Rupp, Lowe win VCS titles to highlight final day of USA Indoor Championships
Feb 27, 2012
PRINCETON, COLUMBIA EARN HEPS TITLES THANKS TO DISTANCE VICTORIESBy Chris Lotsbom(c) 2012 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved. Used with permission.ITHACA, NY (26-Feb) -- With help from middle and long distance victories, the men of Princeton and women of Columbia earned Ivy League Heptagonal titles here today. Princeton's Donn Cabral, Trevor Van Ackeren, and Peter Callahan won the 5000m, 1000m, and 800m, respectively, while Columbia's Waverly Neer took the women's 3000m.Going into the men's 5000m, Princeton's main focus was the team competition. Leading Cornell by a slim margin, the Tigers wanted to extend their cushion. Numbers were in their favor, as Princeton had five men in the event, while Cornell had none."We were really focused on Cornell, trying to edge them in the team battle. What we were trying to do is get as many of our guys into the top six as possible," said Cabral, the eventual winner of the race. Keeping the pace slow early on, the senior was able to break away with 300m to go, ultimately defending his title in 14:23.67."I waited and waited, [keeping the pace like it was] and it ended up paying off, because our guys finished second and fourth," said the senior Cabral. "In events like the distance races, we need to get as many points as we can."Following Cabral, the Tigers' Chris Bendtsen finished second, while Jonathan Vitez took fourth; in total, 22 points were scored by Princeton in the event. Earlier in the day, Peter Callahan won the 800m in 1:49.72, and Van Ackeren the 1000m in 2:26.08. 89 of the 184 points Princeton scored ended up being earned in the distance disciplines, including the 4x800m and distance medley relay."This meet is all about getting tough," said Callahan after his 4:02 split in the distance medley relay. "It's so close every point matters, so I just went out there and tried to pick off as many people as I could, trying to get more points."The team competition was also on Waverly Neer's mind when she earned Columbia ten points in the 3000m."I wanted to contribute to our team's overall score, and I knew finishing high would help the team in the end," said the freshman from Indiana. She did just that, breaking away from Dartmouth's Alexi Pappas with 600m remaining to get her first career Heps title."My coaches told me if I was feeling great, go at 800m; if I wasn't feeling so great, go at 600m. I wasn't feeling so great, so I went at 600m, and fortunately it worked out pretty well."Pappas had led up until then, when Neer began to separate, showing the speed she used earlier in the day to take third in the mile."I'm excited my fitness is at a really good level. I haven't done too much speed work yet, so to have a good last 600m was really great," said Neer, who is excited to race the 3000m at the NCAA Championships.In the women's mile, Dartmouth's Abbey D'Agostino rebounded from a heartbreaking loss at the line yesterday in the 5000m to take the victory in 4:46.81."I didn't want that [loss] to get in my way, so I channeled it, and here we are," said the sophomore who is also qualified for the NCAA Championships 3000m.The men's mile was won by Columbia's Kyle Merber in 4:21.11. After a pedestrian first half, Merber was able to break from the field down the stretch to win convincingly. He came back later in the day to help the team's distance medley relay, splitting 4:06 unofficially for the win.Harvard's Meghan Looney took the women's 800m.ENDS
MANZANO RECLAIMS USA INDOOR 1500M TITLE**Simpson Completes Double-Title Defense**By David Monti(c) 2012 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved. Used with Permission.ALBUQUERQUE (26-Feb) -- Both Leo Manzano and Jenny Simpson won their second USA indoor 1500m titles here on the second and final day of the USA Indoor Championships at the Albuquerque Convention Center. Manzano reclaimed the title he won in 2010, while Simpson successfully defended her 2011 crown, duplicating her 1500m/3000m double victory from these championships last year.Manzano, who represents Nike and runs for the Austin Track Club, needed all of his vaunted closing speed to prevail in today's race. Galen Rupp, who finished third in last night's 3000m here, decided to double back and made a brave challenge to win today, taking the lead with two and one-half laps to go. Manzano was running third with Garrett Heath between him and Rupp. Reigning USA outdoor champion Matthew Centrowitz, who is as strong a kicker as Manzano, was sitting in fourth."I knew that Matt Centrowitz and Galen were not guys to be messed around with," Manzano told Race Results Weekly. "Coming off last year I didn't really know what to expect. I just knew those guys were contenders."Coming out of the final turn, Rupp still had the lead, Heath had fallen back, and Centrowitz looked to be comfortably in second place. But Manzano, pumping his arms furiously in the final 50 meters, shot past both Centrowitz and Rupp on the outside to get the win in 3:48.05."They made a couple of great moves and I had to cover them," Manzano said. "I'm just very blessed to have that kick."Centrowitz was also able to pass Rupp, take second, and secure a spot on Team USA for the IAAF World Indoor Championships in Istanbul next month."It was a crazy race," Centrowitz said. "I mean, Jeff See fell and the pace was just like fartlek, then it went really hard with 600 to go. I wasn't in the greatest position, but I'm pleased with how I reacted."Rupp finished third, the same position as in last night's race. See, who did a full somersault after tripping with about 350 meters to go, finished seventh."The first thing I knew I was on my back," lamented See.Manzano wasn't yet sure if he would take his world team berth, but Centrowitz said he would.Simpson had an easier time than Manzano, but had to hold off a strong challenge from New Balance teammate Brenda Martinez to secure win. Simpson had taken the lead of the seven and one-half lap race with five laps to go, and was stretching the field out."I knew when I took the lead I just couldn't go up there and sit around," Simpson told reporters. I knew I really needed to take command of the lead and I did that."With about 150 meters to go, Martinez was struggling to find running room on the backstretch, and briefly tussled with Lauren Johnson."I could have prevented getting boxed in on the second to last lap," Martinez said. "I should have responded if I knew someone was creeping on the side of me. There was a chance I could have won."Running wide, Martinez passed Johnson and Sara Vaughn and began to catch Simpson, who wasn't aware of Martinez's position because of the noise of the crowd."I didn't hear her, but you know when you hear that something's going on and so you don't shut it down." Simpson said. "I didn't necessarily know she was right there."Martinez sprinted as hard as she could, but just couldn't catch Simpson who won in 4:15.04 to beat Martinez by 7/100ths of a second. Vaughn finished third (4:18.25) and Johnson fourth (4:19.30)."I'm just really happy that it turned out the way it did," said Simpson who reiterated that she won't be competing in the IAAF World Indoor Championships. Martinez said she would take her team spot, meaning that Vaughn will get the second team spot.In the men's 800m, Duane Solomon successfully defended his 2011 title with a commanding wire-to-wire run. Solomon got the field out in 25.85 seconds for the first 200m, never looked back, and won going away in 1:48.58."It felt really comfortable," said Solomon, who also won at these championships last year. "Yesterday (in the preliminary round) it was tough, you know. But today, I had so much at the end. I probably could have went faster. I really felt great today."Behind Solomon things were a lot messier. With 100 meters to go in the race, three other men --Michael Rutt, Tevan Everett and Mark Wieczorek-- were all in contention for second place, which would mean a trip to the World Indoor Championships. Coming into turn-3, Wieczorek tried to go wide around Everett, but the broad-shouldered Everett was drifting out slighty and making it hard to pass. At the same time, Rutt was trying to get through on the inside, bumped Everett, then surged down the inside lane on the homestretch to take second in 1:49.90. Wieczorek eventually passed Everett to finish third just 6/100ths behind Rutt."I knew it was the only way I was going to get around Tevan and Mark," Rutt explained. "I felt Tevan pushing on the outside --he was on the outside of lane-1-- so I thought, well, I'll see what I can do."With is second place finish, Rutt qualifed for the World Indoor Championships.Former heptathlete Erica Moore ran away with the women's 800m title, to win her first ever national championship. Moore took the field through half-way in 58.78, then increased her lead over the final two laps, clocking 2:01.08 and winning over Phoebe Wright, the defending champion, by two seconds."I've been working on building my confidence enough to lead in races like that," Moore said. "It's just a totally different mindset running from the front. You have to be confident knowing that you can handle the pressure of being in front."Both Moore and Wright plan to run at the World Indoor Championships.As exciting as the middle distance action was here today, the star of the meet was high-jumper Chaunte Lowe. The mother of two cleared 2.02m on her final attempt to break Tisha Waller's American record. The crowd roared, and Lowe did one of her endearing celebration dances. In the men's pole vault, Brad Walker also had an excellent day clearing 5.86m, then attempted a new American record of 6.00m (he missed on all three tries). World leaders were also recorded by Sanya Richards-Ross in the 400m (50.71), Trell Kimmons in the 60m (6.45), Kristi Castlin in the 60m hurdles (7.84), and Tiana Madison in the 60m (7.02). David Oliver had a bad race and only finished fifth in the 60m hurdles.The USA Indoor Championships return to the Albuquerque Convention Center in both 2013 and 2014.ENDS
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Feb 24, 2012
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There is a lot of track and field LIVE this weekend on the internets! We wanted to put it all in one place for your viewing pleasure. If we left anything out please leave it in the comments below for everyone. Good luck to everyone racing and enjoy a great weekend of track and field action!
Feb 23, 2012
USATF Statement on logo guidelines at 2012 USA Indoor Championships (via email from USATF)
2012 USATF Indoor Track and Field Championships Schedule
