August 2004 Issue

Webb PRs Again: 3:50.85 Mile

by Roy Conrad

Eugene, Oregon—When last seen at the Pre Classic, Alan Webb was a back-in-the-pack 3:58 runner, just another of the 100-odd milers who have broken 4:00 in this storied meet. But when last seen on a track, period, he was winning the Ostrava 1500 (see p. 46) in a PR 3:32.73. It was his third PR in as many races in Europe as he had earlier lowered his 800 best to 1:46.53.

So it was only fitting that he should be thinking PR again as he returned to the site of his previous best—and his greatest triumph—his 3:53.43 to break Jim Ryun’s High School Record here in ’01.

Webb had every right to be confident about not only eclipsing his old PR but also about cracking the 3:50 barrier, since his metric mile time was the equivalent of a 3:49.75.

Webb and coach Scott Raczko wanted to…

(for more, read the August issue of Track & Field News)

Crawford Fastest American At Home

by Sieg Lindstrom

… Proper technique, according to Sean Crawford’s manager Kimberly Trammell, “needs to become so natural, rehearsed so much that it’s not even a thought, it just happens automatically. That’s the part that’s going to take time, but when Sean gets that down pat, oh my gosh, lo and behold.”

Oh my gosh, lo and behold. …

(for more, read the August Issue of Track & Field News)

Cantwell Looms Large

by Dan Lilot

Gresham, Oregon—The Portland area is known as a hotbed of distance running. But if the adidas Oregon Track Classic continues to feature such competitions as this year’s shot put, the Rose City meet may soon have a new favorite event.

Contested prior to the rest of the competition in an intimate, crowd-friendly nook of the Mt. Hood JC facility, the men’s shot produced the world’s farthest throw in 14 years, a massive 73-111/2 (22.54) toss by Christian Cantwell.

The mark was all the more remarkable, as he was forced to skip the Palo Alto GP just 5 days earlier due to back spasms. “I couldn’t even walk,” Cantwell said. “I had to just lay on the couch. I had the same thing happen last …

(for more, read the August issue of Track & Field News)

Hogs Go The Sprint Route at NCAA

by Andrrew Jensen

Although most people think of John McDonnell as being a distance-oriented coach, the longtime Arkansas mentor goes with a simple—and more diverse—plan for keeping his dynasty going: “I’ve always had a philosophy when we have coaches meetings—we want good athletes. I don’t care what event. If there’s a good athlete who can help us win a national championship, let’s get them.”

A 32-year veteran in Fayetteville, McDonnell’s scheme has worked for 20 years and 39 NCAA titles since ’84, based upon consistently getting those good athletes, usually in the distances and jumps.

But every decade or so, McDonnell puts together a really multidimensional team capable of hitting—and hitting big—from all angles. Like the first Hog outdoor winners in ‘85 …

(for more, read the August Issue of Track & Field News)

UCLA Edges LSU in Titanic Team Battle

IF YOU’RE ONE OF THOSE who likes a good team battle at the NCAA Championships, it didn’t get much better than the women’s fight this time around, what with UCLA and LSU duking it out right until the end of the climactic mile relay. Texas was supposed to be a factor too, but while the host Longhorns fell out of the fray early, Nebraska jumped up big-time to replace them.

There was even plenty of political intrigue thrown into the mix what with a pair of disqualifications (see p. 38) playing a huge part.

As the last day unfolded, surprising Nebraska had 38 points, just ahead of UCLA (34) and LSU (31). Here’s how the final day played out …

(for more, read the August issue of Track & Field News)

Lauryn Williams Looking At Athens

by Sieg Lindstrom

Tabbed as the 100 favorite going into the meet, Lauryn Williams thrust herself even farther into the limelight with a 10.94 heat, which although it was wind-aided, sent the Miami junior across the line with a jaw-dropping 0.45-second lead on her competitors. Ecstatic but nervous, she said she had employed a favored tactic for keeping her cool before the final.

“I’m watching Law & Order to keep my mind off the race,” she told trackwriters at a luncheon the day of the 100 final. “Otherwise, I’ll be delirious by 9:10 tonight.”…

(for more, read the August issue of Track & Field News)

Wariner Wins ‘Em All

by Dan Lilot

In winning the NCAA 400 in a wind-hampered 44.71 and splitting a meet-best 44-flat on the third leg to lead Baylor to its eighth 4x4 title, Jeremy Wariner became the first to score such a double since Oklahoma’s Roxbert Martin in ’97.

But wait, there’s more! The Bear soph also won the indoor 400 back in March, and he thus became the first since Martin to complete an in/out double.

But wait, there’s more! The Bears also took the indoor relay title, making the 20-year-old Texas native the first ever to win all four races in one year…

(for more, read the August issue of Track & Field News)

Florida’s Hot Hurdling Pair

by Jon Hendershott

When Florida yearling Kerron Clement crossed the line to win the NCAA 400 hurdles, he made history. But the 18-year-old didn’t know it until T&FN spoke with him.

Combining Clement’s long hurdle triumph with the 110 highs victory by junior teammate Josh Walker, Florida became the first school in NCAA meet history ever to produce hurdles winners in the same year.

Oregon’s Jerry Tarr won both barriers back in ’62, but before Clement and Walker, no school had taken both hurdles with different runners.

“Wow!” enthuses Clement. “That is great to know…

(for more, read the August issue of Track & Field News)

Skipper’s Imposing Talent

by Sieg Lindstrom

Tommy Skipper has to be excused if he has given the impression he may one day vault over the moon. His striking features and build drew one spectator in Austin to observe, “He looks like a superhero.”

Why not? Skipper set the High School Record in the vault at 18-3 last year. This year he won the Pac-10 decathlon and PV, placed 5th in the conference javelin and then raised his vault best to 18-101/4 at the West Regionals.

Now he has won an NCAA title…

(for more, read the August issue of Track & Field News)

McWilliams’ Real Secret

Tiffany McWilliams’s open secret at the NCAA was that she was considering turning pro. Five days later came the official announcement that she had. The privileged information McWilliams and coach Al Schmidt had kept more tightly bottled up was that the miler was injured, with a stress reaction of the third metatarsal in her left foot.

“It was actually irritated before SEC,” McWilliams says, “but [Ole Miss’s] track is hard and it pretty much just made it inflamed.

“Since Regionals I’ve only run mileage once and that was 6M on grass. Other than that…”

(for more, read the August issue of Track & Field News)

All Ginn All The Time

How would you like to be a hurdler and run 13.26w, moving to No. 2 on the all-time list? And what if you also sprinted 21.44 and 46.57 and then ran a leg on the 4x4. Not bad for heats.

Ohio’s State Meet proved to be the Ted Ginn Show as…

(for more, read the August issue of Track & Field News)

Chock Full Of Talent

by Rich Gonzalez

In a daily personal battle, Caitlin Chock continues her quest to outrun disease while chasing down the competition and the all-time lists. So far, so good—and oh so fast.

Chock, whose home is in Roseville, northeast of Sacramento, and who recently graduated from nearby Granite Bay High, has returned from an eating-disorder-induced hiatus to turn the prep distance scene on its ear.

At the GWI, her 9:58.51 belted a stellar field and…

(for more, read the August issue of Track & Field News)

Baldwin New Sensation

by Rich Gonzalez

Jasmine Baldwin (Amat, La Puente, California) arrived on the sprint scene in ultra-fast fashion—and tore through the California contingent just as quickly. In ’03, as a home-schooled junior, she produced promising times of 11.85 and 23.89.

Mired in a troublesome environment through much of her youth, Baldwin fully utilized an eleventh-hour chance to compete at the top prep level, winning both dashes at State, running 11.33 and 22.86.

A come-from-behind century triumph over Poly’s storied Shalonda Solomon put her at No. 11 all-time. She was even better in the half-lapper, her time making her No. 4 ever and towing Solomon to a 22.92 PR.

“The biggest thing for me was just trying to stay relaxed and not get all nervous,” says the soft-spoken 17-year-old, who missed the first month of this season while getting her paperwork cleared.

Personal tribulations are central in the Baldwin story, as she survived a tumultuous upbringing before settling in a group home in La Verne.

Growing up around drugs and lacking parental stability…

(for more, read the August issue of Track & Field News)

LaShawn Merritt Hot In 200 And 400

by Rich Gonzalez

Perhaps signaling the arrival of a next great American long sprinter, LaShawn Merritt (Wilson, Portsmouth, Virginia) dominated leading foes this spring, capping his title haul with his double adidas wins, the 45.38 in the 400 moving him to No. 9 prep all-time.

Merritt, his beefy 6-2/185 frame accompanied by an ebullient smile, was a huge recruiting steal for East Carolina, which penned him weeks before his fine 100/200/400 Virginia State title sweep.

Merritt vanquished indoor 400 recordman Elzie Coleman at the long sprint in Raleigh…

(for more, read the August issue of Track & Field News)

USADA Targets Quartet

USADA has formally notified sprinters Michelle Collins, Alvin Harrison and Tim Montgomery of its intent to ban them for life for alleged steroid use.

Newspaper accounts also reported the national anti-doping body intends to ban another star sprinter, Chryste Gaines…

(for more, read the August issue of Track & Field News)

From The Editor

I GOT AN E-MAIL MESSAGE from a newspaper writer shortly before the Olympic Trials in which he wanted to talk about “a story I’m doing about the question of how legitimate some existing track records are and how that issue will play out.”

Feeling exceedingly tired of the sport’s being put upon—no matter how much we’ve brought it on ourselves—this was my somewhat intemperate response (rant?):…

(for more, read the August issue of Track & Field News)