Lagat runs to record in Gotham

For Immediate Release
Friday, January 29, 2010

Contact:
Vicky Oddi
USA Track & Field
Communications Coordinator
317-713-4670; Vicky.Oddi@usatf.org


Lagat runs to record in Gotham

NEW YORK - On a frigid night in New York City, the world's finest track and field athletes brought the heat to one of the worlds most famous indoor arenas, Madison Square Garden. Bernard Lagat's dominating record-eighth win in the Wanamaker Mile and three world leaders kept fans on the edge of their seats Friday night at the 103rd Millrose Games.

Two-time Olympic medalist and 2007 double world champion Bernard Lagat now stands alone in the Millrose Games record book. He is the only athlete ever to win eight Wanamaker Mile trophyies. Content to sit on the shoulder of 2008 Olympic gold medalist Asbel Kiprop (KEN), it was not until the bell rang that Lagat shot past Kiprop and continued to extend his lead over the final lap before crossing the line in 3:56.34 with Kirpop coming in second (3:58.03). With his historic eight win, Lagat collected all of the night's hardware, including Team USA Athlete of the Meet, presented by Visa, which comes with a $2500 bonus. Lagat has decided to donate this, and all bonus monies he might earn this indoor season, to the Haiti Relief Fund.

The man mountain himself, reigning World Indoor and Outdoor champion Christian Cantwell dominated the Visa men's shot put, winning by over a meter in a field that featured four athletes with 15 World and Olympic medals. With four throws over 21.36m/70-1, Cantwell had a best effort of 21.95m/72-0.25. 2007 World Outdoor champion Reese Hoffa took second with 20.59m/67-6.75 and two-time Olympic silver medalist Adam Nelson, the most-medaled man in World Outdoor shot history, was third with 20.51m/67-3.5. With his victory, Cantwell catapulted into the Visa Championship Series points lead.

In the inaugural Super LX, Anthony Dorsett, Jr. resurrected his track and field past to deliver a come-from-behind victory over Phillip Buchanon and the rest of the field. It was Buchanon who led the first 55 meters, but it's a 60 meter race. In the end, it was Dorsett who, with a lean at the tape, stole the win in 7.01 with 1983 World Outdoor 4x100m gold medalist Willie Gault making a late push to take third. Tim Dwight took fourth with Ryan LaCasse rounding out the field in fifth.

In the men's 60m hurdles, age beat out youth as two-time Olympic silver medalist and reigning Indoor Visa and Millrose Games champion Terrence Trammell won over 2009 World Outdoor champion Ryan Brathwaite (BAR), running 7.49 to 7.61, respectively. 2009 World Outdoor decathlon champion Trey Hardee took third in 7.78.

The third time was just as sweet for 2009 World Outdoor silver medalist Priscilla Lopes-Schliep, as she won her third-consecutive Millrose Games crown in the women's 60m hurdles, crossing the line in 8.01. 2008 NCAA Indoor and Outdoor champion Tiffany Ofili finished second in 8.04 and two-time USA Outdoor champion Ginnie Powell was second in 8.07.

After having to sit on the sidelines for 7 months with an Achilles injury, Lisa Barber is back. The 2006 World Indoor champion and reining USA Indoor champion, Barber stormed down the track with two-time Olympic 200m gold medalist Veronica Campbell-Brown (JAM)hot on her heels. But it was Barber's day as she was able to hold off her competition and finish 7.237 to Campbell-Brown's 7.240. Two-time Olympian Muna Lee took third in 7.25.

Stumbling out of the blocks and, by his own admission, all the way down the track, Ivory Williams edged out reigning Millrose champion Michael Rodgers, winning the Visa men's 60m in 6.59 to Rodgers' 6.60. Travis Padgett took third in 6.62.

In the Howard Schmertz women's pole vault, 2009 World Outdoor silver medalist Chelsea Johnson stepped up to fill the void once again of American record-holder Jenn (Stuczynski) Suhr, who had to withdraw from competition due to her continued recovery from a 2009 Achilles injury. It was all Johnson all the time as she had first attempt clearances at 4.31m/14-1.75, 4.41m/14-5.5 and 4.51m/14-9.5, before going out at 4.65m/15-3. Becky Holliday finished in the runner-up position with 4.41m/14-5.5. On the men's side, it was up-and-comer Mark Hollis who stole the show winning the Fred Schmertz men's pole vault with a best clearance of 5.60m/18-4.5.

In the Mel Shepphard men's 600 yard run, two-time World Outdoor 400m hurdle medalist and 2008 Olympic bronze medalist Bershawn Jackson led wire-to-wire to win in 1:11.26. The women's 400m was a battle between world-ranked #10 Monica Hargrove and three-time Olympian Aliann Pompey (GUY), with Hargrove pulling away at the end to win it in 55.07 to Pompey's 55.19.

The Seaman family brought home both race walk titles tonight as Tim Seaman won his 42nd national title in winning the Susan Rudin men's 1 mile race walk in 5:52.43. His wife, Canadian Rachel Seaman won the women's 1 mile race walk in 6:49.20 and Teresa Vaill, as the first American across the line, won the women's USATF National Championship 1 mile walk in 6:52.54. Seaman's prodigy, 2009 World Youth and Pan Am Junior team member Trevor Barron, placed third overall in the men's race, walking an American high school record 6:03.48 in the process.

Also at the track, Sheree Francis (JAM) won the John Thomas women's high jump with a best effort of 1.88m/6-2. Boaz Lalang (KEN) won the Joe Yancey men's 800m in 1:50.51 and Hannah England (GBR) won the Fred Lebow women's mile in 4:31.48.

2009 World Youth team member Cory McGee (Pass Christian HS, Pass Christian, MS) won the NYRR girls high school mile in 4:52.77, finishing ahead of 2009 Pan Am Jr 5,000m silver medalist Aisling Cuffe (Cornwall HS, New Windsor, N.Y.), who was the runner-up in 4:55.56. Pat Schellberg (Delbarton, Morristown, N.J.) won the NYRR boys high school mile in 4:14.84 over Anthony Kostelac (Albemarle, Charlottesville, Va.), who was part of the 4x800m that set the national record at last year's Penn Relays, who took second in 4:16.75.

For more information on the 2010 Millrose Games and the 2010 Visa Championship Series, visit: www.visachampionshipseries.com or www.millrose-games.com.
About USA Track & Field

USA Track & Field (USATF) is the National Governing Body for track and field, long-distance running and race walking in the United States. USATF encompasses the world's oldest organized sports, some of the most-watched events of Olympic broadcasts, the #1 high school and junior high school participatory sport and more than 30 million adult runners in the United States.

For more information on USATF, visit www.usatf.org

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