Sub 10 Second Tuesday - Kellie Wells
June 21, 2011 by David Pickett · 1 Comment
Track and Field is a series of falls and recoveries. USA hurdler, Kellie Wells can vouch for this, having suffered a hamstring injury in 2008, during the semifinals of the Olympic trials.
After a couple of down years, Wells has returned to the top spot. She won the USA indoor 60 hurdles title in February, with the third fastest time in history. Wells heads into the USA Championships this weekend, as the world leader in the 100 hurdles, with a season’s best time of 12.58.
PreRaceJitters caught up with Kellie to discuss her preparation for the USA Championships.
PreRaceJitters: You’re off to a fast start this season, having run a personal best time of 12.58 in the 100 hurdles, in Doha. How did you feel about your performance?
Kellie Wells: I was very pleased with the time that early in the season. I know my fitness is there so now we are just focusing on staying healthy and executing races correctly.
PreRaceJitters: Going into the meet did you think you would run so well?
Kellie Wells: Yes, we had been training well and preparing for the Diamond League series and we knew what type of times and training that would require.
PreRaceJitters: You’re obviously ahead of the game already. What’s different about this season than last season?
Kellie Wells: In 2008, I had a season ending injury and it kept me off of the track from the Olympic trials and the majority of 2009, so 2010 was my first year back and I was finding my rhythm. Now in 2011, I am finally healthy and back to my old self and training has come together this year. My coach asked for my patience thru my healing process and I believed in him and we are in a good place now.
PreRaceJitters: The championship season is around the corner. What are some things you’re doing in training to prepare?
Kellie Wells: We are making sure I am getting plenty of treatment, rest, and staying sharp and executing in practice. I’m keeping my mind calm and having fun with everything. I’m looking forward to the US championships!
PreRaceJitters: You’re the USA champion in the 60 hurdles. What did it mean to you to win the indoor title?
Kellie Wells: It was so wonderful to earn a US title, a lot of people don’t look at an indoor title as much to talk about, but I ran the third fastest time in US history and went on an undefeated season. It was my first title and it came at a great time. I’ve worked hard to be where I am and to see it come to life was amazing.
PreRaceJitters: How have you carried the momentum from indoors into outdoors?
Kellie Wells: Indoors made me hungry for outdoors! It made me want to go harder to see what my body could do. The fear of the hurdle is gone finally and I have let go of my ill feelings of getting hurt again and I’m having such a wonderful time.
PreRaceJitters: You’ve set the bar high this season. What will it take for you to maintain your presence at the top?
Kellie Wells: Just trusting in the lord and in the tools he has given me to do what I love to do.I have to do all I can to ensure my body stays healthy and not put too much pressure on myself. My main focus is to have fun and to do my best!
PreRaceJitters: Track and Field is a series of falls and recoveries. What is the biggest obstacle that you’ve had to overcome in your career so far?
Kellie Wells: In 2008, I tore my hamstring in the semifinals of the Olympics Trials. I had run my personal best of 12.58 and as I was slowing down I got a third degree tear in my hamstring and could not compete for over a year. I was in pain daily and couldn’t do what I loved. I contemplated quitting a few times, but my coach and my family kept my head on straight.
PreRaceJitters: Do you get pre-race jitters? If so, how do you overcome them?
Kellie Wells: LOL of course I do, but I welcome those feelings because they help me run faster. I love the Adrenalin rush!
PreRaceJitters: Looking ahead towards the USA championships… What are you looking to accomplish?
Kellie Wells: I just really want to make the US team. It would be my first team ever, and it means so much to me to make the US team. We have so much talent in our country, so to wear my flag on my chest would be an amazing honor!
PreRaceJitters: Thank you for your time and best wishes on the season.
David Pickett is a Contributing Editor at PreRaceJitters.com writing about the exploits of collegiate and elite track and field.
Kerron Clement looks to give the Visa Championship Series a boost in Boston
February 4, 2010 by Jay Hicks · Leave a Comment
Boston. (February 4, 2010)-Kerron Clement starts his season with a 60m race at the Reebok Boston Indoor, hoping to pick up in 2010 where he left off in 2009, when an old-and-improved form carried the 400m hurdler to victories at the U.S. Outdoor Nationals and World Championships.
In a break from recent history, Clement is set to run the indoor 60 meters. The world no.1 and La,Porte, Texas native is by trade a 400 meter hurdler, who is a threat whenever running an 400 but does not often compete at the shorter distance.
To say that all eyes will be on Clement would be an understatement. He is Pitt to track’s Clooney and seldom has the sport needed him more. Part of the problem for track is that more runners (David Oliver, Lolo Jones,) are simply choosing to run in more lucrative European races or all together skipping the indoor season to focus on the outdoor season.
Running in the 60m is reigning U.S. National Champion Michael Rodgers, 2004 Olympic Gold medalist Shawn Crawford, former NCAA great Walter Dix, and Daniel Bailey the 100m Antiguan national recorder holder.
But don’t sleep on the men’s 5000m that pits rookie Galen Rupp against the seasoned veteran in Bernard ‘Kip” Lagat. Coming off of one of the great careers in NCAA history, the former University of Oregon distance runner will face off against of the sports most consistent and accomplished distance runners. Lagat won a 1,500m silver medal at 2000 Olympic Games, and the silver medalist at the 2004 Olympic Games.
Sure, Rupp has competed at an elite level for several seasons now, the difference this is the first year of his professional track career.
Meet directors have been struggling to attract the top talent and the solution is unclear at this point.
Absences by the top American stars are tougher to stomach in the sprints. Clement will at least provide a reprieve, if not the the antecedote to sparsely populated fields and low visibility on the U.S. sports scene.
In an effort to draw a larger television audience, the 2010 Reebok Boston Indoor has been moved to Sunday, February 7, from 2-4pm EST on ESPN2.
The Boston Reebok Indoor contributed to this story.
1000m, Mile and 5000m All Strong in Boston
January 12, 2010 by Jay Hicks · Leave a Comment
Willis, Pierce and Rupp join Dibaba as distance headliners
BOSTON (Jan. 11) – Following in its tradition of delivering track fans world-class endurance races at the Reebok Boston Indoor Games, organizers announced additional athlete commitments for the 2010 event today. The athletes announced include Olympic Medalist Nick Willis, number one ranked American 800m runner Anna Pierce (née Willard) and former University of Oregon star Galen Rupp. They join the previously announced Double Olympic Champion, Tirunesh Dibaba from Ethiopia.
Willis, who in 2008 became New Zealand’s first male track athlete in 32 years to bring home an Olympic medal, returns to the track for his first international competition since suffering a season ending injury last March. A 2006 Commonwealth Games champion and national record-holder at 1500 meters, Willis also broke the New Zealand indoor mark and NCAA record for 3000 meters here in 2004 while competing for the University of Michigan. He won the 2009 Reebok Boston Indoor Games Mile in 3:53.54 and is travelling to Boston from his winter training base outside of Wellington, New Zealand.
Anna Pierce, whose 2009 campaign was one of the best seasons ever by an American middle distance or distance runner, will compete in the women’s 1000m. The winner of three IAAF Golden League events as well as at the World Athletics Final, she ranked #2 in the world at 800m. In addition to her success over 800m, Anna also established herself as the third fastest American in history at 1500m, with her time of 3:59.38. She finished 2009 with a top three US Ranking at 800m (1st), 1500m (3rd) and 3000m steeplechase (2nd). The current American Record of 2:34.19 was set by Jen Toomey in 2004.
Galen Rupp led the University of Oregon men to the their first indoor national team title and became the first person in NCAA history to win the 5,000 meters, 3,000m and the Distance Medley Relay in the same championship. During last year’s indoor campaign he also set the American Record at 5000m (13:18.12) and finished his NCAA career with an impressive six NCAA Titles. Rupp will line up at 5000m at this year’s Reebok Boston Indoor Games.
The 15th-annual Reebok Boston Indoor Games, the second stop in USA Track & Field’s Visa Championship Series, begins at 5:00 p.m. on Feb. 6 at the Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center at Roxbury Community College. Information is now available on-line at www.BostonIndoorGames.com. Follow us on Twitter at @BostonIndoor and become a fan on Facebook at www.bostonindoorgames.com/facebook. Tickets are available on-line or by calling 1-877-TIX-TRAC.
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