Trammell to double - USA squad for Moscow

Led by 2006 Visa Championship Series winners Terrence Trammell and Lisa Barber, Team USA will field a team of established veterans and exciting newcomers at the 2006 World Indoor Track & Field Championships March 10-12 at the Olimpiyskiy Sport Palace Complex in Moscow, Russia.

Trammell to double

The 2001 World Indoor Championships 60m Hurdles men's gold medallist, Trammell won his third career USA Indoor 60m hurdles crown last weekend at the AT&T USA Indoor Championships in Boston. His winning time of 7.46 seconds gave him 1,223 points and the 2006 Indoor Visa Championship over shot putter and reigning World indoor silver medallist Reese Hoffa, who led the points chase throughout the season and also will compete in Moscow. Later that day, Trammell nearly became the first man ever to win the 60m Hurdles-60m dash double when he finished as the runner-up in 6.53 seconds.

Lisa Barber led the women's Visa Championship Series from the beginning before losing the lead to Sanya Richards on Sunday when she tallied 1,210 points in winning the 400m in 51.26 seconds. In the last event of the AT&T USA Indoor Championships, Barber entered the blocks for the 60m final knowing that she needed to run 7.06 seconds to win the Visa crown, and that's exactly what she did. Barber's performance earned her the coveted USA Indoor title and the $25,000 prize from Visa to support her Olympic journey.

Helsinki medallists highlight women's roster

Joining Barber on the Team USA roster for Moscow will be reigning World outdoor 100m women's champion Lauryn Williams, who finished second to Williams in Boston in 7.11 seconds, her fastest time of the year.

Richards entered the indoor season as the 2005 World outdoor 400m silver medallist. Always a medal contender in international competition, Richards posted her fastest time of the year with her win in Boston last week in 51.28 seconds.

Other U.S. women to keep an eye on next week include 2005 World outdoor High Jump silver medallist Chaunte Howard, who won the 2005 U.S. title last week with a U.S.-leading clearance of 1.95 meters/6 feet, 4.75 inches. Joining her to create a formidable U.S. tandem will be three-time Olympian Amy Acuff, who was the runner-up in Boston clearing 1.89m/6-2.25.

Team USA will feature another strong duo in the women's Long Jump including reigning World outdoor champion Tianna Madison, who was the runner-up at the 2005 AT&T U.S. Indoor Championships with a jump of 6.59m/21-7.50. Two-time USA Outdoor champion and 2004 Olympian Grace Upshaw punched her ticket to Moscow with her third-place jump at indoor nationals of 6.49m/21-3.50.

Men deep in experience, talent

Featured performers on the men's squad include 2005 World Outdoor Championships 100m sixth-place finisher Leonard Scott, who posted the fastest 60m time in the world this season of 6.52 seconds in winning the national indoor title last week. Joining Scott on the U.S. roster will be Milton Campbell, who captured the 2006 indoor national 400m title last weekend in Boston in 46.17. 2005 World outdoor 4x400m relay gold medallist LaShawn Merritt will also compete in Moscow after placing second to Campbell in an identical time of 46.17. Those two will team up with 2005 World Outdoor 200m silver medallist Wallace Spearmon, and 2003 World Outdoor 400m silver medallist Tyree Washington in what should be a formidable Team USA quartet for the 4x400m relay in Moscow.

Team USA looks very strong in the men's field events led by 2005 World Outdoor Decathlon champion Bryan Clay in the Heptathlon and reigning World outdoor Triple Jump champion Walter Davis, who'll attempt to add another gold medal to his collection.

If past World indoor history means anything, the U.S. stands to do well in the men's Shot Put in Moscow. Christian Cantwell earned the right to defend his World indoor title with his runner-up finish last week in Boston. He'll join reigning World indoor silver medallist Reese Hoffa as they both attempt to return to the medal stand.

The U.S. also looks strong in the men's Pole Vault led by the #1 World ranked performer from last season and reigning World outdoor silver medallist Brad Walker and U.S. record holder Jeff Hartwig, who is enjoying a resurgent 2006 indoor season with wins earlier this year at the Millrose Games and Tyson Invitational. He owns the #1 mark in the World this season with his clearance of 5.85 meters/19 feet, 2.25 inches.

Head coach for the U.S. men's team is longtime coach of the Southern California Cheetahs Ernie Gregoire, and the women's head coach is Danny Williams of Cal Poly. Head managers are Rich Torrellas (men) and Thomas Johnson (women).

Team USA Roster - 2006 World Indoor Track & Field Championships

(As of March 1 - Subject to change)

Athlete (Hometown, Current Residence)

MEN -

60m:
Leonard Scott (Zachary, La., Irvine, Calif.)
Terrence Trammell (Decatur, Ga., Ellenwood, Ga.)

60mh:
Terrence Trammell (Decatur, Ga., Ellenwood, Ga.)
Dominique Arnold (Long Beach, Calif., Irvine, Calif.)

400m:
LaShawn Merritt (Portsmouth, Va., Suffolk, Va.)
Milton Campbell (Atlanta, Ga., Atlanta, Ga.)

800m:
Khadevis Robinson (Fort Worth, Texas, Santa Monica, Calif.)
David Krummenacker (Las Cruces, N.M., Tucson, Ariz.)

1500m:
Chris Lukezic (Auburn, Wash., Washington, D.C.)
Jason Lunn (Sugarlnad, Texas, Longmont, Colo.)

3000m:
Jonathon Riley (Brookkline, Mass., Palo Alton, Calif.)
Steve Slattery (Flanders, N.J., Lafayette, Colo.)

High Jump:
Adam Shunk (Muncie, Ind., Muncie, Ind.)
Tora Harris (College Park, Ga., Chula Vista, Calif.)

Pole Vault:
Brad Walker (Spokane, Wash., Seattle, Wash.)
Jeff Hartwig (St. Charles, Mo., Jonesboro, Ark.)

Long Jump:
Brian Johnson (Iowa, La., Baton Rouge, La.)
Bashir Ramzy (Las Cruces, N.M., Dallas, Texas)

Triple Jump:
Walter Davis (Leonville, La., Baton Rouge, La.)
Aarik Wilson (Falon, Nev., Falon, Nev.)

Shot Put:
Reese Hoffa (Augusta, Ga., Athens, Ga.)
Christian Cantwell (Elden, Mo., Columbia, Mo.)

Heptathlon:
Bryan Clay (Honolulu, Hawaii, Glendora, Calif.)

4x400m relay:
LaShawn Merritt (Portsmouth, Va., Suffolk, Va.)
Milton Campbell (Atlanta, Ga., Atlanta, Ga.)
Tyree Washington (Riverside, Calif., Murrieta, Calif.)
Obra Hogans (Decatur, Ga., n/a)
Wallace Spearmon (Fayetteville, Ark., Fayetteville, Ark.)
James Davis (Vacaville, Calif., Houston, Texas)

Head Coach:
Ernie Gregoire (Southern California Cheetahs)

Head Manager:
Thomas Johnson (Elite Athlete Advisor for USATF)

Assistant Coaches:
John Carlos (Palm Springs, Calif.)
Gordon Thomson (DePaul University)
Mike Holman (Indianapolis, Ind.)

WOMEN -

60m:
Lisa Barber (Montclair, N.J., Raleigh, N.C.),
Lauryn Williams (Rochester, Pa., Miami, Fla.)

60mH:
Danielle Carruthers (Paducah, Ky., Kennesaw, Ga.),
Damu Cherry (Tampa, Fla., n/a)

400m:
Sanya Richards (Pembroke Pines, Fla., Austin, Texas),
Mary Danner (Cincinnati, Ohio, Cincinnati, Ohio)

800m:
Alice Schmidt (Downers Grove, Ill., Chula Vista, Calif.),
Frances Santin (Woodland Hills, Calif., Santa Monica, Calif.)

1500m:
Treniere Clement (Stow, Ohio; Knoxville, Tenn.),
Tiffany McWilliams (Newark, Ohio, Starkville, Miss.)

3,000m:
Carrie Tollefson (Dawson, Minn., St. Paul, Minn.),
Sara Hall (San Mateo, Calif., Woodside, Calif.)

High Jump:
Chaunte Howard (Riverside, Calif., Atlanta, Ga.),
Amy Acuff (Corpus Christi, Texas, Chula Vista, Calif.)

Pole Vault:
Kellie Suttle (St. Charles, Mo., Jonesboro, Ark.),
Jillian Schwartz (Lake Forest, Ill., Jonesboro, Ark.)

Long Jump:
Tianna Madison (Elyria, Ohio, Knoxville, Tenn.),
Grace Upshaw (Redwood City, Calif., Menlo Park, Calif.)

Shot Put:
Jillian Camarena (Menlo Park, Calif., Provo, Utah),
Kristin Heaston (Pleasant Hill, Calif., Palo Alto, Calif.)

Pentathlon:
Hyleas Fountain (Enola, Pa., Athens, Ga.)

4x400m relay:
Sanya Richards (Pembroke Pines, Fla., Austin, Texas)
Mary Danner (Cincinnati, Ohio, Cincinnati, Ohio)
Tiffany Ross-Williams (Miami, Fla., Columbia, S.C.)
Debbie Dunn (Capital Height, Md., Avondale, Ariz.)
Kia Davis (Chester, Pa., Las Vegas, Nev.)
Monica Hargrove (New Haven, Conn., Washington, D.C.)

Head Coach:
Danny Williams (Cal Poly)

Head Manager:
Rich Torrellas (Clinton, Ct.)

Assistant Coaches:
Lisa Bauduin (Sacramento City College)
Julie McKinney (San Pedro, Calif.)
Ramona Pagel (Baton Rouge, La.)
LaTanya Sheffield
Orin Richburg - Relay Team Coach

USATF