A tremendous weekend of track & field around the US, with the NCAA Indoor Champs in Texas, and the New Balance Indoor high school champs in New York. On my walk into the office this morning, I called a keen observer of the sport, and while we hailed Lukas Verzbicas for his tremendous triple, this keen observer reminded me about Jordan Hasay: ” Jordan has been doing some speedwork. That she could win the mile and the 3,000 meters, in such tough competition, shows that Hasay has gone from a top high schooler to being able to battle with the best collegiate athletes…”

I could not have said it better….

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EME NEWS (MAR 13, 2011)

THREE WORLD LEADS

COLLEGE STATION (USA,
Mar 12): Oregon women and Florida men won the NCAA Team titles and
repeated their wins from 2010. Three new world leading marks were registered
during second day at Gilliam Stadium before 4487 crowd. Lakya Brookins improved
to 7.09 at 60 m
(ahead of Jessica Young 7.17 and Keyanna Wilson 7.18 PB). 2008 world junior
relay champion Jessica Beard posted years fastest 400 m 50.79, also her indoor
best and US third indoor all-time. World leading 3:04.24 in the 4×400 m relay
for Texas AM
(Howell, Pinder/BAH, Miller, Henry/ISV). In the individual 400 m Bahamian Demetrius
Pinder clocked indoor national record 45.33 to win, also third fastest of the
year. Second title defender Torrin Lawrence 45.96, while in second race world
leader Kirani James fell after first lap. Another fast runner Tony McQuay was
battling with hamstring tweak. In the women 4×400 m also gold for Texas AM in second
fastest of the season 3:29.72 (Tarmoh, Mayungbe/NGR, Sutherland/JAM, Beard).
Jordan Hasay achieved impressive double 4:33.01 at mile (PB) and 9:12.71 in the
3000 m.
Brianna Rollins won the 60 m
hurdles and was fast as never before (7.96). Foreign wins in pole vault
(Slovenian Tina Sutej 445) and shot put (Canadian Julie Labonte 17.53). In
highly anticipated 60 m
Jeff Demps clocked life-time best 6.53 to beat Michael Granger 6.55 (also PB).
Favorite Mookie Salaam battled with hamstring injury and was 8th (6.92).
Jamaican Andrew Riley won the hurdles and achieved another career best 7.58.
Tactical distances saw Kenyan Fred Samoei winning the 800 m (1:48.33) and Miles
Batty the mile (3:59.49). Impressive improvement for Canadian high jumper Derek
Drouin with 233. That means also the same mark as Canadian record of Mark
Boswell from 2000. Excellent personal best 17.32 for triple winner Will Claye,
also a meet record (former 17.31 by Briton Keith Connor back in 1981). Miller
Moss scored 5986 PB to win the heptathlon over Lars Vikan Rise of Norway
(5902, national record).

DESISA FAST 59:37 IN
HALF-MARATHON

DEN HAAG (NED, Mar 13): Young Ethiopian Lelisa Desisa (21) won the 37th
Den Haag Half-Marathon (City – Pier – City Loop) in fast life-time best 59:37.
It was second fastest HM of the 2011. Second was his team-mate Azmeraw Bekele (59:39.
PB) and third Kenyan Peter Kirui (59:40) over Ethiopian Ayele Abshiro (59:42
PB). Best Dutch runner was Koen Raymaekers as 12th in life-time best 1:02:09.
Kenyan Filomena Chepchirchir was the best woman getting personal best 1:09:06
clearly over Ethiopian Tsgerea Girma 1:10:30 and another Kenyan Joyce Kandie
1:11:50. Best Dutch Mariska Kramer as fifth in 1:14:24.

RACERS TC 38.43

KINGSTON (JAM, Mar 12): Racers TC team without Usain
Bolt but with Daniel Bailey of Antigua,
Remaldo Rose, Kenroy Anderson and Yohan Blake won the 4×100 m in world leading
38.43. The MVP team was disqualified at the 35th Gibson Relays at renovated
blue track of National Stadium. Racers also won both 4×400 m, women in 3:36.96
(Lloyd, Cunningham, Prendergast, R. Whyte) and men in 3:05.14 (A. White,
Robertson, Steele, Fothergill). Winston Barnes won the 100 m in world leading 10.17
(+0.7) over national champion Ohsane Bailey (10.20) and Sheldon Mitchell
(10.22, personal best). In other race Kenroy Anderson achieved personal best 10.18
(+0.8) ahead of junior Kemar Bailey Cole 10.32 (PB).

INDOOR

BAD OEYNHAUSEN (GER, Mar 12): Malte Mohr cleared 562 to win the 10th
special pole vault meeting before 2000 spectators. He tried then at new meet
record height 582 cm.
Tim Lobinger and Bjorn Otto tied for second (542). Ukranian Maksim Mazuryk went
over 532 and was only 6th.

VALASKE MEZIRICI (CZE, Mar 12): Final special high jump meeting of the
winter in Czech Republic
was won by Jaroslav Baba with solid 226 clearance. Oldriska Maresova as best
woman went over 184 cm.

AUBIERE (FRA, Mar 13): 200
m winners at French Indoor Championships were in U19
category Jeffrey John (21.36) and in the U17 Mickael Meba-Zeze with the same
21.36.

ALBUQUERQUE (USA, Mar 12): Jamaican Kimour Bruce
clocked his personal best 6.62 at 60
m to win the NCAA II Championships. Second Desmond
Jackson also life-time fastest 6.64. Terrel Cotton improved to 20.94 to be the
best at the 200 m.
Jamaican wins for hurdler Leford Green at the 400 m (46.38 indoor PB) and
Indira Spence (60 m
hurdles, 8.07).

OUTDOOR

CC AND
ROAD

BRESCIA (ITA, Mar 13): Kenyan favorite Albert Kangor
won the Art Brescia Marathon in 2:14:05. Second Ethiopian Degefa Abebe Negewo
clocked 2:19:30. Croatian women win for Marija Vrasic (2:56:24).

OOSTENDE (BEL, Mar 13): Veerle Dejaeghere won her third
Belgian CC title in a row with 21:23 at 6.575 km . Second Selien
de Schrijder in 21:31. Dejaeghere won also the whole series Lotto CrossCup.
Atelaw Bekele won the male title at 10.07 km with 29:01 ahead of Ethiopian Faisa
Dame Tasana (29:10) and Jeroen D´Hoedt (29:19) who dominated in the final
ranking of Lotto CrossCup. D´Hoedt after the race revealed he wants to qualify
for Daegu in the steeple.

ST. POLTEN (AUT, Mar 13): Top Austrian runner Gunther Weidlinger in his
preparation for Dusseldorf Marathon won the national CC title at 9.45 km in 30:06. Second
Martin Proll who is in preparation for Linz Marathon achieved 31:33 and also
won the short course at 4.2
km (13:42). Anita Baierl was the best in women 5.8 km (22:32).

LEVERKUSEN (GER, Mar 13): Sabrina Mockenhaupt clocked new
course record at Leverkusen
10 km
road race 32:22. The same for male winner Kenyan Pius Maiyo (28:16).

CIVITANOVA (ITA, Mar 13): Kenyan Josphat Koech won the 37th
Half-marathon here in 1:03:52 ahead of team-mate Solomon Kirwa 1:03:53.
Moroccan Soumiya Labani was the best woman (1:12:17).

PIEVE DI CENTO (ITA, Mar 13): Taoufique El Barhoumi of Morocco was the best at the 28th
Maratonina delle 4 Porte here in 1:03:43 ahead of Kenyan Eric Chirchir 1:03:48.
Giovanna Epis scored women win for Italy (1:13:41).

TRACK

VITERBO (ITA, Mar 13): European medalist Nicola Vizzoni won the Italian
winter title in hammer with 73.26.

CONWAY (USA, Mar 12): Fred Townsend posted
13.78 (+1.9) at 110 m
hurdles during Coastal Carolina Invitational.

SYDNEY (AUS, Mar 13): Spectators at the Australian Junior Athletics
Championships have been thrilled as Carla Williams and Nicholas Hough blazed
the straight to win gold in the girl’s and boy’s under 20 100m respectively.
Entering the race as the second fastest qualifier, Williams won in a meet
record 11.76 (+0.4). Clocking a wind assisted 10.40 (+2.3), Hough and fellow
New South Welshman Ben Jaworski (second in 10.43) were neck and neck as they
crossed the line before Hough was declared winner by the photo finish judge. In
the boy’s under 18 100m, Jarrod Geddes reigned supreme with his time of 10.45
(+3.4) a new meet record. Victorian Jack Sheridan (47.32) won the boy’s under
18 400m to book his ticket to the world youth championships in Lille.

WALK

XINTAI (CHN, Mar 13): Du Yunpong won the 50 km walk during last day of
National GP walking meet in 3:57:04. Also under 4 hours second Zhao Jianguo
3:58:32. Junior winner at 30
km was Zhao Qi (2:11:31), informs Tilastopaja.

NITRA (SVK, Mar 12): Milan Rizek won the national
track walking meet at 10
000 m with 42:27.7. Second Patrik Spevak clocked new
national youth record 42:39.3 and qualified for World U17 Championships in France.

ALME (ITA, Mar 13): Matteo Giupponi won the first leg of Italian walking
GP at 10 km
in 41:24. Olympic 50k gold medalist Alex Schwazer was satisfied with his test
as second (41:59). Women winner Sibilla Di Vincenzo achieved 45:44.

CORRECTION

ADDIS ABABA (ETH): Winfried Kramer points out there is no
fully automatic timing in Ethiopia.
They use a photo-finish device but the start is manual, informs Kramer. This
information is important in connection to recent new national women 400 m record.