Volume 11, No. 27 April 29, 2012 version ii — Penn Relays: Team USA 6, World 0 — by Rich Sands an outstanding 49.5 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; April 24– split. 28—Team USA brought significant relay “It was exciting to baggage from the past few years to the 114th cross the line and kind Penn Relays and hoped to exorcise some of of finish it off for Team Ross-Richards was those demons before heading to London. USA,” she said. “Usu- unpressed, but With just three months before the Olym- ally the Jamaicans give us pic Games begin, the baton situation looks some trouble. So it was nonetheless cranked promising for American runners after they very exciting.” out a 49.5 anchor on swept all six of the “USA vs. the World” The closest race of the events at Franklin Field. day actually involved a the 4x4 The typically formidable Jamaican teams pair of U.S. teams. weren’t at full strength and didn’t mount a The distance medley serious challenge, much to the disappoint- seemed to be in the bag ment of their many, many countrymen in for USA Red after Nick attendance, including prime minister Portia Symmonds blasted two Simpson Miller. laps in 1:44.0 and gave Despite cold, windy conditions, 49,810 Bernard Lagat a lead of fans showed up on Saturday, capping a strong nearly 2 seconds on the 3-day total of 112,416. anchor. Doc Patton, who was a part of disappoint- But USA Blue’s Leo ing 4x1 showings at not only the ’08 Olym- Manzano slowly closed pics but also the ’09 & ’11 world champions, the gap and in the final ran the third leg on the winning unit (with 100 meters Lagat—still Mike Rodgers, Justin Gatlin and Walter Dix no slouch in the kicking on anchor), which put together clean hand- department at age 37— offs and clocked 38.40, a solid time given could not match the Tex- temperatures that barely cracked the low 50s as grad’s closing speed. and strong winds. “Bernard is a beast “I was just happy we got the stick around,” and I knew I was really Patton said. “We all have great camaraderie, going to have to bring we all get along. There aren’t any egos on this my A-game,” said Man- team anymore.” zano. “He’s won more Another good sign for the Americans: The battles than I have, so B-team won the first heat in the day’s second there is a little bit of sat- best time, 38.47. isfaction there.” The women’s 4x1 (42.19) and 4x4 The surprise of the (3:21.18) squads set meet records with their college races was a dis- world-leading times, with Allyson Felix run- tance double for Princ- ning the second leg on both. eton, winning the men’s Though Sanya Richards-Ross was given DMR on Friday and a huge lead to close out the longer race, she coming back to defend didn’t let up on what NBC’s Ato Boldon their 4 x Mile title on called an “exhibition anchor leg,” and clocked Saturday. In each race, two- time NCAA steeplechase © 2012 Track & Field News.All rights runner-up Donn Cabral reserved.This newsletter may not be re- showed spectacular clos- printedor retransmitted in any formwithout ing speed in the mad express written permission. dash to the tape. www.trackandfieldnews.com The Tigers thus be- KIRBY LEE/IMAGE OF SPORT KIRBY -229- April 29, 2012 2012 Men’s World Leaders 2012 Women’s World Leaders i = mark made indoors Track Events marks in red new since last week’s edition 100.........11.05 ................................. Kimberlyn Duncan (US) Track Events 200.........22.31 .......................................Carmelita Jeter (US) 100.........9.90 .....................................Yohan Blake (Jamaica) 400.........50.18 ............................ Sanya Richards-Ross (US) 200.........19.95 ................................. Wallace Spearmon (US) 800.........1:58.83i .............................. Pamela Jelimo (Kenya) 400.........44.92 ...................... Martyn Rooney (Great Britain) 1500.......4:00.13i ........................Genzebe Dibaba (Ethiopia) 800.........1:44.33 ............................... David Rudisha (Kenya) Mile ........4:28.41i ................................Sally Kipyego (Kenya) 1500.......3:34.10i ......................Abdelaati Iguider (Morocco) Steeple ..9:42.27 ...............................Korine Hines (Jamaica) Mile ........3:52.21 ................................Jamel Ahrass (France) 3000.......8:31.56i ............................Meseret Defar (Ethiopia) Steeple ..8:19:14 ............................ Jairus Kipchoge (Kenya) 5000.......15:15.41i ..............................Sally Kipyego (Kenya) 3000.......7:29.94i ..........................Augustine Choge (Kenya) 10,000....31:28.26 ..................................Hitomi Niiya (Japan) ...............7:29.94i ...................................... Edwin Soi (Kenya) 100H ......12.49 ............................... Sally Pearson (Australia) 5000.......12:58.67i ....................Thomas Longosiwa (Kenya) 400H ......54.88 ..........................................Ti’erra Brown (US) 10,000....27:35.16 ............................Martin Mathathi (Kenya) Road Events 110H ......13.17 ............................................David Oliver (US) Half-Mar .66:38 ............................. Florence Kiplagat (Kenya) 400H ......48.20 .................................Bershawn Jackson (US) Mar ........2:18:37 .................................. Mary Keitany (Kenya) Road Events 20W .......1:25:27 ...................... Elmira Alembekova (Russia) ½-Mar ....58:47 ...............................Atsedu Tsegay (Ethiopia) Relay Events Mar ........2:04:23 ............................Ayele Abshero (Ethiopia) 4 x 100... 42.19 ............................................... USA Red Penn 20W .......1:17:30 ...................................Alex Schwazer (Italy) 4 x 200...1:30.01 ............................................................... LSU 50W .......3:40:58 ...................................Alex Schwazer (Italy) 4 x 400... 3:21.18 ............................................ USA Red Penn Relay Events 4 x 800...8:15.57i ........................................Moscow (Russia) 4 x 100...37.82 ...................................... Racers TC (Jamaica) 4 x 1500.17:29.00 ........................................................Oregon 4 x 200...1:21.21 ...........................................Texas A&M (US) SpMed ...3:42.85 ......................................................USA Blue 4 x 400...3:00.15 ............................................. USA Red Penn DisMed ..10:55.95i ...................................... Georgetown (US) 4 x 800...7:15.99 ...........................................Texas A&M (US) 4 x 1H ....52.38 .........................................Star Athletics (US) 4 x Mile ..16:16.79 ........................................... Princeton (US) Field Events SpMed ...3:16.46 .........................................................Georgia HJ ..........6-9 | 2.06i .................Anna Chicherova (Russia) DisMed ..9:19.31 ............................................ USA Blue Penn PV ..........16-5¼ | 5.01i .................Yelena Isinbaeva (Russia) 4 x 1H ....54.30 ..........................................Star Athletics (US) LJ ..........23-8¾ | 7.23i ............................Brittney Reese (US) Field Events TJ ..........49-¾ | 14.95(A) .....Caterina Ibargüen (Colombia) HJ ..........7-9¼ | 2.37i ..............Mutaz Essa Barshim (Qatar) (lo-alt) ..48-8¼ | 14.84i ......... Olga Rypakova (Kazakhstan) PV ..........19-6¼ | 5.95i ................Renaud Lavillenie (France) SP ..........67-11 | 20.70i ........ Nadzeya Ostapchuk (Belarus) LJ ..........27-2½ | 8.29 .........Khotso Mokoena (South Africa) DT ..........226-0 | 68.89 ..................Nadine Müller (Germany) (lo-alt) ..27-2 | 8.28i .......................Mauro da Silva (Brazil) HT ..........256-6 | 78.19 ...............Oksana Menkova (Belarus) TJ ..........58-1 | 17.70i .................................. Will Claye (US) JT ..........214-0 | 65.24 ....................Martina Ratej (Slovenia) SP ..........72-2¼ | 22.00i ............................ Ryan Whiting (US) Hept .......6337 .............................................. Sharon Day (US) DT ..........219-2 | 66.80 ......................... Erik Cadée (Holland) HT ..........260-4 | 79.37 .................. Pavel Kryvitski (Belarus) JT ..........283-2 | 86.31 ........ Stuart Farquhar (New Zealand) leading 8:24.16). Dec ........8244 ..................... Willem Coertzen (South Africa) The Ducks (3:34.08) also finished a close second to Texas A&M (3:33:52) in the 4x4. Said Anne Kesselring, who ran on both winning quartets: “Just going out there and came the first Ivy League school to win two cluded Virginia’s Nick Vena, who finished 4th seeing the crowd and stepping on the track, trophies at Penn since ’61. in his debut in Penn collegiate competition doing the victory lap, and throwing up the Penn State also had a good meet, led by after winning four straight prep titles at this ’O,’ there’s no crowd like that, not even at Casimir Loxsom, who anchored the winning meet. Hayward.” sprint medley (3:18.47) and handled the The Oregon women trekked across coun- third leg on the winning 4x8 (7:19.76). try—without Jordan Hasay— but none- On the field, Nittany Lion Joe Kovacs was theless scored two of the meet’s trademark the surprise winner of the men’s shot, reach- “wagon wheel” trophies for the 4 x 1500 (a ing 65-5 (19.94) to tie C.J. Hunter’s 22-year- world-leading 17:29.00 for the first victory in old school record and defeat a field that in- program history) and 4 x 800 ( a collegiate- -230- April 29, 2012 2012 U.S. Men’s Leaders 2012 U.S. Women’s Leaders