Chaunte Lowe after her 1.98m clearance in Albuquerque (© Kirby Lee)
Chaunte Lowe and Jesse Williams posted U.S. leading marks in the women’s and men’s High Jump to highlight the first day of the USA Indoor Championships at the Albuquerque Convention Center on Saturday (27).
Lowe cleared 1.98m for her first PB since the 2005 World outdoor silver medallist gave birth to her daughter in 2007. Williams jumped 2.34m to top a competition where the top three finishers were over 2.31m in a hotly contested meeting to determine the U.S. team for the IAAF World Indoor Championships in Doha, Qatar on 12-14 March.
Lowe narrowly misses meet record
Lowe was perfect through her first three heights of 1.83m, 1.89m, 1.95m and 1.98m to eclipse her previous indoor career best of 1.96m set in Arnstadt on 6 Feb to win the competition over Deirdre Mullen and Raeven Harris, who were second and third at 1.86m.
Lowe then had the bar raised to 2.01m in an effort to tie the record set by Tisha Waller in 1998. On the third attempt, Lowe appeared to have cleared, only to watch it slip off when she began her celebration.
"I knew I was over it. I felt it," Lowe said. "Maybe I got a little lazy and didn’t kick my heel enough. I definitely didn’t feel like I touched (the bar) or anything. When it came down it shocked me. I was happy to get that much height over it."
A clearance would have been particularly sentimental for Lowe. Lowe and Waller were former training partners under coach Nat Page. Waller’s accomplishments were among the factors that Lowe chose to attend Georgia Tech for college to train with Page.
"It’s a personal thing," Lowe said. "That’s why I didn’t go for 2.02m. I wanted to get my name by (Waller) in the records."
Williams Overcomes Setback from 2009
For Williams, the height of 2.31m had been a mental block after he failed to clear it at last summer’s outdoor championships, dropping him from first to fourth and out of the World Championships.
In Albuquerque, Williams was again in fourth place when the bar was raised to 2.31m. Williams cleared it on his first try and went on to scale 2.34m and move into second on the yearly list.
Dusty Jonas and Andra Manson finished second and third, both at 2.31, with Jaime Nieto in fourth at 2.28m.
"I give it to those guys," Williams said about Jonas and Manson. "It was a great competition. It was an honor to be part of it, especially to win."
It’s been a whirlwind week for Williams, 26, who was inducted into the USC Track & Field Hall of Fame at his alma mater on 21 Feb in Los Angeles. Williams, now a Eugene resident, trained at USC during the week before traveling to Albuquerque for the USA Indoor Championships.
Williams took one attempt at 2.37m in attempt to equal the world-leading mark by Ivan Ukhov of Russia but passed on his final two attempts to rest a strained tendon just below his right ankle on his takeoff leg.
"It’s hard to stop jumping because I’m a competitor, even when it’s just myself," Williams said. "Sometimes you have to be smart, that’s what the USC degree got me."
Lagat and Baillie prevail in tactical 3000s
The 1600m altitude may have been a boost for Lowe and Williams in the High Jump but they resulted in tactical races in the men’s and women’s 3000m.
Bernard Lagat won the men’s race in 8:12.60 over Galen Rupp (8:13.49) and Chris Solinsky (8:13.85) after taking the lead with just over a lap to go.
Rene Metivier Baillie led from the start and opened up nearly a 100m lead before weathering a furious charge by Sara Hall and Shannon Rowbury over the final 200m to win over Hall, 9:14.90 to 9:14.92. Rowbury, who will run in today’s 1500m final, was third in 9:15.41.
McLain and Willis Win First indoor Triple Jump titles
Erica McLain and Lawrence Willis each won their first indoor national titles in the Triple Jump but in opposing fashion.
McLain won the competition on her first jump with a 14.06m leap to defeat 2008 and 2009 champion Shakeema Welsch (13.73m). It was the only legal jump for McLain, who passed the five remaining rounds with leg cramps.
Willis, who missed the 2009 season because of injury, needed all six attempts before he bounded 16.86m to overtake 2009 indoor and outdoor champion Brandon Roulhac (16.72m) on his last jump.
The U.S. will have a veteran duo in Doha in the Pole Vault with Tim Mack and Derek Miles, both age 37, who finished first and second at 5.70m.
Amber Campbell won her fourth consecutive title in the women’s weight throw with a heave of 24.70m, the third farthest throw of all time. A.G. Kruger won his sixth national title in the men’s event with a toss of 24.99m.
Seaman Wins 43rd National Title in Race Walk
Tim Seaman won the 5000m Race Walk in 20:57.47 for his 43rd career national Race Walk title – the second most in U.S. annals behind Ron Laird’s 65.
Seaman, a five-time 20km national champion, has won 12 of the last 13 U.S. Indoor titles.
Qualifying rounds
Trell Kimmons (6.56), Ivory Williams (6.56) and Michael Rodgers (6.57) were heat winners in the men’s 60m. Leroy Dixon was disqualified for a false start but ran under protest although he was not reinstated.
Dexter Faulk and David Oliver had the fastest times in the 60m Hurdles with a 1-2 finish 7.57 and 7.61 in their heat to move onto the semifinals. Terrence Trammell was also a heat winner in 7.62.
Anna Pierce and Nick Symmonds were the fastest qualifiers in the women’s and men’s 800m in 2:03.17 and 1:47.59, respectively.
In the women’s 400m, Dee Dee Trotter (51.79) and Debbie Dunn (52.17) were the top qualifiers. Allyson Felix was a heat winner in 53.09 for the No. 7 mark. Tavaris Tate, a freshman at Mississippi State, had the top men’s 400m time at 45.89. Kerron Clement (46.88) and Bershawn Jackson (46.32) were other heat winners.
Kirby Lee for the IAAF
Click Here for complete Day 1 (27) results
Lowe cleared 1.98m for her first PB since the 2005 World outdoor silver medallist gave birth to her daughter in 2007. Williams jumped 2.34m to top a competition where the top three finishers were over 2.31m in a hotly contested meeting to determine the U.S. team for the IAAF World Indoor Championships in Doha, Qatar on 12-14 March.
Lowe narrowly misses meet record
Lowe was perfect through her first three heights of 1.83m, 1.89m, 1.95m and 1.98m to eclipse her previous indoor career best of 1.96m set in Arnstadt on 6 Feb to win the competition over Deirdre Mullen and Raeven Harris, who were second and third at 1.86m.
Lowe then had the bar raised to 2.01m in an effort to tie the record set by Tisha Waller in 1998. On the third attempt, Lowe appeared to have cleared, only to watch it slip off when she began her celebration.
"I knew I was over it. I felt it," Lowe said. "Maybe I got a little lazy and didn’t kick my heel enough. I definitely didn’t feel like I touched (the bar) or anything. When it came down it shocked me. I was happy to get that much height over it."
A clearance would have been particularly sentimental for Lowe. Lowe and Waller were former training partners under coach Nat Page. Waller’s accomplishments were among the factors that Lowe chose to attend Georgia Tech for college to train with Page.
"It’s a personal thing," Lowe said. "That’s why I didn’t go for 2.02m. I wanted to get my name by (Waller) in the records."
Williams Overcomes Setback from 2009
For Williams, the height of 2.31m had been a mental block after he failed to clear it at last summer’s outdoor championships, dropping him from first to fourth and out of the World Championships.
In Albuquerque, Williams was again in fourth place when the bar was raised to 2.31m. Williams cleared it on his first try and went on to scale 2.34m and move into second on the yearly list.
Dusty Jonas and Andra Manson finished second and third, both at 2.31, with Jaime Nieto in fourth at 2.28m.
"I give it to those guys," Williams said about Jonas and Manson. "It was a great competition. It was an honor to be part of it, especially to win."
It’s been a whirlwind week for Williams, 26, who was inducted into the USC Track & Field Hall of Fame at his alma mater on 21 Feb in Los Angeles. Williams, now a Eugene resident, trained at USC during the week before traveling to Albuquerque for the USA Indoor Championships.
Williams took one attempt at 2.37m in attempt to equal the world-leading mark by Ivan Ukhov of Russia but passed on his final two attempts to rest a strained tendon just below his right ankle on his takeoff leg.
"It’s hard to stop jumping because I’m a competitor, even when it’s just myself," Williams said. "Sometimes you have to be smart, that’s what the USC degree got me."
Lagat and Baillie prevail in tactical 3000s
The 1600m altitude may have been a boost for Lowe and Williams in the High Jump but they resulted in tactical races in the men’s and women’s 3000m.
Bernard Lagat won the men’s race in 8:12.60 over Galen Rupp (8:13.49) and Chris Solinsky (8:13.85) after taking the lead with just over a lap to go.
Rene Metivier Baillie led from the start and opened up nearly a 100m lead before weathering a furious charge by Sara Hall and Shannon Rowbury over the final 200m to win over Hall, 9:14.90 to 9:14.92. Rowbury, who will run in today’s 1500m final, was third in 9:15.41.
McLain and Willis Win First indoor Triple Jump titles
Erica McLain and Lawrence Willis each won their first indoor national titles in the Triple Jump but in opposing fashion.
McLain won the competition on her first jump with a 14.06m leap to defeat 2008 and 2009 champion Shakeema Welsch (13.73m). It was the only legal jump for McLain, who passed the five remaining rounds with leg cramps.
Willis, who missed the 2009 season because of injury, needed all six attempts before he bounded 16.86m to overtake 2009 indoor and outdoor champion Brandon Roulhac (16.72m) on his last jump.
The U.S. will have a veteran duo in Doha in the Pole Vault with Tim Mack and Derek Miles, both age 37, who finished first and second at 5.70m.
Amber Campbell won her fourth consecutive title in the women’s weight throw with a heave of 24.70m, the third farthest throw of all time. A.G. Kruger won his sixth national title in the men’s event with a toss of 24.99m.
Seaman Wins 43rd National Title in Race Walk
Tim Seaman won the 5000m Race Walk in 20:57.47 for his 43rd career national Race Walk title – the second most in U.S. annals behind Ron Laird’s 65.
Seaman, a five-time 20km national champion, has won 12 of the last 13 U.S. Indoor titles.
Qualifying rounds
Trell Kimmons (6.56), Ivory Williams (6.56) and Michael Rodgers (6.57) were heat winners in the men’s 60m. Leroy Dixon was disqualified for a false start but ran under protest although he was not reinstated.
Dexter Faulk and David Oliver had the fastest times in the 60m Hurdles with a 1-2 finish 7.57 and 7.61 in their heat to move onto the semifinals. Terrence Trammell was also a heat winner in 7.62.
Anna Pierce and Nick Symmonds were the fastest qualifiers in the women’s and men’s 800m in 2:03.17 and 1:47.59, respectively.
In the women’s 400m, Dee Dee Trotter (51.79) and Debbie Dunn (52.17) were the top qualifiers. Allyson Felix was a heat winner in 53.09 for the No. 7 mark. Tavaris Tate, a freshman at Mississippi State, had the top men’s 400m time at 45.89. Kerron Clement (46.88) and Bershawn Jackson (46.32) were other heat winners.
Kirby Lee for the IAAF
Click Here for complete Day 1 (27) results
