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Clement Kicks to USA 1500 Three-Peat
AT&T USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships World Championships and Pan Am Games qualifier - Indianapolis, IN, Sat-Sun, June 23-24, 2007
By Charlie Mahler, Running USA wire
INDIANAPOLIS - (June 23, 2007) - It's as simple as one, two, three.
Two-time defending USA women's 1500 meter champion Treniere Clement kicked to a third metric mile title in 4:07.04 at the AT&T USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships on Saturday.
Christin Wurth was national runner-up in 4:07.86, while Erin Donahue grabbed the third IAAF World Championships team spot in 4:08.22. Team Running USA's Sara Hall of Mammoth Lakes, Calif. finished 5th in a PR 4:08.99.
Two-time Olympian Shayne Culpepper, who won the USA Indoor mile title this year and ran a personal best 4:05.98 recently, finished second-to-last in 4:22.35, after having difficulty staying on the lead group after a pair of 66.1 400s opened the race.
Wurth took the lead with 400 meters run, but Knoxville resident Clement, 25, who bided her time until the final homestretch, was rightly confident in her final kick.
"My main focus is pretty much being able to close with anyone in the world," the Georgetown alum Clement said. "My training partner is Hazel Clark, and she's top 10 in the 800, so I know if I can run 800s with her, I know my speed will be there."
Clement is excited for her chance to test her closing speed with the best in the world this August in Japan.
"I would like to make the finals of the 1500 [at the World Championships]," she said. "And have a chance to get a medal there in Osaka as well."
Saturday, June 23, 2007
Women's 1500m
1) Treniere Clement (TN), 4:07.04, $4000
2) Christin Wurth (AR), 4:07.86, $3000
3) Erin Donohue (NC), 4:08.22, $2000
4) Tiffany McWilliams (MS), 4:08.86, $1000
5) Sara Hall (CA), 4:08.99, $500
6) Lindsey Gallo (MI), 4:11.00
7) Amy Mortimer (MA), 4:11.97
8) Jenelle Deatherage (MN), 4:12.49
9) Natalie Picchetti (GA), 4:16.59
10) Anne Shadle (VA), 4:17.83
Webb Sets USA Championship Record to Win Exciting 1500
By Sean Hartnett, Running USA wire
INDIANAPOLIS - (June 24, 2007) - Alan Webb of Reston, Va. returned to the winner's circle taking a dramatic sprint win in a meet record 3:34.82 at the USA Outdoor 1500 Meter Championship on Sunday afternoon.
The fast paced race was much of Webb's own doing as he moved to the front 200 meters into the race and pressed a robust pace through a 57.6 opening 400 and 1:56.2 at 800. Webb's front running split the pack in two with half the field including Team Running USA's Gabe Jennings dropped from contention half-way through the race.
Bernard Lagat, who won the 5000m title on Friday night, moved past Webb on the third lap with Leonel Manzano, Chris Lukezic and Said Ahmed a stride back. Webb, 24, pulled abreast of the two-time Olympic 1500m medalist Lagat on the final turn and unleashed a burst of speed over the final 50 meters that sealed the win and triggered an exuberant celebration as he hit the tape. Manzano of the University of Texas edged past Lagat at the line to finish second in a personal record 3:35.29.
Webb clocked 55.3 over the final lap, admitting, "the last 300 I felt great and I just let my body go. To lose the title and get it back was emotional. I wanted to prove to myself that I could do it again."
The 2004 Olympian, who won USA titles in 2004 and 2005, pared a tenth of a second off Steve Scott's 25-year-old meet record.
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Men's 1500m
1) Alan Webb (VA), 3:34.82*, $4000
2) Leonel Manzano (TX), 3:35.29, $3000
3) Bernard Lagat (AZ), 3:35.55, $2000
4) Chris Lukezic (VA), 3:36.95, $1000
5) Andrew McClary (CA), 3:39.81, $500
6) Said Ahmed (AR), 3:40.80
7) Russell Brown (CA), 3:41.80
8) John Jefferson (OR), 3:42.46
9) Garrett Heath (MN), 3:42.88
10) William Leer (MN), 3:44.20
11) Rob Myers (OH), 3:45.59
12) Gabe Jennings (CA), 3:47.54
*USA Championship record (previous record, 3:34.92, Steve Scott, June 20, 1982)
Complete 2007 AT&T USA Outdoor Championships results and more at: USATF.org.
Ryan Lamppa, Running USA Media Director
(805) 696-6232; Fax = (805) 659-0016
Ryan@RunningUSA.org
www.RunningUSA.org.
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