30, 2011
Men’s
100-meter dash - Rakieem Salaam (Oklahoma) 10.20
1500-meter run - Chris O’hare (Tulsa) 3:41.08
110-meter hurdles - Terence Somerville (Cincinnati) 13.48
110-meter hurdles - Keith Hayes (Kentucky) 13.76
400-meter hurdles - Eric Bailey (Oklahoma) 50.39
400-meter hurdles - Eric Lund (Nebraska) 50.59
400-meter hurdles - Cody Wisslead (Illinois) 50.73
4×100-meter relay - Illinois (Riley, Shogbuyi, Zinzer, Azie) 39.17
4×100-meter relay - Baylor (Boyd, Prevost, Randall, Hewitt) 39.19
4×100-meter relay - Texas-Arlington (Pettis, Gray, Lewis, Vaughn)
4×100-meter relay - Oklahoma (Anderson, Salaam, Pierson, Henry) 39.82
4×100-meter relay - Georgia (Lawrence, Adams, Maynard, Storey) 39.91
4×100-meter relay - Louisiana Tech (Richardson, Stewart, Goree, Hadnot)
4×400-meter relay - Baylor (Hewitt, Prevost, Barb, Boyd) 3:05.01
High jump - Erik Kynard (Kansas) 7′7″
High jump - Ricky Robertson (Mississippi) 7′5.75″
High jump - DJ Smith (Auburn) 7′3.25″
Long jump - Mike Hartfield (Ohio State) 26′1″
Long jump - Chris Phillips (Nebraska) 25′ 9.25″
Triple jump - Keenan Hall (Kentucky) 51′7″
Triple jump - Troy Doris (Iowa) 51′5″
Hammer - Justin Welch ( Georgia) 225′2
Hammer - Colin Dunbar (Long Beach St.) 219′1″
Hammer - Jeremy Postin (Florida) 216′11″
Shot put - Hayden Baillio (Texas) 64′0.25″
Shot put - Jacob Thormaehlen (Texas) 61′4.25″
Long jump - Marquise Goodwin (Texas) 26′3.5″
Long jump - Nicholas Gordon (Nebraska) 26′0″
Long jump - Will Claye (Florida) 25′10.25″
Long jump - Justin Hunter (Tennessee) 25′10.25″
Long jump - Tarik Batchelor (Arkansas) 25′6.75″
Long jump - Bryce Lamb (Texas Tech) 25′6.25″

Women’s
10000-meter run - Bridget Lyons (Georgia) 33:31.14
100-meter hurdles - Letecia Wright (Ohio State) 12.87
400-meter hurdles - Ryann Krais (Kansas State) 56.62
400-meter hurdles - Elahi Kianna (Iowa State) 56.73
400-meter hurdles - Sofie Persson (Mississippi) 57.56
4×100-meter relay - Baylor (McReynolds,Townsend, Bruce, Carr)  43.75
4×100-meter relay - Oklahoma (Wells, Anderson, Simmons, McGrone) 43.99
4×100-meter relay - Illinois (Morgan, Kelly, Smith, Robinson)
4×400-meter relay - Arkansas (George, Williams, Flowers, Hyter) 3:28.63
4×400-meter relay - Baylor (Richardson, Townsend, Ogunmokun, Bruce) 3:31.58
Pole vault - Natalie Willer (Nebraska) 14′1.25″
Long jump - Nina Kokot (Kansas State) 21′2.5″
Triple jump - Mara Griva (Nebraska) 43′3.75″
Shot put - Keely Medeiros (Florida) 56′ 7.5″
Discus - Keely Medeiros (Florida) 180′2″

Full Results

Double Dual (ASU-UA-NAU) - April 30 - May 1, 2011
Men’s
400-meter dash - Kelsey Caesar (Arizona State) 46.29
1500-meter run - Lawi Lalang (Arizona) 3:44.20
4×100-meter relay - Washington (McNeal, Alaka, Dunn, Hamilton) 39.93
High jump - Nick Ross (Arizona) 7′3″

Full Results

Fresno State Bulldog Invitational - April 30 - May 1, 2011
Men’s
200-meter dash - Jordan Taylor (Cal St. Bakersfield) 20.87

Full Results

Golden Eagle Classic - April 30, 2011
Men’s
100-meter dash - Justin Sims (Southern Miss.) 10.28

Full Results

Memphis Invitational - April 30 - May 1, 2011
Men’s
Triple jump - Jerome Leslie (Memphis) 51′0″

Full Results

Mean Green Twilight - April 29 - May 1, 2011
Women’s
Shot put - Ifeatu Okafor (Texas Tech) 55′8.5″

Full Results

Payton Jordan Invitational - May 1, 2011
Men’s
1500-meter run - Patrick Casey (Montana State) 3:41.34
1500-meter run - Jacob Boone - (Oklahoma) 3:42.40
1500-meter run - Raul Botezan - (Oklahoma State) 3:42.68
1500-meter run - Elkana Rotich (UTEP) 3:44.41
1500-meter run - German Fernandez (Oklahoma State) 3:44.18
5000-meter run - Thomas Farrell (Oklahoma State) 13:26.59
5000-meter run - Diego Estrada (Northern Arizona) 13:26.94
5000-meter run - Chris Derrick (Stanford) 13:29.74
5000-meter run - Ryan Hill (NC State St.) 13:31.67
5000-meter run - Joe Bosshard (Colorado) 13:34.57
5000-meter run - Jake Riley (Stanford) 13:39.49
5000-meter run - George Alex (Oklahoma) 13:40.73
5000-meter run - Kevin Schwab (Oklahoma) 13:40.81
5000-meter run - Luke Cragg (Adams State) 13:41.13
5000-meter run - Andy Wacker (Colorado) 13:41.49
5000-meter run - Kevin Williams (Oklahoma) 13:44.58
5000-meter run - Andrew Colley (NC State) 13:44.79
5000-meter run - Dan Chenoweth (Harvard) 13:45.92
5000-meter run - Miles Unterreiner (Stanford) 13:46.17
5000-meter run - Bill Kogel (Ohio State) 13:51.24

Women’s
100-meter hurdles - Kori Carter (Stanford) 13.12
800-meter run - Natalja Piliusina (Oklahoma State) 2:03.91
800-meter run - Stephaine Brown (Arkansas) 2:04.31
800-meter run - Violah Lagat (Florida State) 2:05.67
1500-meter run - Jordan Hasay (Oregon) 4:10.28
1500-meter run - Amanda Winslow (Florida State) 4:16.20
1500-meter run - Hannah Brooks (Florida State) 4:16.61
1500-meter run - Kristen Gillespie (Arkansas) 4:17.45
3000-meter steeplechase - Emma Coburn (Colorado) 9:40.51
3000-meer steeplechase - Rebeka Stowe (Kansas) 9:53.12
3000-meter steeplechase - Shalaya Kipp (Colorado) 10:03
3000-meter steeplechase - Claire Michel (Oregon) 10:04.65
5000-meter run - Risper Kimaiyo (UTEP) 15:48.14
5000-meter run - Ruth Senior (New Mexico) 15.48.29

Full Results

Penn Relays - April 28 - 30, 2011
Men’s
100-meter dash - Gabriel Mvumvure (LSU) 10.33
110-meter hurdles - Omo Osaghae (Texas Tech) 13.35
110-meter hurdles - Barrett Nugent (LSU) 13.70
110-meter hurdles - Wayne Davis II (Texas A&M) 13.80
4×100-meter relay - LSU (Talley, Williams, Walker, Mvumvure) 38.77
4×100-meter relay - Florida (Lovett, Taylor, Wilks, Demps) 40.00
4×400-meter relay - Texas A&M (Miller, Howell, Henry, Pinder) 3:01.73
4×400-meter relay - LSU (Simmons, Forte, Williams, Hylton) 3:02.33
4×400-meter relay - Texas Tech (Williams, Brathwaite, Mason, Roberts) 3:03.82
Triple jump - Omar Craddock (Florida) 54′0″
Triple jump - Chris Carter (Houston) 51′9.75″
Triple jump - David Wilson (Virginia Tech) 51′0″
Triple jump - Hanif Johnson (Penn State) 50′10.25″
Triple jump - Mark Jackson (Texas) 50′10.25″
Triple jump - Tarik Batchelor (Arkansas) 50′10″ 4
Triple jump - Lincoln Carr (South Carolina) 50′8.25″
Javelin - Brandon Heroux (William & Mary) 239′9″
Javelin - John Austin (Duke) 233′11″
Javelin - Andy Fahringer (Virginia) 233′6″
High jump - Maalik Reynolds (Penn) 7′3.25″
High jump - Dwight Barbiasz (Maryland) 7′2.25″
High jump - James Harris (Mississippi State) 7′2.25″
High jump - Geoff Davis (Purdue) 7′1″
High jump - Brede Ellingsen (Arkansas) 7′1″
High jump - Marcus Jackson (Mississippi St.) 7′1″
High jump - Ronnie Black (Virginia Tech) 7′1″

Women’s
100-meter dash - LaKya Brookins (South Carolina) 11.39
100-meter dash - Semoy Hackett (LSU) 11.43
100-meter dash - Kenyanna Wilson (LSU) 11.43
100-meter hurdles - Jasmin Stowers (LSU) 13.16
100-meter hurdles - Kierre Beckles (South Carolina) 13.20
100-meter hurdles - Natasha Ruddock (Texas A&M) 13.23
4×100-meter relay - Texas A&M (Mayo, Tarmoh, Duncan, Collier) 43.24
4×100-meter relay - LSU (Wilson, Hackett, Alexander, Duncan) 43.49
4×100-meter relay - Central Florida (Booker, Scott, Layne, Paul) 43,70
4×100-meter relay - Auburn (Atkins, Smith, Ferguson, Armbrister) 44.05
4×100-meter relay - Houston ( Reese, Harris, Floyd, Bolton) 44.11
4×100-meter relay - Clemson (Golladay, Wesh, Kendrick, Edgerson) 44.43
4×400-meter relay - Texas (Cooper, Nelson, Chambers, Malone) 3:30.08
4×400-meter relay - LSU (Alexander, McDermott, Day, Tate) 3:32.65

Full Results

Stan Lynos Invitational - April 30 - May 1, 2011
Women’s
Javelin - Melissa Fraser (DePaul) 169′9″

Full Results

USC vs UCLA - April 30 - May 1, 2011
Men’s
200-meter dash - Maxwell Dyce (UCLA) 20.79
800-meter dash - Cory Primm (UCLA) 1:48.18
110-meter hurdles - Oscar Spurlock (USC) 13.47
400-meter hurdles - Reggie Wyatt (USC) 50.38
4X100-meter relay - UCLA (Fraiser, Rolle, Dyce, Carroll) 39.94
4×100-meter relay - USC (Egbe, Hughes, Abram, Brown) 39.97
Triple jump - Jonathan Clark (UCLA) 16.02m
Hammer - Trey Henderson (USC) 66.62m
Hammer - Alec Faldermeyer (UCLA) 66.58m

Women’s
100-meter dash - Jessica Davis (USC) 11.24
100-meter dash - Aareon Payne (USC) 11.45
200-meter dash - Aareon Payne (USC) 23.14
200-meter dash - Jessica Davis (USC) 23.25
100-meter hurdles - Nia Ali (USC) 12.97
100-meter hurdles - Lauren Blackburn (USC) 13.22
400-meter hurdles - Turquoise Thompson (UCLA) 55.88
400-meter hurdles - Dalilah Muhammed (USC) 56.98
4X100-meter relay - USC (Laarman, Payne, Puterbaugh, Davis) 43.96
Hammer - Jenny Ozorai (USC) 64.70m

Full Results

UW-WSU Dual - April 29 - 30, 2011
Men’s
800-meter run - Joe Abbott (Washington St.) 1:48.23
Javelin - Joe Zimmerman ( Washington) 239′9″
Javelin - Kyle Nielsen (Washington) 239′2

Women’s
Javelin - Marissa Tschida (Washington St.) 178′11″

Full Results

The performance list compiled by David Pickett. Send corrections and new performances to David Pickett.

43 Second Wednesday: Wallace Spearmon Jr.

43 Second Wednesday: Wallace Spearmon Jr. from PreRaceJitters on Vimeo.

Ryan Wilson Texas Relays 2011

Ryan Wilson Texas Relays 2011 from PreRaceJitters on Vimeo.

Tiffany McReynolds - Texas Relays 2011

Tiffany McReynolds Texas Relays 2011 from PreRaceJitters on Vimeo.

43 Second Wednesday: Natasha Hastings

The 2011 Indoor season was healing. Therapeutic. It reminded Natasha Hastings why she left school a year early to go professional in 2007.

A handful of promising professionals seasons for the former University of South Carolina standout has produced an Olympic gold medal on the 4×400 relay in Beijing, but has not quite reached expectations in the open 400 meters.

That is until now.

Things are changing in Hastings’ individual race. This year, Natasha Hastings is not-so-quietly establishing herself, as one of the most versatile and consistent runners in the world.

She dropped 50.83 in the 400 meters winning the 2011 USA Indoor Nationals and  we sat down to discuss what is next for the New York native.

PRJ: Did it surprise you to see everything sort of come together during the 2011 indoor season?

NH: I certainly hoped for a great indoor, but I don’t know if I expected everything to happen as it did. I’m pleased with the indoor season, and I feel it is a great way to begin my outdoor season this year.

PRJ: What were your fall workouts like? What was different about this years offseason workouts?

NH: This year, I did my entire fall training with Coach Frye. Last year I didn’t begin training with Frye until December. So, this season we got to spend the entire off season working together. We spent a lot of time working on strength and speed endurance. We also did some work on speed development and technique.

PRJ: What was it like going back to your New York roots and running in front of the Millrose Games crowd?

NH: I was very excited to go back to Millrose this year. I hadn’t competed there since my senior year of high school, so it was a special treat to get back to the Garden. It’s always a fun experience to get back to New York, and to compete in front of my hometown crowd.

PRJ: What do your indoor performances say about what you are capable of doing in the 2011 outdoor season?

NH: I’m pretty excited about the outdoor based on the indoor, because when you compare this year to my best season back in 2007, you could say I’m right on pace or maybe even a little ahead of pace to run 49 [seconds] this year. The main focus at this point is to continue training hard, and to stay healthy.

PRJ: You’re mother the former Joanne Gardner was an elite track runner and has been with you at nearly every major meet in your career and now she serves as your agent. What influence does she have on your racing? Does she give you advice or feed back after races?

NH: She’s been very influential from day 1. She’s been to most, if not, all major meets in my career. Having been an athlete herself, she has some valuable advice and knows when to step back or even when to get involved. We do talk about my races, but she does leave the coaching part up to Coach Frye.

PRJ: Has your relationship changed at all now that your mother is also your agent?

NH: The relationship hasn’t changed much now that she is my agent. It is a little different being that she is a lot more hands-on with my career. But so far the transition has been pretty smooth.

PRJ: You are back training with Curtis Frye in Columbia, South Carolina. Why change locations/training programs/coaches now?

NH: The change kind of came about by accident. I was back in Columbia finishing up my last semester of school. I was in the library studying one night, and just thought maybe it would be a good idea to stay in Columbia and train with Frye.

The previous two seasons weren’t the successful seasons that I had hoped for, and I knew this was a situation that in the past did work for me. So, I took about a week to really think through the decision. Then I asked to meet with Coach Frye, and asked that he would coach me again. We started training the following Monday.

PRJ: Looking at your outdoor 400 meters for 2011. What can you and Coach Frye do better this spring and summer to improve your race?

NH: We’ve particularly been working on my speed development. One thing we’ve realized over the years of working together is that the faster my 200 the faster my 400 will be.

When I’m able to run a 22 second 200, I’m way more confident about going out in 23 seconds, so speed is something that is very important to the set up of my 400.

PRJ: You get out pretty quickly in the open 400 meters and recently at the Pepsi Florida Relays you dropped 22.7 - a world leading time. What does it do for your 400, when you can turn it over that well in the open 200 meters?

NH: This as I said before is a great confidence booster for me. It’s especially exciting to be this close to my 200 pr so early in the season. So, for me it speaks volumes for what’s to come in my 400.

PRJ: What is your racing schedule for the 2011 outdoor season?

NH: Tentatively, TX relays this weekend. Next weekend, I will be opening up in the 400 at Auburn University, and then we head to Penn Relays at the end of the month.

PRJ: From top to bottom, describe the depth in women’s 400 meter field?

NH: The 400 is DEEP in the US. We have Sanya Richards, Allyson Felix, Debbie Dunn, and Dee Dee Trotter who have all run under 50 seconds. Mary Wineberg is having a great season so far, and of course Francena McCrory has already run 50.5 for the season.

I honestly think it will take 49 low to make top three at the US Nationals this year. We have some amazing talent here.

PRJ: The last couple seasons have not gone as you’ve wanted and this is a world championship year. What are your goals and do you want to send a message that you still have “it”?

NH: I think I’ve already sent the message that I still have it. I’ve come pretty close to my pr’s indoor, and getting off to a fast start this outdoor. But like I said earlier, I just want to stay focused on my training and stay healthy. With that, everything else should fall into place on its own.

PRJ: You have received attention for dating professional football player William Gay of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Who would win a 400 meter race between you?

NH: I hope I’m not receiving attention because of who I’m dating LOL. But I’d like to think I can take him in the 400.

PRJ: Do you still get prerace jitters?

NH: Before every single race!

PRJ: Thanks for your time and best wishes!

Jay F. Hicks blogs about track and field and serves as PreRaceJitter’s Editor-In-Chief .  You can find him on Twitter.

What Would I Do Without PreRaceJitters?

At the end of last season, there were plans of expanding operations, providing more coverage. Then the decision was made to shut down PreRaceJitters.com.

A second child on the way, new career opportunities that pull on the energy, and focus to continue running the online magazine, combined with frustration with the sport’s overall direction were good enough reasons to let it go.

My plate was too full. For the last four years, I’ve written countless columns, published dozens upon dozens of podcasts, and traveled the country interviewing some of elite track and field’s best known and most entertaining figures.

Selfish me. Selfish me.

Call it a Generation Me problem.

But then I began to think back to how it all got started. Four years ago when I first started writing, I lived in Las Vegas with the seemingly impossible idea of bringing a different media perspective on track and field to fans focusing on sprinting and commentary.

The majority of my professional career had been spent in the banking industry.

I started writing and creating the sort of track product that I want to consume. I began learning new things like blogging and social media which allows a person with a minimum investment to run a media platform from their home that ten years ago essentially took thousands if not hundred of thousands to create.

PreRaceJitters will continue operating with a goal to be more social and to give more to the sport- for example, by giving budding writers the unique chance to actually connect, to write, to produce something and send it out to the world. That’s what PreRaceJitters has done for me.

I’d stay up all night plotting the next interview, or meet coverage, or the editing the next PreRaceJitter.com Podcast episode with partner John W. Davis. I’d stay up until 3 or 4 am in the hotel lobby uploading videos at the Adidas Track Classic in Carson, California.

I can’t let the online track and field website go to the dust. From Los Angeles to Little Rock to Austin Texas, PreRaceJitters has been like a friend, always there, always giving me a chance to write, to share my voice, to connect to others. And for that I’m eternally grateful.

Where would I be without PreRaceJitters?

Without PreRaceJitters, I’d probably not have a full-time career in new media within the broadcast industry. I’d be in the banking industry helping finance other people’s dreams, but not living my own dream.

The Big Ten Network would have never called me to provide commentary on Jesse Owens for the Big Ten Icon series. I’d never have met the countless college coaches and athletes whose relationships are so incredible. I’d never have interviewed Tyson Gay and gone on to write that he would eventually beat Usain Bolt.

I would not have come back to writing.

I would have never moved my wife and son back to Texas and returned to school earning a web design and development degree.

I would never have started a summer camp teaching inner city and rural high school kids about building websites and careers available in technology.

I would not have reconnected a relationship with my best friend.

The process of looking back to the early days of PreRaceJitters has put its impact on my life into perspective. Every friendship, every job, every step in my life since 2006 can be traced back to a point with PreRaceJitters.

And just now, I am like a young man training for a marathon, realizing it’s about the journey, not the final destination, and looking forward at the new, exciting road ahead of endless possibilities.

Thank you so much readers for a great first four years, and I hope you will stick around for 30 more years of covering the sport.

What do you think?

If you have questions or comments…let me know in the comments.

Jay F. Hicks is Editor-In-Chief and blog regularly about track and field. You can find him on Twitter.

Video: Marshevet Myers catches up after London victory

Marshevet Myers in London (ENG) from FusionSports on Vimeo.

Marshevet Myers talks about winning her heat in a time of 10.99 before taking the finals in 11.01 while running into a slight headwind. What’s up next for the Texas Longhorn? Myers is set run the 100m in Zurich, Switzerland on Thursday, August 19th, 2010 at 1:30pm.

Tyson Gay is spectacular in London

London (August 13, 2010)- After all the questions about Tyson Gay’s health entering the London Aviva Diamond League Series against a talented field with Richard Thompson and Walter Dix, it seemed like the he might be doomed. Um, nope.

Tyson Gay roared to a world-leading win in the men’s 100m Friday night at the Aviva London Grand Prix, part of the Samsung Diamond League.

Gay shot out of the blocks and blazed down the straight to win the sprint in 9.78 seconds, despite the slight headwind (-.04mps), clipping .04 off the previous world lead. Jamaica’s Yohan Blake, the only other athlete to break 10 seconds, finished as the runner-up in a personal best 9.89.

In the women’s 100m hurdles, Sally Pearson (AUS) was first out of the blocks and held the lead until the mid-way point when Canada’s Priscilla Lopes-Schliep kicked into high gear to take the lead. Reigning USA Outdoor champion Lolo Jones tried to stay with the pair but wound up third in 12.66 to Lopes-Schliep’s world-leading 12.52 and Pearson’s 12.61. 2010 NCAA 100m- and 400m hurdle champion Queen Harrison was fourth in 12.69.

Despite a sluggish start in the women’s 200m, three-time World Outdoor champion Allyson Felix stormed around the curve and into the lead, running away with the win in 22.37. Her nearest competitor, Debbie Ferguson-McKenzie (BAH), was over half a second back in 22.88. Felix will be looking for a repeat win tomorrow in the 400m.

In the men’s 400m hurdles, it was a battle down the final stretch between 2009 World Outdoor bronze medalist Bershawn Jackson and the World Outdoor silver medalist, Javier Culson (PUR). Running even off the final turn, Jackson used his signature kick to edge out Culson, winning the race in 48.12 to Culson’s 48.17.

Reigning World Indoor champion Bernard Lagat won the men’s 3,000m, breaking clear in the home straightaway to beat local favorite and two-time European champion Mo Farah of Britain. Lagat crossed the line in 7:40.36 to Farah’s 7:40.75. Two-time USA Outdoor 10,000m champion Galen Rupp finished fifth in a personal best 7:43.24.

In the men’s 800m, Andrew Wheating chased two-time World Indoor champion Abubaker Kaki down the final straight, but was unable to catch him, finishing as the runner-up in a personal best 1:44.56 to Kaki’s 1:44.38. Nick Symmonds finished third in 1:45.28.

In the field, American record holder Kara Patterson took second in the women’s javelin with a best effort of 63.41m/208. In the men’s pole vault, 2008 Olympic fourth-place finisher Derek Miles was the runner-up with a soggy clearance of 5.61m/18-4.75 while 2007 World Outdoor champion Brad Walker took fourth in 5.51m/18-1.

Live Results

USA Track a& Field contributed to this report.

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