Men’s/Women’s US 1500m & Steeplechase Finals

McAdams, Rowbury Win USA Track Titles – Again

By Parker Morse, Running USA wire

EUGENE, Ore. – (June 27, 2009) – Josh McAdams, a 2008
Olympian in the steeplechase and the 2006 national champion in that event, added
a second national title to his resume Saturday afternoon at the University of
Oregon’s Hayward Field, while 2008 Olympic Trials champion Shannon
Rowbury defended her title in the women’s 1500 meters.

McAdams adds second steeplechase title
McAdams’
Beijing teammate Billy Nelson took the early lead in the 3000 meter
steeplechase, but the pace was easy for the opening laps as the field sized each
other up. With U.S. record holder Daniel Lincoln injured and Olympic
Trials champion Anthony Famiglietti having run the 5000m final the night
before, there were few left in the field willing to set a quick pace early.

The field finally began to string out as Nelson ratcheted the
pace down with four laps to go. Daniel Huling, part of Robert
Gary‘s steeple group in Ohio, moved up to help Nelson with the pace, and
with three laps remaining Huling took over the lead by himself, with McAdams and
Thomas Kloos giving chase.

“It was pretty slow at the start,” said Huling. “I had a plan
to go with three laps to go and stay committed to the pace. I felt immediate
separation when I took the lead, and Josh was quick to get up behind me. I could
feel us pulling away, and I just tried to push as much as possible.”

McAdams moved into the lead about 100 meters before taking
the bell, as Kyle Alcorn was moving up to third. McAdams, who was a miler
before taking up the steeplechase, ran away from Huling to take the victory in
8:29.91, the slowest winning time since 1998. Huling was second in 8:32.86, and
Alcorn third in 8:34.65.

“I thought for sure it would go out faster,” said McAdams.
“It played into my hands. With three or four laps, I was chomping at the bit to
get going. I’ve always liked to race from the back and close fast, but I thought
today it was going to go out fast and I should get to the front.”

“I made a Worlds team in ’07 and the Olympic team last year,
but I’ve never made it to the final. This year, I’ve been working on being ready
for a race going out fast. I’m going over to Europe at least once before Berlin,
to try to get in a fast heat either at Heusden or DN Galan. Hopefully I’ll get
in a fast race and see what I can do.”

“Daniel Lincoln was a tremendous asset to American
steeplechasing, he really raised the caliber of the competition. And I was ready
for Fam to take it out fast, I was going to go with him this year.”

McAdams and Huling both have “A” standards and Alcorn the
“B”, so they will make up the team for Berlin. Kyle Perry, like McAdams
coached by BYU coach and Olympian Ed Eyestone, will be the alternate,
having placed fourth.

Rowbury defends women’s 1500m crown
The women’s
1500 meter final was shaping up similarly to the steeplechase, as Amy
Mortimer and Heidi Dahl were the pacesetters at the front of a tight
pack of twelve women. They passed 400 meters in a relaxed 1:07.7, but with 900
meters remaining Christin Wurth-Thomas, winner of the Reebok Grand Prix
in New York earlier this season, burst from the pack and pulled away from the
pack. The 800m split (2:14.5) belied the three-second lead Wurth-Thomas had
opened on the rest of the field, a gap which kept growing nearly to the
bell.

Wurth-Thomas reached 3 laps in 3:16.9, a 62-second third lap,
but in her wake first Erin Donohue, then Anna Willard and Rowbury
had broken clear of the pack and were giving chase. It was Rowbury who had the
greatest speed of the three, and the Duke grad overtook the first two and set
out after Wurth-Thomas on the backstretch.

Rowbury drew even with Wurth-Thomas as they came in to the
homestretch, and by then her stride was already longer and quicker than the
tiring Wurth-Thomas. She pulled clear to win in 4:05.07 to Wurth-Thomas’s
4:06.00. Willard was right behind in 4:07.70, with Donohue fourth in
4:08.96.

“I think they said it was 2:02 for the last 800, and 60
seconds for the last lap,” said Rowbury. “It’s one thing to do that in practice
and another thing for it to actually happen. I was really happy with the result.
It’s a little different with Christin to go after; she had a pretty big gap and
I wasn’t sure I could close it. I thought someone would follow her, but nobody
did, so with 400 to go I said, OK, I guess I’d better be the one. I just tried
not to panic, tried not to over-react.”

“We’ve been planning on peaking at the end of August all
along, but after Pre I got a little nervous. I’m definitely hoping to go after a
medal in Berlin.”

“The tougher the competition I have at home, the tougher I’m
going to be for international competition.”

While Rowbury and Wurth-Thomas plan to run in Berlin, Willard
is a question mark. She’s one of the favorites for the women’s steeplechase on
Sunday, and may forgo a spot in the 1500m in favor of the barriers. “My coach
[Terrence Mahon] and I will have to decide that,” said Willard after the
steeplechase.

USA 1500m Championship –
Saturday, June 27, 2009
WOMEN
1) Shannon Rowbury (CA), 4:05.07
2)
Christin Wurth-Thomas (AR), 4:06.00
3) Anna Willard (CA), 4:07.70
4) Erin
Donohue (NJ), 4:08.96
5) Treniere Clement (TN), 4:09.10

USA 3000m Steeplechase Championship – Saturday, June 27,
2009
MEN
1) Josh McAdams (UT), 8:29.91
2) Daniel Huling (OH),
8:32.86
3) Kyle Alcorn (AZ), 8:34.65
4) Kyle Perry (UT), 8:36.65
5) Ben
Bruce (OR), 8:36.76

Complete results and more at: www.usatf.org/events/2009/USAOutdoorTFChampionships

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Lomong, Barringer Win USA Outdoor Track Titles

From USATF

EUGENE, Ore. – (June 28, 2009) – On Sunday afternoon at famed
Hayward Field, 2008 Olympic Trials third place finisher and 2007 NCAA champion
Lopez Lomong won his first USA Outdoor title in holding off former
University of Texas star Leonel Manzano in an exciting Nike Men’s 1500m
final.

Lomong had the lead coming off the final turn and Manzano
gave chase through to the finish. Although Manzano gained ground on his 2008
Olympic teammate, Lomong held on to win in 3:41.68, with Manzano finishing
national runner-up in 3:41.82. 2009 NCAA Outdoor Championships fourth place
finisher Dorain Ulrey was third in 3:42.84, with 2008 NCAA Outdoor Champs
runner-up Steven Pifer – who pushed the pace with 500 meters remaining –
fourth (3:44.21).

U.S. record holder Jenny Barringer, who won the 1500m
and 3000m steeplechase at the 2009 NCAA Championships, took control of the
women’s 3000m steeplechase final early on and cruised to her second U.S. title
in this event with her time of 9 minutes 29.38 seconds.

2008 Olympic Trials champion and former U.S. record holder
Anna Willard was the runner-up in 9:35.01, with Bridget Franek
posting a personal record time of 9:36.74 in finishing third in the race. 2008
Olympic Trials finalist and 2007 USA Championships runner-up Lindsey
Anderson finished fourth in 9:44.42.

USA 1500m Championship – Sunday,
June 28, 2009
MEN
1) Lopez Lomong (AZ), 3:41.68
2) Leonel Manzano (TX),
3:41.82
3) Dorian Ulrey (AR), 3:42.84
4) Stephen Pifer (OR), 3:44.21
5)
William Leer (OR), 3:44.28

USA 3000m Steeplechase
Championship – Sunday, June 28, 2009
WOMEN
1) Jenny Barringer (CO),
9:29.38
2) Anna Willard (CA), 9:35.01
3) Bridget Franek (PA),
9:36.74
4) Lindsey Anderson (UT), 9:44.42
5) Marie Lawrence (WA),
9:48.27

Complete results at: www.usatf.org/events/2009/USAOutdoorTFChampionships