Source: Stanford.com
Stanford, Calif.
The top men’s and women’s distance runners in the United States, including American record holders Regina Jacobs, Deena Drossin, Nicole Teter, Elizabeth Jackson, and Meb Keflezighi will run at Stanford’s Cobb Track and Angell Field at the USA Track and Field Championships on June 21-23. In addition, world ranked U.S. runners such as Suzy Favor Hamilton, Sara Schwald, Tim Broe, Seneca Lassiter, Abdi Abdirahman, and Gabe Jennings will compete for national title crowns and prize money totaling more than $450,000. The winner of each event will earn a spot on Team USA that will compete in the IAAF World Cup Track and Field Championships in Madrid, Spain in September.
Women’s 3000 Meter Steeplechase (Finals: Sunday June 23; 1:45 p.m.)
American record holder Elizabeth Jackson is the class of the field in the women’s 3000 meter steeplechase. Jackson finished fourth at the 2001 Goodwill Games in an American record time of 9:41.94. Last year, Jackson was ranked #1 in the U.S. and fourth in the world in the steeplechase. Lisa Nye is the defending U.S. champion in the steeple and has a career best of 9:49.41. Kelly MacDonald was ranked third in the United States in 2001 and has the fourth fastest time ever by an American woman at 9:55.49. Stanford school record and All-American Laura Turner will also compete.
Men’s 3000 Meter Steeplechase (Finals: Sunday June 23; 2:59 p.m.)
One of the most anticipated events of the 2002 U.S. Championships will be the men’s 3000 meter steeplechase. Henry Marsh’s American record of 8:09.17 may fall in this race. Tim Broe has had an incredible season thus far, setting an Indoor American record in the 3000 meters and winning the USA 4K Cross Country title. In 2001, Broe ran 8:14.82 in the steeplechase, the fifth fastest performance all-time by an American. Anthony Famiglietti was the 2001 World University Games champion and has a best of 8:21.00. University of Arkansas junior Daniel Lincoln is the two-time defending NCAA champion in the steeplechase and has run some of the fastest times ever by a collegian in 2002. Lincoln has a best of 8:22.34. Tom Chorny is the defending U.S. champion in the 3000 meter steeplechase, which he won in career best time of 8:22.16. Stanford All-American Jesse Thomas will also compete.
Women’s 5000 meters (Finals: Saturday June 22; 8:00 p.m.)
U.S. Olympian Marlan Runyan will look to defend her 2001 U.S. title in the 5000 meters. Runyan, who is legally blind, has the #1 time this season in the United States and the tenth fastest time in the world. Amy Rudolph is a two-time Olympian in the 5000 meters and has the 11th best time in the world this year. Rudolph owns the third fastest time ever by an American woman at 14:56.01. Deena Drossin has the second fastest performance all-time in the 5000 meters at 14:51.62. American record holder Regina Jacobs will also be a factor if she chooses to run. Jacobs set the American record while winning the 2000 Olympic Trials with a time of 14:45.35. Stanford junior Lauren Fleshman has won the NCAA title in the 5000 meters the past two years.
Men’s 5000 Meters (Finals: Saturday June 22; 8:20 p.m.)
The men’s 5000 meters will be one of the most closely contested events of the 2002 U.S. championships with as many as seven athletes with a chance to win. Olympians Abdi Abdirahman, Meb Keflezighi, Brad Hauser, and Alan Culpepper headline the men’s 5000 meter field. Last season Abdirahman ran a personal best of 13:19.86 in the 5000 meters. Keflezighi, who was ranked second in the U.S. in 2001, owns the top time in the field with a career best of 13:11.77. Stanford graduate Brad Hauser was a 2000 Olympian in the 5000 meters and has a best of 13:27.31. Alan Culpepper has run 13:28.64 for 5000 meters and was runner-up at the 2001 U.S. Outdoor Championships. Matt Lane finished fourth at last year’s U.S. Championships and has a career best of 13:25.38. Stanford’s Jonathon Riley was the 2001 NCAA champion in the 5000 meters and ran a personal best of 13:29.15 in May. Stanford All-Americans Grant Robison, Louie Luchini and Seth Hejny will also compete.
Women’s 10,000 Meters (Finals: Friday June 21; 8:25 p.m.)
On May 3, 2002 at Stanford’s Cobb Track and Angell Field, Deena Drossin set an American record in the women’s 10,000 meters with a time of 30:50.32. Drossin’s time is the second fastest in the world this year and bettered the previous record by nearly 30 seconds. Drossin looks poised to win her third consecutive U.S. title in the 10,000 meters on Friday night. In the same May 3 race, Jen Rhines ran a personal best of 31:41.16, the #5 time in the world in 2002 and the eighth fastest all-time in the United States. Palo Alto resident Kim Fitchen ran 32:18.82 at the Stanford Invitational in March and should be a significant factor in the race. Milena Glusac has had tremendous success in road races throughout the United States in 2002 and will be a major contender for the national title.
Men’s 10,000 Meters (Finals: Friday June 21; 9:10 p.m.)
As in the 5000 meters, Olympians Abdi Abdirahman, Meb Keflezighi, Brad Hauser, and Alan Culpepper will be the favorites in the 10,000 meters. These four athletes have been the top Americans in the 25-lap race for the past few years. Keflezighi set the American record in the 10,000 meters at Stanford’s Cobb Track and Angell Field in 2001 with a time of 27:13.98. Adirahman is the defending U.S. champion in the 10,000 meters and he finished tenth in this event at the Sydney Olympics. Culpepper ran a career best time of 27:33.93 at Stanford in 2001. Hauser ran a personal best of 27:58.02 at Stanford in May as did Dan Browne with a time of 27:47.04. Stanford All-American Adam Tenforde will also compete.