Contact: Jill M. Geer
USATF Director of Communications
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
http://www.usatf.org
317-261-0500
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, February 12, 2003
Big performances, hot competition expected at Tyson Foods Invitational
INDIANAPOLIS –USA Track & Field’s 2003 Indoor Golden Spike Tour moves away
from the East Coast this weekend, traveling to Fayetteville, Ark., on
Saturday for the Tyson Foods Invitational. After record-setting meets at the
adidas Boston Indoor Games on Feb. 1 and the Verizon Millrose Games Feb. 7,
the Tyson Foods Invitational fields promise to live up to the standard of
excellence set on the first two stops of the Indoor Golden Spike Tour.
Fans can watch the action on national television when the Tyson Foods
Invitational is broadcast on Sunday, February 16 from 8-9 p.m. Eastern Time
on ESPN2. The meet will be held at the Randal Tyson Track Center on the
campus of the University of Arkansas.
Having broken her own American record at Boston and again at Millrose, Stacy
Dragila looks to creep closer to regaining the world record in the women’s
pole vault in Fayetteville. Gail Devers likewise returns to the track after
breaking the American record in the women’s 60m hurdles last Friday at the
Verizon Millrose Games.
The men’s 60m hurdles should provide one of the closest competitions of the
night. Larry Wade won the Verizon Millrose Games last week by just .01
second over 2001 world indoor champion Terrence Trammell, who had led the
race until the last hurdle. Three-time world champion Allen Johnson will
also have something to say about who might walk away with the Tyson Foods
Invitational title.
The men’s long jump sees the major U.S. debut for the world’s top two ranked
jumpers in 2002, Americans Savante Stringfellow and Miguel Pate. The former
Southeastern Conference rivals will go head-to-head.
The men’s 60 meters provides the grand finale to the evening’s competition.
Fifteen athletes currently are scheduled to compete in a format that
includes a preliminary round before the final. Indoor world record holder
and Olympic champion Maurice Greene won at Boston, but Terrence Trammell –
the defending U.S. champion – relegated Greene to third at the Verizon
Millrose Games. Trammell looks for another victory here, but Greene has
something to prove as both men face a strong field.
For complete meet coverage and results from the Tyson Foods Invitational and
the 2003 Indoor Golden Spike Tour, visit www.usatf.org. USATF Indoor Golden
Spike Tour sponsors are Verizon, Nike and Visa.
Tyson Foods Invitational At A Glance
Fields subject to change
All nationalities USA unless otherwise noted; university affiliations noted
MEN
Verizon Men’s 60m: Maurice Greene, Terrence Trammell, John Capel, Marcus
Brunson, Kaaron Conwright, J.J. Johnson, Darvis Patton, Demario Wesley,
Lindell Frater, Ahmad Carroll (Arkansas), Steve Mullin (Barton), Pierre
Brown (Miss. State), Michael Frater (TCU/JAM), James Shelton (Ole Miss),
Marquis Davis (Miss. State).
THE SCOOP: The biggest field in the meet also holds the most intrigue.
Greene won in 6.52 seconds to open his season at the adidas Boston Indoor
Games and also holds the world record (6.39), but Trammell responded with a
6.51 win over Greene at the Verizon Millrose Games. They won’t be alone in
the field as 2000 Olympic Trials 200m champion John Capel returns to
competition this year after taking time off to try his hand at professional
football. Darvis Patton is the U.S. outdoor champion at 200 meters and J.J.
Johnson has shown flashes of brilliance since taking up track in 2000.
Wesley was a junior college national champion for Garden City CC in 2001 at
100m, and Brunson is the 2001 World University Games 100m champion.
Men’s 400m: Brandon Couts, Leonard Byrd, James Davis, Derrick Brew, Jerome
Young, Ja’Warren Hooker, Alleyne Francique (GRN), Avard Moncur (BAH), Chris
Brown, Melvin Lister
THE SCOOP: Another strong field as experienced Americans vie for the title.
Couts was an All-American at Baylor and is the defending American indoor
champion (46.73). Byrd posted the fastest outdoor time in the world in 2002
(44.45), and Young is a two-time outdoor U.S. champion (’98 and ’99) who
also owns Olympic gold in the 4x400m relay and is part of the USA 4x400 team
that owns the world record. Francique was the seventh-fastest man in the
world last year (44.72).
Men’s 800m: David Krummenacker, Derrick Peterson, Trinity Gray, Tony Kabara
(KEN), Said Ahmed (Arkansas), Robbie Stevens (Arkansas/RSA), Zack Whitmarsh
(CAN), Berhanu Alemu (ETH)
THE SCOOP: Krummenacker ended 2002 ranked #3 in the world in the 800m, with
a best time of 1:43.92, and he is coming off a win at the Verizon Millrose
Games. Peterson is the defending U.S. indoor champion, and Gray is the 2001
champ. Kabara of Kenya and Alemu of Ethiopia have international experience,
but Krummenacker, the American indoor record holder at 1,000 meters, is on a
roll and must be considered the strong favorite.
New Balance Men’s Mile: Laban Rotich (KEN), Daniel Zegeye (ETH), Graham Hood
(CAN), Seneca Lassiter, Jason Pyrah, James Karanu (KEN), Cornelius Chirchir
(KEN), Jason Lunn, Chris Mulvaney (Arkansas/GBR), James Hatch (Arkansas)
THE SCOOP: The most international field of the meet is found in the men’s
mile. Rotich had the fastest outdoor time among this field in 2002, running
3:50.16 as the fourth-fastest man in the world last year. Chirchir was one
place back at 3:50.69, and he also ran a blazing 3:30.24 for 1,500 meters.
Arkansas graduate Lassiter won the U.S. outdoor 1,500m title in 1997 and
2002, and the indoor mile title in 2001. Fellow former Hog Graham Hood was
an Olympic finalist in 1992, while Lunn is the defending U.S. indoor
champion. The 1997 and 2000 U.S. indoor champion, Jason Pyrah looks to mix
it up as well.
Men’s 60m hurdles: Larry Wade, Terrence Trammell, Allen Johnson, Ron
Bramlett, Michael Thomas (Arkansas) Dawane Wallace, Duane Ross, Chris
Phillips
THE SCOOP: A very solid start list will likely yield a three-man race
between Wade, the two-time Verizon Millrose champion; Trammell, the 2001
world indoor champion; and Johnson, the three-time world outdoor champion,
1996 Olympic gold medalist and defending U.S. indoor champ. Trammell starts
well, but Wade closes hard. Johnson can beat anyone in the world when he
runs a clean race. Bramlett is a former NCAA champion while at Alabama.
Men’s long jump: Savante Stringfellow, Miguel Pate, Erick Walder, Richard
Smith (Arkansas), Ramon Washington (Arkansas), Clevon Dillon (TCU), Vaughn
Walwyn (Rice)
THE SCOOP: The men who returned the United States to the top of the world in
long jumping compete in Fayetteville. Stringfellow won the U.S. outdoor
title with a world-leading 8.52 meters/27 feet, 11.5 inches. Pate was a
fraction back at 8.45/27-8.75. Stringfellow also won the 2002 World Cup, but
it was Pate who stood the long jump world on its head when he won the 2002
U.S. indoor title with a jump of 8.59m/28-2.25. It was the best indoor jump
by an American since Carl Lewis set a world indoor record of 8.79/28-10.25
in 1984 and put him third on the all-time performers list. Pate is a former
NCAA champion for Alabama, while Stringfellow won four NCAA crowns while at
Mississippi State. Walder, an Arkansas grad, was a 10-time NCAA champion for
the Razorbacks.
WOMEN
Women’s 60m: Torri Edwards, Inger Miller, Sanya Richards (Texas), Rachelle
Boone (Indiana), Damu Cherry, Elve Goldberg (Auburn/JAM), La Shauntea Moore
(Barton), Sa’Donna Thornton
THE SCOOP: Two American veterans go up with the top young sprinter in the
country. 1999 200m world champion Inger Miller has two Olympic 4x100m relay
gold medals to her credit, and Torri Edwards competed in the 100, 200 and
4x100 relay in the 2000 Olympics in Sydney. Sanya Richards was USATF’s
Verizon Youth Athlete of the Year after breaking the national junior record
in the 400 meters. Now a freshman at the University of Texas, Richards will
make her 60m debut against U.S. elites in Fayetteville.
Women’s 200m: Michelle Collins, Torri Edwards, Kelli White, Tonique Williams
(BAH)
THE SCOOP: A small but potent field takes to the starting line. White is the
defending U.S. indoor champion and the 2001 world outdoor bronze medalist at
200 meters, but Collins enters as the favorite, having posted the fastest
indoor time in the world in 2003 with a blazing 22.85 on January 18.
Women’s 800m: Hazel Clark (USA), Diane Cummins (CAN), Meskerem Lagese (ETH),
Jen Toomey, Shannon Spaulding, Jill Snyder, Kristina Bratton (Florida),
Aimee Teteris (Rice), Melissa Deleon (TRI)
THE SCOOP: Cummins was the eighth-fastest woman in the world in 2002 with
her time of 1:58.79 and is the favorite. 2000 Olympic Trials and USA indoor
800m champion Hazel Clark spent 2002 recovering from a foot injury, and she
returned to competition with a win last week at the Verizon Millrose Games.
Toomey is the 2001 U.S. indoor runner-up.
Women’s 60m hurdles: Gail Devers, Melissa Morrison, Jenny Adams, Danielle
Carruthers (Indiana), Dionne Rose-Henley (JAM) Damu Cherry, Vonette Dixon
(JAM), Yolanda McCray
THE SCOOP: Devers was virtually unbeatable in 2002, and she started the 2003
indoor season with an American indoor record of 7.78 seconds at the Verizon
Millrose Games. When the three-time world 100m hurdles champion and two-time
Olympic 100m gold medalist is on her form, any race becomes a race for
second place. Morrison is the 2000 Olympic bronze medalist, four-time U.S.
indoor champion and had the fastest time in the world indoors in 2002. Dixon
and Rose-Henley are experienced, world-ranked hurdlers from Jamaica, and
Carruthers is the NCAA indoor runner-up.
Visa women’s pole vault: Stacy Dragila, Kellie Suttle, Andrea Wildrick, Mary
Sauer, Jillian Schwartz, Shannon Gallagher, Amy Linnen (Arizona), April
Steiner (Arkansas)
THE SCOOP: The two-time world outdoor champion and Olympic gold medalist,
Dragila holds the world outdoor record and is on a quest to regain the
indoor record as well. She’s begun 2002 with two American records, including
4.72m/15-5.75 last week at the Verizon Millrose Games. Russian Svetlana
Feofanova’s world mark of 4.76/15-7.25 is in her sights. Sauer is the
defending U.S. indoor champion, and Jonesboro, Ark.-based Suttle is the 2001
world indoor silver medalist. Arizona’s Amy Linnen is the defending NCAA
indoor champion who holds the U.S. junior record and NCAA indoor record.
Tyson Foods Invitational Schedule of Events
5:00 p.m. Men’s Olympic Development 5,000m
5:10 p.m. Visa Women’s Pole Vault
5:15 p.m. Men’s Long Jump
5:20 p.m. Women’s 60 meters
5:25 p.m. Randal Tyson Women’s Olympic Development 1 Mile
5:35 p.m. Men’s 400m
5:45 p.m. Men’s Distance Medley Relay
5:55 p.m. Women’s 60m Hurdles
6:05 p.m. Boys’ High School Mile
6:15 p.m. Verizon Men’s 60m PRELIM
6:30 p.m. Men’s 800m
6:35 p.m. Women’s 200m
6:40 p.m. Women’s 800m
6:45 p.m. Women’s 4x400m Relay
6:55 p.m. Men’s 4x400m Relay
7:05 p.m. New Balance Men’s Mile
7:15 p.m. Verizon Men’s 60m FINAL
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