INDIANAPOLIS - Bernard Lagat, Galen Rupp and Nick Symmonds will lead America's finest men's middle and long distance runners at the 2010 USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships, June 23-27 at Drake Stadium on the campus of Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa.
The third event of the 2010 USATF Outdoor Visa Championship Series, the 2010 USA Outdoor Championships will be televised on the following dates (All times Eastern):
June 25 - 8:00 - 10 p.m. on ESPN
June 26 - 1:00 - 2:30 p.m. on ESPN
June 26 - 3:00 - 4:00 p.m. on NBC
June 27 - 1:00 - 2:30 p.m. on ESPN
June 27 - 3:00 - 4 p.m. on NBC
USATF will partner with RunnerSpace to provide real-time coverage of all events not broadcast on television beginning on Wednesday, June 23. Highlighted competitions include Thursday's men's and women's 10,000m as well as extensive field event coverage. In addition to the events' video coverage, the webcasts will also include the voices of elite athletes as guest commentators.
The webcasts will be found on the USATF 2010 Championships page in addition to an already posted video clip from USATF CEO Doug Logan on the partnership at www.usatf.org
800m
2008 Olympian Nick Symmonds will look to win his third consecutive USA Outdoor title after finishing sixth at the 2009 World Outdoor Championships in Berlin in becoming the first American to make the men's 800m final since Rich Kenah won the bronze medal and Mark Everett finished eighth in 1997. Symmonds, who enters this season ranked #1 in the U.S. by Track & Field News for the second consecutive year, posted the fastest time by an American this season of 1:45.05 from his second-place finish at the adidas Grand Prix on June 12.
Symmonds will be challenged by his 2008 Olympic teammate Christian Smith, who finished fourth at last year's Nationals and ended the season ranked #3 nationally by T&FN. Other challengers include UCLA junior Cory Primm, who finished fifth earlier this month at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, and currently owns the fourth-fastest time by an American this season of 1:45.70. Also keep an eye on Ryan Martin of UC-Santa Barbara, who finished fourth at the NCAA Championships, and Charles Jock of UC-Irvine, who owns the sixth-fastest qualifying time.
Visa Men's 1,500m
2009 World Outdoor Championships eighth-place finisher Lopez Lomong will look to continue the momentum he generated from last year's breakthrough season that was highlighted by his 1,500m win at the USA Outdoor Championships in Eugene, Ore. The opening ceremonies flag bearer for the American delegation at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, Lomong owns the fastest qualifying time in the field of 3:32.94. His time of 3:35.77 from his sixth-place finish at the adidas Grand Prix in New York is the third-fastest by an American this outdoor season.
Lomong's challengers include 2008 Olympian and 2009 World Outdoor Championships finalist Leo Manzano, who captured the 2008 NCAA Outdoor 1,500m title in 2008. Also keep an eye on Dorian Ulrey, who finished third at this event last year and ended the 2009 campaign ranked #4 in the U.S. by T&FN.
Known primarily for his prowess in the 5,000 meters, two-time World Outdoor Championships team member Matt Tegenkamp owns the fifth-fastest 1,500m qualifying time in the field of 3:36.12 from his eighth-place finish at the adidas Grand Prix. Others to watch include 2004 USA Junior champion David Torrence, who owns the fourth-fastest time this year by an American of 3:35.81, former Stanford standout Russell Brown, who owns the sixth-fastest qualifying time in the field (3:36.89) and Stephen Pifer, who finished fourth in this event last year in Eugene.
3,000m Steeplechase
2008 Olympian Josh McAdams will be a favorite to win his third career U.S. steeple title after finishing last season ranked #1 in the country by T&FN for the second time in his career. He'll face a tough fight from Dan Huling, who finished second to McAdams at last year's championships and posted the fastest time by an American this season of 8:21.68 from his fourth-place finish at the adidas Grand Prix in New York City.
Top contenders include 2008 Olympic Trials winner and Olympic Games finalist Anthony Famiglietti, who is entered in the steeple after focusing most of his attention last year on the 5,000 meters. 2003 national champion Steve Slattery will also be in the mix, along with Kyle Alcorn, who finished third at last year's championships and also look for Benjamin Bruce, who finished fifth at last year's Nationals and ended the season ranked #3 in the U.S.
Nike Men's 5,000m
Two-time Olympic medalist Bernard Lagat is considered a heavy favorite in this event after capturing the silver medal at the 2009 World Outdoor Championships and finishing last season ranked #2 in the world. Lagat, who posted the American Outdoor 5,000m record and fifth-fastest time in the world this year of 12:54.12 with his third-place finish at the Bislett Games on June 4, earlier this year won the 3,000m gold medal at the World Indoor Championships. He set the U.S. Indoor 5,000m record of 13:11.50 at the Reebok Boston Indoor Games. Lagat has been ranked as the top American in this event the last five years.
Others to watch include 2008 NCAA champion and sixth-place finisher at the Olympic Trials Bobby Curtis, former University of California standout Bolota Asmerom, who finished fourth at the 2008 Olympic Trials and 2009 USA Outdoor Championships, Anthony Famiglietti, who placed eighth last year in Eugene and Scott Bauhs, who finished tenth at last year's championships. 10,000m specialist Tim Nelson is also entered to compete in the 5,000m.
Nike Men's 10,000m
Defending champion Galen Rupp is the unquestioned favorite in the Nike Men's 10,000m following a tremendous 2009 season where he also won the NCAA Championship in his final year at the University of Oregon and finished eighth at the World Outdoor Championships in Berlin. Rupp posted the fourth-fastest time in the world and second-fastest clocking by an American this season with his 27:10.74 in Palo Alto, Calif., on May 1.
Former Arizona State standout Fasil Bizuneh, who has been ranked in the top ten in the U.S. the last two years, owns the second-fastest qualifying time in the field of 28:00.22, and Scott Bauhs' qualifying time of 28:03.99 from earlier this year makes him the third-fastest qualifier. Also look for 2004 Olympic Games 12th place finisher Dan Browne and to be in the mix, along with James Carney, who placed fourth at last year's championships and ended the 2009 campaign ranked #5 in the U.S.
20 km Race Walk
A two-time Olympian and five-time USA 20 km champion, Tim Seaman owns 42 national race walk championships and is tied with National Track & Field Hall of Famer Henry Laskau for the second most U.S. crowns in history.
Seaman, who enters as the defending champion, will be challenged by Patrick Stroupe, who finished as the runner-up last year in Eugene. Other top entries include Benjamin Shorey, who placed third at last year's championships, John Nunn who placed fourth and Raymond Sharp, who will compete in this event for the first time since 2007 when he finished seventh.
Tickets for the 2010 USA Outdoor Championships may be purchased by dialing 515-271-3647 or by visiting: www.godrakebulldogs.com
For more information on the 2010 USA Outdoor Championships and the USATF Visa Championship Series, visit: www.visachampionshipseries.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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