Posted: May 10, 2005

Athletics: USATF News & Notes, Volume 6, Volume 34

Rupp sets American junior record

University of Oregon freshman Galen Rupp thrilled a crowd of 3,410 spectators Saturday at the Oregon Twilight Meet in Eugene by setting a new American 10,000m junior record.

In front of a packed house that had come to Hayward Field in anticipation of the record, Rupp waited patiently as Max King and Issac Arusei led him through the first 5,000 meters in 14:17, just off the pace of former Duck Rudy Chapa's record. With nine laps remaining, Rupp seized the opportunity to take charge of the race, storming to the front with a 65-second lap. Running on his own the last two miles, Rupp ran the final 5,000 meters in 13:58, hitting the tape in 28:15.51 to raze the record held by Chapa for 29 years.

Rupp told the Eugene Register-Guard that he was pleased with his performance. "It was awesome. To win a race here in an Oregon uniform, there's nothing like it," Rupp said. "People can say that it's not what it once was, but I've thought about running at Hayward Field ever since I was in high school. Everybody goes nuts and you can't ask for a better environment."

Another long-standing record of Chapa's fell Saturday when 2004 Olympian Dathan Ritzenhein set a new meet record in the 5,000 meters with a personal best of 13:22.23. Chapa's previous mark of 13:25.6 was set in 1978.

Scherf posts record performance

Meanwhile, on the other side of the country at the Heptagonal Games Association Championships in New York City, Harvard Freshman, Lindsey Scherf ran her American 10,000m junior record of 32:51.20 in a much different way than Rupp. With no pace makers and little hype, Scherf took to the lead from the start of the race with the goal of breaking the 26-year-old record held by Mary Shea (32:52.5).

Doing her own pace making for the first 20 laps, Scherf had only Columbia's Caroline Bierbaum for company as they maintained a consistent 79 seconds per lap. With five laps remaining, Bierbaum surged past Scherf to win the championship in an Ivy League record of 32:44.51.

Merritt wins in Jamaica

2004 World Junior Championships triple gold medalist LaShawn Merritt continued his winning ways Saturday at the 2005 Jamaica International Invitational in Kingston.

Merritt won the men's 400 meters in 44.66 seconds, with 2004 Olympic relay gold medalist Andrew Rock the runner-up in 44.75. Other U.S. winners in Kingston included 2004 Olympic Trials runner-up Charlie Gruber in the 1,500 meters (3:41.70), and two-time Atlantic Coast Conference outdoor high jump champion Adam Shunk, who won the competition with a clearance of 2.28 meters/7 feet, 5.75 inches.

In women's action, 2004 Team USA Olympic 4x400m relay gold medalists Sanya Richards and Monique Hennagan grabbed the top two spots in the 400 meters with Richards winning the event in 49.96 seconds, and Hennagan crossing the finish line in 50.83.

Michta takes silver and breaks U.S. record

Maria Michta of Nesconset, N.Y., set a new junior record in winning the silver medal at the 2005 Pan American Cup of Race Walking in Lima, Peru. Michta won the first international championship medal of her career by finishing in 48 minutes, 3 seconds. It was her second U.S. record at that distance in the last month, breaking her previous time of 48:15 set on April 3 in Hauppauge, NY.

Other notable performances by Team USA were turned in by Tim Seaman and Amber Antonia, who finished the Open 20 km races in 1:27:18 (11th) and 1:38:42 (8th) respectively.

Complete results from Lima are not yet available.

Wariner cruises at Modesto Relays

Two-time Olympic gold medalist Jeremy Wariner had little trouble in winning the men's 400 meters Saturday at the 2005 Coca-Cola Modesto Relays.

Wariner looked strong in winning the race in 45.16 seconds, with Godfrey Herring the runner-up (46.29) and Mitch Potter third (46.31).

In other events at Modesto, 2004 Olympian Khadevis Robinson set a new meet record in winning the men's 800m in 1:45.35, two-time Olympic medalist John Godina won the shot put with a best of 20.87 meters/68 feet, 5.75 inches and 2004 Olympic silver medalist Toby Stevenson won the pole vault with a seasonal best of 5.85m/19-2.25, the fifth-best mark in the world this year. 2004 Olympic finalist Kenta Bell won the triple jump with a best16.90m/55-5.50, and 2004 Olympic Trials champion Jared Rome threw 62.62m/205-5 to win the discus.

The premier women's event Saturday at Modesto was the discus-throw, where 2002 U.S. national champion Kris Kuehl won with a best of 59.84 meters/196 feet, 4 inches. Hometown favorite and two-time Olympian Suzy Powell was the runner-up with a toss of 58.78m/192-10.

For more information on the 2005 Modesto Relays, including the complete results, visit: www.modestorelays.org.

Masters greats Bill Benson, 86, and Nadine O'Connor, 63, each added to their sizeable record collections over the weekend.

Benson, of Valley Stream, N.Y., demolished his own M85 American record in the mile Saturday, clocking 9 minutes, 18.42 seconds at the 35th Southeastern Masters Track and Field Meet at Duke University in Durham, N.C. His previous standard was 9:56.93, set in July 2004 at age 85.

As she has done many times before, Nadine O'Connor, set a women's masters age group pole vault record Saturday at the University of California at San Diego Team Thor throws/vault meet, where she cleared 3.07 meters/10 feet, .75 inch. O'Connor was the recipient of the 2004 USATF Masters Women's Performance of the Year award for her record of 3.05m/10-0 at age 62.