Jennifer Toomey strides away to win the 1500m at the 2004 USATF Indoors (© Kirby Lee)
Boston, USAJennifer Toomey became the first woman to win the 800 and 1500m in the same year in the USA Track & Field Indoor Championships which to concluded their third and final day of competition at the Reggie Lewis Track & Athletic Center at Roxbury Community College on Sunday (29 Feb).
Toomey completed the double by winning the 1500m in a career-best 4:09.82 after capturing the 800m on Saturday in 2:00.02.
In other women’s events, Stacy Dragila was equally dominant in winning her eighth national title in the Pole Vault at 4.70m, and Laura Gerraughty of North Carolina set a collegiate record of 19.14m in the women’s Shot.
Savante Stringfellow and Jamie Nieto were among the men’s winners, respectively taking the Long Jump (8.26m) and High Jump (2.30m).
The top two finishers in each event were automatically selected for the IAAF World Indoor Championships in Budapest (5-7 March) provided of course that they have met the qualifying standard.
Toomey overcomes fatigue to win 1500m
Toomey wanted to scratch from the 1500 when she woke up because she felt fatigued from running in the 800 heats on Friday and the final on Saturday.
Those tiredness fears proved unfounded for Toomey, who won comfortably after powering away from Suzy Favor-Hamilton over the final two laps. Amy Rudolph snuck in for second at 4:11.93 and Favor-Hamilton battling a cold was third in 4:12.87.
"I wanted to sit back and see how the race went," Toomey said. "I felt so comfortable when I took the lead. I thought `I could do this. This is OK.’ As of this morning, I didn't want to race. `I am too tired. I can't do this again.’ Once I had to run, it felt so relaxed and easy.’’
Toomey leans toward 1500m in Budapest
Toomey eclipsed her indoor best by more than eight seconds and created a dilemma on which event to compete in Budapest. Toomey ruled out a double in the World Championships but said that the 1500m may be the event of the future for the 32-year-old, who has specialized in the 800m.
“I hate to say it but the 1500m is probably a stronger event,” Toomey said.
Toomey has increased the volume and intensity of her training after hooking up with coach Tom McDermott six months ago. She said that her double in Boston was more in preparation for the Olympics rather than an unprecedented feat.
Toomey credited her husband Michael for her strong finishing kick on Sunday and her recent American record in the 1000 (2:34.19). In past seasons, Toomey said her kick had been the weakest part of her race. This year, Toomey has often trained with her husband on distance runs that often becomes a competitive duel over the final stages.
“The last 200 is all out,” Toomey said. “I had that in my mind today. I just tried to think that (Favor-Hamilton) was my husband.”
Dragila tunes-up for face Feofanova
Stacy Dragila tuned up for a showdown with World record holder Svetlana Feofanova of Russia but was given little challenge when winning her eighth national title, as Jillian Schwartz and Lindsay Taylor, the twin sister of U.S. World Championships 400m hurdler Brenda Taylor, placed second and third at a comparatively lowly 4.35m.
After winning the competition with a first-attempt clearance at 4.70m, Dragila took three unsuccessful tries at 4.80m. The 2000 Olympic champion experimented by switching from her customary 14-foot poles to 14-7 in an effort to make a transition to a longer pole in Budapest.
“The rhythm of the jump went really smooth, kind of surprised me,’’ Dragila said. “So I think those are the poles I need to be on when I go to Budapest to allow me to get to a higher height.”
Gerraughty and Cantwell win the Shots
Laura Gerraughty, a North Carolina junior, increased her U.S.-leading mark in the women’s shot put to defeat defending champion Kristin Heaston with a collegiate record 19.14m. The effort broke the previous standard of 18.83m set in 1998 by Terri Steer.
Christian Cantwell, the world season’s leader needed to rally on his sixth and final throw to defeat Reese Hoffa in the men’s shot put with 21.26m. Cantwell’s previous best effort of 20.78m on his fifth throw trailed Hoffa’s third-round effort of 20.97 by nearly 20cm.
Cantwell looked like an overwhelming favorite after a world-leading effort of 21.95m for the best mark in the world since 2000 and the best by an American since 1989 this year. Cantwell, however, had been suffering from illness and did not practice for four days before arriving in Boston.
“I knew it would take somebody to PR for me to beat me today and Reese almost did that,’’ Hoffa said. “It was good after having flu and being in bed from Monday through Thursday. You always want to win and then compete well. I got a good throw off. Sometimes you do and I’ve been in situations where I didn’t.’’
Nieto clears 2.30
Jamie Nieto continued his success outdoors in 2003 where he won the national title indoors on Sunday, earning a trip to Budapest with a clearance of 2.30m. No other competitor in the 13-jumper field cleared higher than 2.20m and two no-heighted. It looks as if Nieto will be the only American high jumper in the World Championships. A jump off for second was not held.
Competitors pay tribute to Heppner
Nieto, along with women’s 3000m race walk winner Joanne Dow (12:36.76), were among the many athletes who wore black ribbons on their uniforms in memory of race walker Al Heppner. Nieto was Heppner’s roommate at the U.S. Olympic Training Centre in Chula Vista, California.
Heppner committed suicide on Feb. 15 after fifth-place finish in the U.S. Olympic 50K Race Walk Trials. A memorial was held for Heppner at the athletes’ hotel on Sunday morning.
Stringfellow confident about World Championships
Savante Stringfellow easily won the Long Jump with 8.26m in the absence of compatriots Dwight Phillips, the 2003 World outdoor champion, and Walter Davis, the 2003 World Indoor triple jump silver medallist.
Stringfellow, the world yearly leader at 8.41m, vowed that he would only take one jump before the competition, however he did take four and his shortest, 7.82m, on his first attempt was good enough to win. Stringfellow was equally confident about his chances in Budapest.
“A lot of the top jumpers are hurt,” Stringfellow said. “They don’t have a prayer. It should be the easiest $40,000 (for first place) that I ever made.”
Acuff overcomes Waller in Women’s High Jump
Amy Acuff prevailed over Tisha Waller in a match-up of the U.S. dominant’s women’s high jumpers. Acuff cleared 1.93m on her first attempt for her sixth national title, twice indoors. Waller, a five-time indoor champion, led on fewer misses after making her first four heights without a failure, including her best of 1.90m, before three misses at 1.93m.
First-time champions prevail on Final Day
Gerraughty and Cantwell in the men’s and women’s shot put were among a multitude of first-time winners.
Inaugural women’s winners were Crystal Cox in the 200m (23.27), Julian Clay in the 400m (52.85), Tameisha King in the Long Jump (6.45m).
Jimmie Hackley in the 200m (20.83), Milton Campbell in the 400m (46.43), Jonathan Riley in the 3,000m (7:57.69) won their first men’s titles.
Junior sprinters Solomon and Hastings make strong showing
High school seniors Shalonda Solomon of Long Beach Poly (Calif.) and Amy Randolph of A.P Randolph (N.Y), who will be teammates at the University of South Carolina next season, reached the finals in the 200m and 400m, respectively.
Solomon placed fourth in the 200m in 23.77 after running 23.67 in the preliminaries to equal the sixth-fastest high school mark and fastest mark at sea level. Two weeks ago, Solomon ran 23.46 in the Simplot Games in Boise, Ida. to move into third on the all-time U.S. high school list. Hastings was sixth in the 400m in 54.26.
U.S. Team already on its way to Budapest
The majority of the U.S. team will be leaving directly from Boston to Budapest on Monday morning via flight from Frankfurt, Germany. The team was outfitted on Sunday night with the final roster to be officially declared on Monday.
For FULL RESULTS of the Championships, click here
