INDIANAPOLIS - The spotlight will shine brightly on reigning World Outdoor champions Christian Cantwell and Dwight Phillips during the men's field events 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 final stop 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. Highlighted competitions in the webcast include Thursday's men's and women's 10,000m as well as extensive field event coverage. 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
Cantwell on top?
Reigning World Outdoor champion Christian Cantwell entered this season ranked #1 in the world by Track & Field News, and thus far in 2010 he's continued his dominance. Cantwell, who won his third career World Indoor title in March, posted the longest throw in the world this year with his toss of 22.35 meters/73 feet 4 inches last Saturday in St. Charles, Mo.
Cantwell will face his longtime foes Reese Hoffa, Adam Nelson and Dan Taylor in what should be a fascinating competition, but newcomers for the first time might provide a twist. Hoffa is the 2007 World Outdoor champion and 2006 World Indoor champ, Nelson owns two Olympic Games silver medals, and was the 2005 world champion, while Taylor won the USA Indoor title in 2009 and twice has placed second outdoors.
Potential spoilers include 2008 NCAA Outdoor champion Cory Martin, whose life changed in a big way on his 25th birthday when he posted a monster personal best and then world-leading heave of 22.10m/72-6.25 on May 22 in Tucson, Ariz. One week later in Sacramento, he backed it up with a throw of 21.55m/70-8.50.
Also keep an eye out for two-time NCAA c hampion Ryan Whiting of Arizona State. Whiting owns the third and fourth best throws in the world this year, with his best of 21.97m/72-1 coming in securing his win at NCAAs.
Long Jump
2004 Olympic gold medalist Dwight Phillips captured his third career World Outdoor title last year and ended the season ranked #1 in the world by T&FN for the fourth time in his career. Phillips' 2009 season was highlighted by his win at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Ore., where he posted a leap of 8.74m/28 feet 8.25 inches, which is the longest in the world since Mike Powell set the world record at the 1991 World Outdoor Championships in Tokyo, Japan. Phillips has the longest jump in the world this year of 8.42m/27-7.50 with his June 10 win in Rome.
Challengers to Phillips will include Brian Johnson, who finished second to Phillips at last year's USA Outdoor Champs and the University of Florida's Christian Taylor, who owns the second best jump by an American this year of 8.19m/26-10.50.
Triple Jump
Brandon Roulhac enjoyed a breakthrough season in 2009 highlighted by winning the USA Indoor and Outdoor Championships. Roulhac, who was ranked #5 in the U.S. following the 2008 season, is now ranked as the nation's #1 triple jumper.
2005 World Outdoor champion and 2006 World Indoor champion Walter Davis will look to knock off Roulhac for the top spot in Des Moines. Others to watch include 2007 World Youth champion and 2009 NCAA Indoor champion Christian Taylor, who earlier this month won the NCAA Outdoor title with a jump of 17.09m/56-1.
High Jump
The men's high jump should be a competitive affair with a pair of entrants currently owning two of the top three clearances in the world this season.
2010 World Indoor Championships bronze medalist Dusty Jonas posted the best performance in the world this outdoor season when he cleared 2.33m/7-7.25 in winning at Lincoln, Neb., on May 8. Two-time NCAA Outdoor champ and 2010 USA indoor champion Jesse Williams will be looking to win his second career national outdoor title.
Others to watch include 2009 USA Indoor champ Andra Manson, reigning USA Outdoor champ and 2004 Olympian Tora Harris, 2004 Olympic Games fourth-place finisher Jamie Nieto and 2009 World Outdoor Championships finalist Keith Moffatt.
Pole Vault
2004 Olympic Games fourth-place finisher Derek Miles was #1 U.S.-ranked last year and posted the top performance by an American this outdoor season when he cleared 5.80m/19-0.25 on May 29 in Sacramento.
Another favorite in Des Moines is 2007 World Outdoor champion and 2005 World Outdoor Champs silver medalist Brad Walker, who won his third USA Outdoor crown last year prior to injuries causing him to miss the World Outdoor Championships. 2009 USA Outdoor Champs runner-up Jeremy Scott will be in the mix, along with 2004 Olympic gold medalist Tim Mack and 2010 NCAA Outdoor champion Jordan Scott from the University of Kansas.
Discus
Two-time Olympian Casey Malone will be the favorite after winning his first national discus title in 2009, and placing fifth at the World Championships. Challenging him will be three-time national champion Ian Waltz and 2009's second-ranked American discus thrower Jarred Rome.
Looking to win his first U.S. discus title will be Jason Young, who made a big splash with his toss of 69.90m/229-4 in Lubbock, Texas on March 26, the second best throw in the world this season.
Hammer
Two-time Olympian A.G. Kruger, who has a four year winning streak in this event, owns the best throw by an American this season (77.35m/253-9) and has been ranked #1 in the U.S. in three of the last four years. However, two-time NACAC champion Jake Freeman wrested the #1 ranking from Kruger last year and will be looking to capture his first U.S. Outdoor title. Other contenders include Mike Mai, who finished third at last year's USA Outdoor Championships and placed fifth at the 2008 Olympic Trials.
Javelin
During his final year at the University of Georgia in 2009, Chris Hill won his second NCAA javelin title, finished first at the USA Outdoor Championships and ended the season ranked #1 in the nation by T&FN. Hill posted the best throw by an American this season with his winning toss of 79.73m/261-7in Missoula, Mont., on June 5. Others to watch include 2009 World Outdoor Championships 12th-place finisher Sean Furey and 2008 Olympian Mike Hazle.
Decathlon
2003 World Outdoor champion Tom Pappas, who is a five-time USA Outdoor champion ('00, '02, '03, '06, '07), will enter the classic ten event challenge as a favorite. He posted his best score in five years of 8,569 points in leading Team USA to a victory over Germany at the 2009 Thorpe Cup Combined Events Challenge in Marburg, Germany.
Also keep a watchful eye on Robert "Jake" Arnold, who set a personal best last month in Gotzis when he totaled 8,253 points. A two-time World Outdoor Championships competitor, Arnold finished third at the last year's USA Championships. NCA A runner-up Michael Morrison of Cal also is entered in the event.
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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