Alan Webb at the US Indoor Champs (© Kirby Lee)
A warm, sunny day helped produce excellent performances on the final day of the 98th Drake Relays.
Some of the best were:
- a 3:51.71 mile by Alan Webb, fastest time in the world so far this year;
- a collegiate women’s hammer throw record of 72.51m by Brittany Riley;
- a wind-aided 13.00 by Anwar Moore in the men’s 110-metre hurdles;
- Christian Cantwell's 21.72m effort in the Shot Put;
- a world-leading 3:02.00 in the men’s 4x400m Relay from Baylor University; and
- a world-leading women’s 400-metre hurdles time of 55.37 from Adjoke Odomuso.
Fast Spring Mile for Webb
Alan Webb’s 3:51.71 was an impressive display of strength and will.
Haitian Moise Joseph set a sizzling pace that pulled Webb through a perhaps too-fast first quarter mile in 55.4; the tempo then slowed to 1:00.3 and a 1:55.7 half-mile for Webb – reminiscent of what happened to Hicham El Guerrouj in the Sydney Olympic 1500m final. But of course there was no Noah Ngeny in today’s race, and Webb was able to solo through quarters of 58.3 (2:53.9) and 57.8 to win by more than 11 seconds.
Brittany Riley attends Southern Illinois University, and is coached by Connie Price-Smith, as former U.S. Shot Put and Discus Throw Olympian. Riley began throwing the hammer less than three years ago, but her performance today moves her to the edge of world class. Three of her first five throws were over 68 metres, but on her final throw, with the competition won, she really let it fly. Afterwards she said, “I had no idea I was going to throw that far. I was hoping for at least a PR, but not by three metres.”
Wind-aided 13.00 for Moore
Anwar Moore’s best mark of 2006 was 13.39, but today he ran a perfect flight of hurdles. He was in front at the first barrier, and extended his margin steadily. An aiding wind of +2.6 m/s undoubtedly helped him reach 13.00, but he beat sub-13.40 men Ron Bramlett, Joel Brown and Aubrey Herring by a good three metres.
Baylor University, which has produced Michael Johnson, Jeremy Wariner and 10 other sub-45-second 400m runners, continues to attract sprinting talent -- and to develop it. A day earlier, a Baylor foursome won the 4x200 relay in an eased-up 1:21.65 running Courtney Thomas, L.J. Betters, Trey Harts and Reggie Witherspoon. Today the same four, in a different order, won the 4x100 by seven metres in 39.63. then Witherspoon (45.4) and Betters (44.9) teamed with Kevin Mutai (45.9) and Quentin Summers (45.8) to coast to their 3:02.00. Hardly anyone watching doubted that Mutai and Summers could run faster, but when you’re 50 metres ahead, where’s the fire?
Nigerian Ajoke Odumosu, a silver medallist in the 4x400m Relay at last year's World Junior Championships, attends the University of South Alabama, where she is coached by 1968 Olympic 400 metres champion Lee Evans. The team’s 2000 kilometre trip to Des Moines was delayed because of bad weather and took 40 hours, so that on Friday Odomusu could run only a disappointing (for her and Evans) 52-second relay leg. On Saturday, well rested, she raced conservatively until the eighth hurdle, then strode powerfully away to a 10-metre victory in 55.37 over Jamaican Sherene Pinnock, the bronze medallist in the event at last year's World juniors.
Elsewhere - Wariner defeated in 200m, Cantwell reaches 21.72m
Demi Omole won the men’s 100 metres for the fourth time in a row, this time in 10.21 (-0.1), and Marvin Anderson used a strong stretch run to win the 200 going away from Jeremy Wariner, 20.32 to 20.57 in still air.
Christian Cantwell won the men’s shot put with 21.72, and Michelle Carter (daughter of 1984 men’s shot put silver medalist Michael Carter) won the women’s shot with 17.30.
James Carter (no relation) won the featured men’s 400 hurdles as he pleased in 49.44, with two others breaking 50 in a secondary race, Justin Gaymon (49.58) and Bryan Scott (49.81).
Jeff Hartwig won the pole vault by clearing a meet-record 5.81, which he calculates is “the 103rd or 104th time I’ve jumped 19 feet or higher.”
Unheralded Jim Dilling took a solid victory in the High Jump with a personal best 2.30 clearance Jesse Williams (also 2.30) and five others ranked in the U.S. top 10 last year. Another three – Adam Shunk, Scott Sellers and Trevor Barry - cleared 2.26. Dilling,who cleared 2.30 indoors in January, had no misses through 2.30, and two very good attempts at 2.32.
James Dunaway for the IAAF
Click here for complete results
