WILLARD CLOCKS FAST 1500 IN INDIANAPOLIS
By David Monti
(c) 2008 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved - used with permission
Videos - Alan Webb 800 Video | Anna Willard 1500 Video
Full American Milers Club Coverage
While
Jenny Barringer, her chief rival for the upcoming USA Olympic Team
Trials, had just raced in Des Moines and won the NCAA steeplechase
crown, Anna Willard was also in the midwest competing at the American
Milers Club meeting last night at Michael A. Carroll Track Stadium at
IUPUI.
Stepping down to the 1500m, Willard clocked a personal
best 4:06.26, getting under the Olympic Games "A" standard of 4:07.00
and nearly carrying fellow Michigan alumnus Lindsey Gallo with her.
Gallo finished second in 4:07.26, while another Olympic team hopeful,
Jenelle Deatherage, finished third in 4:07.87.
Elsewhere in this
meeting, Alan Webb participated in his final competition before the
Trials, finishing fifth in the 800m in 1:47.41. The race was won by
Andrew Ellerton in 1:46.07 over Aldwyn Sappleton (1:46.87) and Sam
Burley (1:47.00). Steve Sherer ran 3:36.81 to win the 1500m over Andy
McClary (3:36.91) and Chris Lukezic (3:37.51). Both Sherer and McClary
set personal best times, but just missed the Olympic Games "A" standard
of 3:36.60.
The USA Olympic Trials open on Friday, June 27 in
Eugene, Ore., at the University of Oregon. Athletes are now scrambling
to achieve Olympic Games "A" qualifying standards in advance of the
meet in which the top-3 finishers in each discipline provisionally
qualify for the Olympic Games. The Trials are widely regarded as one
of the most exciting track meets in the world.
ENDS
