US Preps at the Prefontaine Classic

Sat. June 8, 2008

AUDIO INTERVIEWS AT THE END OF STORY

The Prefontaine Classic has long been known for its world caliber competition, which certainly was in evidence today at Hayward Field on the University of Oregon campus, but there were a number of national-class efforts put on display by US high school runners as well. The meet began its impressive run in statistics with an unusual morning session in which Kenenisa Bekele of Ethiopia attempted to break his World Record in the 10K race. Cheered on by a boisterous band of around two dozen of his compatriots who shouted, sang, chanted, stomped in support the stands truly rocked (I can attest because my note pad was hoping up & down as I wrote) he ran a string of 400 meter laps, which were for the most part between 61 & 63 seconds, he was near the necessary pace but did not quite pull it off - still his time of 26:25.97 blew away the former US all-comers record as well as the Hayward record. Placing 6th was Abdi Abdirahman, whose time of 27:16.99 was the number tw o American time ever & just shy of the US record.

Meseret Daffar, also from Ethiopia, made a bid to regain the WR, which she just lost Friday to her countrywoman T. Dibaba. She failed in that respect yet her time of 14:28.73 easily smashed the US all-comers record. Behind her came Kara Goucher in 3rd with a time of 14:58, which is close to her pr of 14:55. Later in a 1500, while many eyes followed the action up front numerous fans kept track of the action further back where Taylor Wallace, a junior from Henley high school battled with collegians including Oregon State’s Casey Masterson. Wallace seemed to gain strength as the race went on & finished with a fine time of 4:28. Shortly after that Elijah Greer of Lake Oswego placed 2nd in his heat of an 800 meter race and ran 1:50.31. It seems he will soon break the 1:50 barrier.

In the afternoon session, a good part of which was televised, Jeff Demps of Florida placed 3rd in the ‘hot’ 100 with a time of 10.17. The two mile saw Bernard Lagat blaze a winning time of 8:12.45 while in the back Oregon Duck Scott Wall helped pace Utah’s Luke Puskedra for most of the race to a time of 8:46.4 - the 14th best prep time ever.

This meet had so much to offer including an AR in the pole vault by Brad Walker of 19' 9 3/4" and two heaves of over 72 feet by Adam Nelson in the shot, plus the always deep Bowerman Mile, which saw Shadrack Korir of Kenya edge a valiant Nick Willis of New Zealand in times of 3:50.49 to 3:50.66. Daniel Komen was third in 3:50.95 and a 3:53 was only good for 5th. The whole first page of the results saw times under 3:59.

Still in some ways the best may have been saved for last for the 800 meter run for women may have witnessed something akin to a changing of the guard in golf in 1960, when Arnold Palmer won the US Open from the great Ben Hogan. As Hogan had been dominant in the golf world Maria Mutola of Mozambique has been even more so in the 800. Maria, who won an Oregon XC high school championship for Springfield, seemingly a lifetime ago, had won 15 consecutive races at the Prefontaine meet and she was running one last time today. With her retirement looming after this summer’s Olympics it was hard to fathom that this would be her last race at Hayward, yet she will retire at or darn close to the top of her game. On this pleasantly sunny afternoon she was racing some of America’s greatest 800 meter specialists including Nicole Teeter & Hazel Clark but the main challenge was not coming from them. It came in the form of a precocious prep named Chanelle Price. The Pennsylvanian was not only challenging the queen of the 800 but the ghost of American (and fellow Pennsylvanian) Kim Gallagher who holds the American record for the event. Price reached the 400 mark just a step out of first place and, as they raced around the turn, the announcer intoned that Maria was moving up to challenge. Not willing to let Maria blow by her at the end, she decided to make the champion work and she surged, when she hit the straight. The announcer repeated for at least the 3rd time that Maria had never been defeated in her Hayward career but Chanelle was taking the race to an opponent she truly respected yet did not appear to fear. Price opened up a lead at first but Maria responded and challenged her on the far turn. Racing into the straight Mutola drew away as the strain of the effort finally caught up with the youngster, who faded a bit at the end & fell to 6th place. Still her time of 2:01.61 was not that far off of the 2:00.07 that Gallagher ran in 1982. I was privileged to have seen Kim run a number of times in high school and have fond memories of those races including a rather stunning race indoors at the old Knights of Columbus race in Cleveland. This race today was a vintage performance worthy of Gallagher. Of course at least at day’s end, the queen of the 800 still reigns but there is an heir apparent. What a great day for track!
 

TAYLOR WALLACE

LUKE PUSKEDRA

KARA GOUCHER

CHANELLE PRICE