Chris Solinsky, running his first race of the year, ran a personal best at the mile, of 3:54.52, as he won the Flotrack UW Husky Invitational! A great opening for Solinsky as he begins his campaign to Daegu, Korea!

I spent weekend at the Wisconsin Track Coaches Clinic. With just under 1200 coaches, and the likes of Jeff Hartwig, John Godina, Gwen Wentlund McKenzie and Larry Rawson, this was an excellent reminder to me on who we write and publish magazines for.Great group of coaches, and a wonderful weekend! 

From 1996 to 2005, I spent every second weekend in February here, learning about how coaches were looking for information and also seeing some amazing clinics. In that time, WTCA grew to the second largest coaching clinic in country, and in my mind, the classiest.

I received a service award from the staff, something that they had tried to give me since 2006. I told the coaches that I have always felt lucky making a living from something I love doing. I also told them that the important job is their job. Coaches are educators, not only of the physcial, but also the spiritual. Running, jumping, and throwing affects the athlete, and the coach in many ways. Our sport is all about life lessons.

LAGAT 2 MILES US BEST

NEW YORK
(USA, Feb 12): World indoor
champion Bernard Lagat broke the USA indoor two-mile record at the
Armory clocking 8:10.07 to topple Doug Padilla’s nearly 21 year-old record
(8:15.02 in 1990).  Behind him, 18
year-old Lukas Verzbicas ran 8:43.24 making him the third best high schooler of
all-time.  Lagat already holds US indoor
records at 1500 m,
mile, 3000 m
and 5000 m.
Informs RRW.

GREEK
PV RECORD

PEANIA (GRE, Feb 12): Two huge
marks in the women’s triple jump and a new national indoor record in the men’s
pole vault were the highlights of another open meeting in the Peania Indoor
Hall. European U23 champion Paraskevi Papahristou, who cut short her 2010
outdoor season due to lack of motivation, returned with a vengeance and in her
first effort posted excellent 14.40. Clearly elated she then called it a day.
Right in her footsteps followed Niki Paneta, who jumped an impressive 14.39
with a take-off of at least 20
cm behind the board, smashing thus her former overall pb
of 14.17 from 2007, in
a year when she also placed 6th in the European U23 championships. Serbian
Biljana Topic was a distant third with 13.83, struggling a bit with her runway.
Earlier Konstadinos Filippidis broke his own Greek pole vault indoor record
with a first-time clearance over 571, before failing three times at 580. Other
notable performances were recorded in three male events. In the triple jump
Dimitrios Tsiamis bettered his season best by landing twice at 16.73, in the
800m Konstadinos Nakopoulos was only 45/100ths away from the Paris
standard (1:49.45) and in the shot put Mihail Stamatoyiannis won with 19.17,
also missing the Paris
ticket for 33 cm.
A new national junior indoor record was finally registered in the women’s 1500
by 18-year-old Anastasia Karakatsani with 4:24.81, breaking the oldest junior
indoor record, which stood from 1990. Next weekend the Peania hall will see the
Greek indoor championships. Informs Thomas Constas.

W-THOMAS
AND KNIGHT WORLD LEADS

FAYETTEVILLE (USA, Feb 12):
World leading and overall best for Berlin 1500 m finalist Christin
Wurth-Thomas during second day of Tyson Invitational with 8:43.79 in the 3000 m. Another world lead
in women´s 300 m
as Bianca Knight clocked impressive seventh fastest ever 36.41 ahead of
Sharonda Williams 37.04 and Francena McCorory 37.09. Fast times also in women´s
200 m
with Kimberlyn Duncan (19) 23.01 and Candyce McGrone the same 23.01 in separate heats.
Eppley Bullock improved her high jump best to 191. In men events sensational
improvement for Eric Kynard from 229 to 233 in high jump. Will Claye leaped to 17.02 in triple jump. Fast
200 m
races for Maurice Mitchell (20.70) and Brandon Byram (20.74) in different
races.

OTHER
INDOOR RESULTS

COLLEGE STATION (USA, Feb 12): At
Texas AM Conference Challenge as expected fast sprints. Gerald Phiri of Zambia clocked
for the fourth time in his career 6.59 in the 60 m (also national record)
over talented Prezel Hardy Jr. 6.63. In the 200 m Phiri achieved 20.95,
in another section quarter-miler Tavaris Tate posted 20.99. Bryan Miller was
the best in the 400 m
(46.48). Also to note world leader at 600 y for Michael Preble 1:08.50. In
women 200 m
Dominique Duncan (20) improved her overall best to 23.14 ahead of Tiffany
Townsend 23.16 and Jasmine Chaney also 23.16. Jessica Beard got this time 52.52 in the 400 m.

AMES
(USA,
Feb 12): Megan Seidl improved here in high jump to 190 and South African Simone
du Toit achieved 17.41 in
the shot put during Iowa State Classic.

AKRON
(USA, Feb 12): Jeff See
clocked at oversized track in Ohio
his life-time best 7:50.23 in the 3000 m.

BLOOMINGTON
(USA,
Feb 12): Olympic relay winner Mary Wineberg won the 400 m with 52.70 and Andrew
Poore clocked 7:53.81 at 3000
m at the Hoosier Hills meet.

SEATTLE (USA, Feb 12):
Excellent distances at the Husky Classic (Dempsey track has 307 m) as US record holder
Chris Solinsky improved his mile best to 3:54.52 ahead of Miles Batty 3:55.79
(first sub 4 of the career) and South African Hlaselo Dumisane 3:56.84. Tim Nelson
achieved career best 7:49.95 in the 3000 m beating Garret Heath 7:50.28 (PB), Matt
Centrowitz 7:50.59 (PB), Ryan Hill 7:50.78 (only 21 years, had 8:10 before),
Kenyan Sam Chelanga 7:50.92 and miler Alan Webb 7:51.85. Top times in the 800 m by Elijah Greer 1:47.02
and Cory Primm 1:47.31. Lauren Bonds won the women mile in 4:34.65 ahead of
Jordan Hasay 4:34.75, life time bests for both. Malindi Elmore won the 3000 m in 9:04.70.

BOSTON
(USA, Feb 12): At Valentine
Invitational (Boston
University) Rob Novak
bettered his indoor 800 m
best to 1:47.20 and Erik Van Ingen offered his fastest ever mile 3:57.11.

AIR FORCE ACADEMY (USA, Feb 12):
High jump sensation Ada Robinson with 195 clearance and improvement from 183 at
Air Force Invitational. It is huge 12 cm. Melinda Owen cleared 451 in pole vault. Men´s 60 m winner Jeremy Dodson
clocked the same 6.66 as second Jamaican Kawayne Fisher 6.66.

AZUSA
(USA,
Feb 12): Olympic decathlon winner Bryan Clay competed at APU All-Comers indoor
meet and clocked good 7.79 at 60
m hurdles.

KULDIGA (LAT, Feb 12): Best
result of Latvian Indoor Championships were the 20.09 in shot put by Maris
Urtans.

OUTDOOR
RESULTS

CHIBA (JPN, Feb 13):  After two days of snow and rain the day
dawned with perfect weather conditions for the 2011 Chiba International XC Meet
(IAAF CC Permit). For domestic Japanese runner spots on the Japanese national
team for next month’s World XC Championships in Spain were  at stake. The times were accordingly fast on
the hilly and muddier than optimal Chiba
course. Kenyan Bitan Karoki as defending champion won the 12 km in 33:58 ahead of
another Kenyans living in Japan Martin Mathathi (34:22) and Charles Ndirangu
(34:29). Fourth and best Japanese Tetsuya Yoroizaka 35:23. One of the big runs
of the day came from 2007 Tokyo Marathon women’s winner Hitomi Niiya when she
won women 8 km
in 25:53 ahead of Hanae Tanaka 26:33 and Nanae Kuwashiro 26:41.Writes Brett
Larner on his Japanese running blog.

ADLER (RUS, Feb 11-12): Berlin hammer bronze medalist Aleksey Zagornyi posted at
Lunyov Memorial in Adler good 79.99
m. Sergey Litvinov who now represents Russia was second 77.08. Former
javelin world champion Sergey Makarov is still throwing and won here with solid
81.31 m.
From women events the best results in discus as Olesya Korotkova improved her
best to 62.48 ahead of European Junior Champion 2007 Vera Ganeyeva-Karnishina
with her first ever 60+ (61.03).

MONTEGO
BAY (JAM, Feb 12): MVP sprinters competed in relays during the
33rd Milo Western Relays. Men with Nesta Carter, Ainsley Waugh, Michael Frater
and anchor Asafa Powell got fast 38.53. Women team with Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce
as last runner achieved 43.68.

KINGSTON (JAM, Feb 12): Edino Steele was the 400 m star of Camperdown
Classic meet at Usain Bolt track with 46.16. He beat sprinter specialists Mario
Forsythe (46.90, PB) and Yohan Blake (47.01). Ohsane Bailey was the fastest at 100 m (10.47) and Shereefa
Lloyd achieved 53.17 in
the women 400 m.

TAURANGA (NZL, Feb 13):
Commonwealth Games decathlon silver medallist Brent Newdick collected his fifth
New Zealand
decathlon title at Tauranga over the weekend with 7296 points. Sarah Cowley won
her third national women’s heptathlon title with a score of 5752 points.
Informs New Zealand
Athletics.