USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships

The 2013 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships concluded over the weekend at Drake Stadium in Des Moines, Iowa. The top 3 athletes in the finals or who have achieved the A standard will be participating on Team USA at the World Championships August 10-18 in Moscow, Russia.

Day 2

Associated Press/Charlie Neibergall

Two running finals took place Friday in Des Moines, the women's and men's 100m dashes. The women's 100m dash was won by English Gardner in 10.85. Gardner's time set a new stadium record. She is also the first woman in 22 years to win a NCAA and USA Outdoor titles in the same year. Octavious Freeman was second in 10.87 and Alexandria Anderson was third in 10.91. Gardner, Freeman and Anderson all have run the A standard and will run for Team USA in Moscow.

Tyson Gay ran away from the field and won the men's 100m title in 9.75. That time is now the world-leading and tied the stadium record. Coming in second was Justin Gatlin in 9.89 and Charles Silmon, the 2013 NCAA champion, was third in 9.98.

The women's heptathlon finished on Day 2 as well. Sharon Day won her second title with a total of 6550 points. Betty Wade, a former Michigan Wolverine, was second with 6018 points. Erica Bougard was third with 5990 points. Day and Wade have the A standard, Bougard has the B standard. All three ladies will go to Moscow and represent the United States.

A couple of field events had finals. Lance Brooks won a second discus title with a throw of 204-4. Russ Winger was second in 203-6 and James Plummer came in third with a throw of 203-3. None of the discus throwers have an A or B standard throw. They have until July 20 to reach that mark. If they don't, the USA won't be represented in Moscow.

The men's pole vault championship was won by Brad Walker. Walker won his fifth title with a vault of 18-6.50. Jeremy Scott, who placed second, also cleared 18-6.50. Scott placed second because Walker cleared his first attempt. Jack Whitt was third in 18-4.5. Walker and Scott do have the A standard, while Whitt has a B standard vault. All three men will go to Moscow.

A.G. Kruger won the hammer throw for a fifth time on Friday. Kruger had a throw of 247-9 feet. Second went to Chris Cralle with a toss of 244-7 and Andrew Loftin was third in 241-7. Kruger has a B standard and will go to Moscot. Cralle and Loftin have until July 20 to reach the standards.

Day 3

Associated Press/Charlie Neibergall

The day started with the women's 10,000m race walk. Maria Michta was the winner in 1:37:34. Erin Gray finished in second in 1:39:19 and taking third was Miranda Melville in 1:40:38.

Leading from the starting gun was Nicole Bush, a former Michigan State Spartan, to win the women's 3000m steeplechase in 9:44.53. Ashley Higginson was runner-up in 9:46.25. University of Colorado's Shalaya Kipp finished third in 9:46.83. Bush has the A standard and Higginson has run the B standard. Kipp hasn't run a standard yet. She has until July 20 run a standard time to compete in Moscow.

Michael Tinsley won the men's 400m hurdles in 47.96. This was Tinsley's second straight title. Kerron Clement finished second in 48.05 and Bershawn Jackson was third in 48.09. All three have run an A standard.

The women's 1500m was won by Treniere Moser in 4:28.62. The 17-year-old Mary Cain was second in 4:28.76. University of Florida's Cory McGee finished third in 4:29.70. Moser and Cain had both run the A standard time. McGee can run an A or B standard to make the trip to Moscow with Moser and Cain.

Matthew Centrowitz won the men's 1500m in 3:45.17. Leo Manzano was second in 3:45.35 and Lopez Lomong was third in 3:45.69. Centrowtiz has the A standard. Manzano and Lomong will need to run an A standard to run for the USA in Moscow.

With Sanya Richards-Ross still coming back from toe surgury, that opened the door for someone else to win the women's 400m. Natasha Hastings won in 49.94. Francena McCorory ran a PR and was second in 50.01. University of Illinois runner and 2013 NCAA 400m champion Ashley Spencer was third in 50.58. Richards-Ross was sixth in 51.92.

LaShawn Merritt won a fourth US title in 44.21. Tony McQuay was second in 44.74 and Arman Hall was third in 45.01.

Ashton Eaton won the decathlon and a third title with 8291 points. Gunner Nixon finished behind Eaton in second with 8198 points and Jeremy Taiwo took third with 8239 points.

Brianna Tollins set an American Record in the women's 100m hurdles with a time of 12.26. Queen Harrison was second in 12.43 and Nia Ali was third in 12.48. Not making the team for Russia was 2012 Olympic bronze medalist Kellie Wells who finished fourth in 12.54 and Lolo Jones who was fifth in 12.55.

Amanda Bingson won the women's hammer throw and set an American record with a throw of 248-5. Jeneva McCall was second with a throw of 242-9 and Amber Campbell was third in 239-7.

Another American Record was set in the women's shot by Michelle Carter. Carter won the event with a toss of 66-5. Tia Brooks was second in 61-9.50 and third was Alyssa Hasslen in 59-4.75.

Brigetta Barrett won the high jump for a second time with a jump of 6-8.25. Finishing in second was Inika McPherson at 6-3.50 and Maya Pressley was third in 6-2.25. Barrett has the A standard. McPherson has the B standard. Pressley will have until July 20 to jump an A standard to make the team.

Janay Deloach Soukup won her first long jump outdoor title Saturday with a leap of 21-10. Second in the long jump was Tori Polk in 22-3.75 and Funmi Jimoh was third in 22-0.25. World champion Brittney Reese fouled on all three of her attempts. All four ladies will compete in Moscow.

Day 4

Associated Press/Charlie Neibergall

The men's 20,000m race walk started the last day of the championships. Tim Seaman won the event in 1:30:13. John Nuun was second in 1:31:01 and Patrick Stroupe was third in 1:31:08.

NCAA 200m national champion Kimberlyn Duncan upset Allyson Felix to win the women's 200m. Duncan won with a time of 21.80 to Felix's 21.85. Felix's training partner Jeneba Tarmoh was third in 22.15.

Alysia Montano ran to the lead from the beginning of the women's 800m and held on to win in 1:58.67. That was Montano's fifth outdoor title. Brenda Martinez was second in 1:58.78. Ajee Wilson was third in 1:59.55. My Oiselle teammate, Kate Grace, finished fourth and ran a PR in 2:00.10. All three women have the A standard and will run in Moscow.

Duane Solomon also led the entire race like Montano and won the men's 800m in 1:43.27. Solomon defeated Nick Symmonds who was trying to win his sixth 800m title. Symmonds was second in 1:43.70 and Brandon Johnson finished third in 1:43.97.

Jenny Simpson, the 1500m world champion, won the women's 5000m run in 15:33.77. Molly Huddle, the 5000m American record holder, was second in 15:35.45 and Shannon Rowbury was third in 15:37.27. If Simpson chooses not to run the 5000m in Moscow, fourth place finisher Kim Conley will take her spot. Conley ran 15:37.80 in the final Sunday. NCAA 5000m champion Abbey D' Agostino finished sixth in 15:39.17.

Former world youth champion Dalilah Muhammad won the women's 400m hurdles with a slim margin over Georganne Moline. Muhammad crossed the finish line in 53.83 to Moline's 53.88. Coming in third was Christine Spence in 54.56. World champion Lashinda Demus will join these three ladies in Moscow.

Evan Jager won the men's 3000m steeplechase in 8:20.67. Jager set a new stadium record. Dan Huline was second in 8:22.62 and De'Sean Turner was third in 8:25.56.

Tyson Gay ran away from the field again in the men's 200m. Gay ran the fastest time in the world this year in 19.74. Isiah Young was second in 19.86 and third was Curtis Mitchell in 19.99.

With a small field and very slow start, Bernard Lagat ran away from Galen Rupp to win the men's 5000m race in 14:54.16. Rupp was second in 14:54;91 and Ryan Hill was third in 14:55.16.  Lagat and Rupp already have the A standard. Hill needs to run a B standard before July 20 to make the trip to Moscow.

Unattached hurdler Ryan Wilson won the men's 110m hurdles in 13.08. Wilson defeated former American record holder David Oliver who was second 13.11, Olympic champion and world record holder Aries Merritt was third (13.23) and world champion Jason Richardson fourth (13.24).

Toledo, Ohio native Erik Kynard won the men's high jump with a jump of 7-5.75. Dusty Jones also jumped 7-5.75 and came in second. Jones finished second because Kynard cleared the height on his first attempt. Montez Blair and Ronnie Black tied for third at 7-4.50. Blair won the jump off at 7-2.50.

Jennifer Suht won the women's pole vault with a height of 15-5. Kylie Hutson was second in 15-1 and Becky Holliday was third at 14-11.

Riley Dolezal won the men's javelin with a throw of 273-11. With that throw, Dolezal reached the A standard. Texas A&M's Sam Humphreys took second in 272-9 and Sean Furey was third in 253-10. Humphreys has thrown the B standard. Furey still needs to reach an A standard to make the team.

Ryan Whiting won the men's shot put with a throw of 72-6.50. World champion Reese Hoffa was second with a 70-0.25. Zack Lloyd was third with a toss of 69-2.50. Since Hoffa is the world champion, fourth place finisher Cory Martin will also go to Moscow. Martin threw a 67-9.75.

Gia Lewis-Smallwood will be making her second trip to the world championship as she won the discus with a throw of 213-8. Going to Russia with her is second place finisher Whitney Ashley and Liz Podominick. Ashley threw 200-9 and Podominick was third with a throw of 199-1.

George Kitchens Jr. won the men's long jump with a leap of 27-0. Jeffrey Henderson was second with a 26-11.75 and Ronald Taylor Jr. was third with a jump of 26-8.50. Taylor needs to jump the A standard before he can make the trip to Moscow with Kitchens Jr, Henderson and world champion Dwight Phillips.

Day 1 - USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships

Associated Press/Charlie Neibergall

In the two running finals on the first day of the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Des Moines, Iowa, Galen Rupp and Shalane Flanagan won the title in the 10,000m.

Rupp won his fifth 10,000m national title in 28:47.32. Rupp's teammate Dathan Ritzenhein was second in 28:49.66 and Chris Derrick was third in 28:52.25. All three men have run the A standard and will compete at the World Championships in Moscow this summer.

Flanagan won the race leading from the starting gun in 31:43.20. Flanagan also set a stadium record with her time. Recent Oregon graduate Jordan Hasay was second in 32:17.34 and Tara Erdmann was third in 32:17.34. Hasay and Erdmann haven't run an A standard time yet. They have until July 20th to run the A or B standard. Flanagan already has run an A standard.

My Oiselle teammate, Karaleigh Foster, also run the 10,000m Thursday night. Foster finished in 18th place with a time of 35:08.14.

In the women's 3000m steeplechase, Nicole Bush ran the fastest time of both heats in 9:54.41. Bridget Franek, an 2012 Olympian, advanced with a time of 9:55.91. Oiselle runner Collier Lawrence finished 18th in a time of 10:23.98.

In the women's 800m prelims, Alysia Montano and Brenda Martinez ran identical time in 2:01.96. Oiselle's, Kate Grace or K8, qualified for the semifinals with her time of 2:02.14. Other qualifiers were: Chanelle Price, Ajee Wilson, Laura Roesler, Lea Wallace, Heather Kampf, Phoebe Wright, Latavia Thomas, Shelby Houlihan, Maggie Vessey, Amy Weissenbach and Megan Malasartie.

Associated Press/Charlie Neibergall

In the men's 800m, Duane Solomon was the fastest qualifier with a time of 1:46.39. Other runners making it to the semifinal are Elijah Greer, Brannon Kidder, Mark Wieczorek, Dey Dey, Harun Abda, Nicholas Symmonds, Michael Rutt, Joe Abbott, Richard Jones, Tyler Mulder, Charles Jock, Erik Sowinski, Brandon Johnson, Casimir Loxsom and Brian Gagnon.

Treniere Moser and Mary Cain ran the fastest two times of the heats for the women's 1500m. Moser ran 4:11.20 and Cain ran 4:11.48. The other qualifiers for the semifinals were Gabriele Anderson, Shannon Rowbury, Kerri Gallagher, Sarah Brown, Morgan Uceny, Katherine Mackey, Cory McGee, Hillary Holt, Heather Wilson and Amanda Mergaert.

Matthew Centrowitz led the way in the men's 1500m with a time of 3:40.91. Will Leer had the second fastest time of the day in 3:41.01. The rest of the qualifiers are Andrew Wheating, Craig Miller, Lopez Lomong, Matthew Elliott, Ben Blankenship, Miles Batty and David Torrence.

In the men's 400m Hurdles prelims, Johnny Dutch had the quickest time in 49.46. Justin Gaymon was next in 49.60. The other hurdlers advancing are Michael Tinsley, Bershawn Jackson, Jeshua Anderson, Kerron Clement, Adam Durham, Reginald Wyatt Jr, Michael Stigler, LaRon Bennett, Caleb Cross, Alvin Miles Jr, Keyunta Hayes, Cameron Viney Sr, Reuben McCoy and Eric Lund.

Francena McCorory topped defending World Champion Sanya Richards-Ross in the 400m for the fastest time on Thursday. The other qualifying ladies from the heats are Natasha Hastings, Keshia Baker, Ebonie Floyd, Joanna Atkins, Ashley Spencer, Moushaumi Robinson, Mary Wineberg, Rebecca Alexander, Monica Hargrove, Kiara Porter, Eboney Eutsey, Jessica Beard, Briana Nelson and Felicia Brown.

Surprising news in the men's 400m, Olympians Bryshon Nellum and Jeremy Wariner failed to qualify. Leading the way for the men was Tony McQuay in 45.26. Moving on to the next round is Josh Mance, Arman Hall, Michael Berry, James Harris Jr, Manteo Mitchell, LaShawn Merritt, Calvin Smith, Brycen Spratling, Torrin Lawrence, Najee Glass, Joey Hughes Jr, William Heriot, David Verburg, Hugh Graham Jr and Troy Pollard.

Carmelita Jeter pulled out of the women's 100m due to injury. With Jeter missing, Barbara Pierra had the fastest prelim time in 11.18. The other qualifying runners are Octavious Freeman, Jessica Young, Charonda Williams, Muna Lee, Jeneba Tarmoh, Mandy White, Alexandria Anderson, English Gardner, Lauryn Williams, Lekeisha Lawson, Chauntea Bayne, Tiffany Townsend, Aurieyall Scott, Tori Bowie and Dezerea Bryant. The semifinals and finals will take place tonight.

Dentarius Locke was the fastest man Thursday in the men's 100m prelims in 10.19. Jeff Demps also ran a 10.19. D'Angelo Cherry, Tyson Gay, Walter Dix, Isiah Young, Micheal Rogers, Charles Silmon, Justin Gatlin, Rakieem Salaam, Cordero Gray, Calesio Newman, Diondre Batson, Trell Kimmons, Carl Horsley and Kind Butler will all get in the blocks again tonight for the semifinals. Whoever qualifies in the semi's will move to the finals which are slated for tonight also.

USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships

The first round of the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships start today at Drake Stadium in Des Moines, Iowa. Today's events won't be on TV. They will be streaming live on the internet at USATF.TV.  It will also be streaming live at USATF. TV for the rest of the championships as well.

Don't forget that Friday, Saturday and Sunday's events will be broadcast live on TV.
June 21 LIVE 8-10 p.m. on ESPN2
June 22 LIVE 4-5 p.m. on Universal Sports, LIVE 5-7 p.m. on NBC Sports Network
June 23 2-3 p.m. on Universal Sports, LIVE 3-4 p.m. on NBC Sports Network, LIVE 4-6 p.m. on NBC

Day 1 events include the hepthathlon, 1st rounds for several events and finals in the women's and men's triple jump, women's javelin throw and shot put and the women's and men's 10,000m.

View the start lists for all of the track and field events. I also included the schedule for all four days of the championships.

Books Read in 2013

Between Here and April, Deborah Copaken Kogan
Bleed for Me, Michael Robotham
The Making of a Royal Romance, Katie Nicholl 
Prince Philip: The Turbulent Early Life of the Man Who Married Queen Elizabeth II, Philip Eade
The Black Box, Michael Connelly
The Painted Girls, Cathy Marie Buchanan
The Drowning House, Elizabeth Black
Killing Kennedy, Bill O'Reilly
Argo, Antonio Mendez & Matt Baglio
Mad Women: The Other Side of Life on Madison Avenue in the '60s and Beyond, Jane Maas
Marilyn Monroe: A Case for Murder, Jay Margolis 
Amelia Earhart: The Truth at Last, Mike Campbell
Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho, Stephen Rebello
Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness, Susannah Cahalan
Detroit: An American Autopsy, Charlie LeDuff
Top of the Morning, Brian Stelter
A Private Disgrace: Lizze Borden by Daylight, Victoria Lincoln
Iron War: Dave Scott, Mark Allen and the Greatest Race Ever Run, Matt Fitzgerald
Waiting to be Heard, Amanda Knox
Behind the Candelabra: My Life with Liberace, Scott Thorson & Alex Thorleifson
The Good Nurse: A True Story of Medicine, Madness and Murder, Charles Graeber
 
Currently Reading: The Astronaut Wives Club: A True Story, Lily Koppel

Miss USA

Associated Press/Jeff Bottari

The Miss USA competition took place Sunday, June 16 at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas.

Connecticut's Erin Brady was crowned Miss USA by outgoing queen Nana Meriweather. Brady, who is a financial accountant for Prudential Retirement, will be putting her career on hold for a year. Brady will now be traveling around the nation to raise awareness about breast and ovarian cancer, the Miss Universe Organization charitable cause. She will also helping children cope with the effects of drug and alcohol abuse as that is important to her. Brady was raised in a home were alcohol and substance abuse occurred.

Brady was asked a question about the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to uphold widespread DNA tests. Brady agreed with the decision. She said, "If someone is being prosecuted and committed a crime, it should happen. There are so many crimes that if that's one step closer to stopping them, then we should be able to do so."

First runner-up was Mary Margaret McCord, Miss Alabama;  Second runner-up was Stacie Jurie, Miss Illinois;  Third runner-up was Marissa Powell, Miss Utah; Fourth runner-up was Ali Nugent, Miss Texas, and Fifth runner-up was Megan Pinckney, Miss South Carolina.

Brady will represent the United States at the Miss Universe pageant in Moscow this winter. 

Miss Connecticut Erin Brady is crowned the winner of the Miss USA 2013 pageant by Nana Meriwether, Sunday, June 16, 2013, in Las Vegas.

Miss Michigan

mlive.com/Natalie Bolb

The Miss Michigan competition for the Miss America Organization took place Saturday, June 15 at the Frauenthal Center for the Performing Arts in Muskegon. Thirty three young ladies participated in the pageant.

Haley Williams, Miss Saginaw County, was crowned Miss Michigan. Williams will represent Michigan in the Miss America pageant in Atlantic City, New Jersey in September.

Williams won a $10,000 scholarship by winning the title. She also won the Preliminary Talent award ($500 scholarship) Thursday night for baton twirling and the Kirsten Haglund Swimsuit Award ($250 scholarship) Friday.

My friend, Mekeisha Alcock, was in the pageant. I have known her for a long time. We went to the same school and I also have photographed her playing sports in high school and local pageants. Alcock, Miss West Michigan, was second runner-up.

KT Maviglia, Miss Monroe County, was first runner-up. Maviglia won a $5000 scholarship and Kirsten Haglund Swimsuit Award, a $250 scholarship, Thursday night.

Mekeisha Alcock, Miss West Michigan, was second runner-up. Alcock won a $4000 scholarship, Kaye Lani Rafko-Wilson Community Service Award ($500 scholarship) and the Excellence in Interview Award ($250 scholarship).

Sarah Suydam, Miss St. Clair Shores, was third runner-up. Suydam won a $3000 scholarship.

Lauren Brown, Miss Spirit of the State, was fourth runner-up. Brown won a $2000 scholarship.


From left: Sarah Suydam, Miss St. Clair Shores (Third runner-up), Mekeisha Alcock, Miss West Michigan, (Second runner-up), Haley Williams, Miss Saginaw County (Miss Michigan 2013), KT Maviglia, Miss Monroe County (First runner-up), and Lauren Brown, Miss Spirit of the State, (Fourth runner-up), pose for a photograph after the final night of the Miss Michigan competition on June 15, 2013.

Mary Cain

Mary Cain has set another national high school record. Cain set the record in the 5000m at the Portland Track Festival on June 8. Cain broke the previous high school record held by Emily Sission's of 15:48.91 with her sixth place finish in a time of 15:45.46. Karolina Jarzynska of Poland won the race in 15:25.52.

Watch more video of Portland Track Festival 2013 on flotrack.org

Women's 5000m results

1.  Karolina Jarzynska 15:25.52
2.  Treniere Moser 15:35.96
3.  Laura  Thweatt 15:41.38
4.  Tara Erdmann 15:42.39
5.  Kellyn Johnson 15:44.78
6.  Mary Cain 15:45.46

USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships

The USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships are just around the corner. If you cannot make it to Drake Stadium in Des Moines, Iowa to watch it in person, you are in luck. The championships will air live on four networks over three days.

The USA Outdoors Track and Field Championships will determine which athletes will receive spots to represent the USA at the IAAF World Championships from August 10-18 in Moscow, Russia. 

On Friday, June 21 the championships will be live on ESPN2 from 8-10 p.m. EST. On Saturday, June 22, it will be live on two stations. Starting at 4 p..m. EST on Universal Sports and then on NBC Sports Network at 5 p.m. On the final day of competition, the championships will be broadcast on three networks. The coverage starts at 2 p.m. EST on Universal Sports, NBC Sports Network at 3 p.m. and will conclude on NBC starting at 4 p.m.


Television schedule - All broadcast times are EST
Friday, June 21
8-10 p..m.  ESPN2

Saturday, June 22
4-5 p.m.  Universal Sports
5-7 p.m.  NBC Sports Network

Sunday, June 23
2-3 p.m.  Universal Sports
3-4 p.m.  NBC Sports Network
4-6 p.m.  NBC

Books read in 2012

Between Here and April, Deborah Copaken Kogan
Bleed for Me, Michael Robotham
The Making of a Royal Romance, Katie Nicholl 
Prince Philip: The Turbulent Early Life of the Man Who Married Queen Elizabeth II, Philip Eade
The Black Box, Michael Connelly
The Painted Girls, Cathy Marie Buchanan
The Drowning House, Elizabeth Black
Killing Kennedy, Bill O'Reilly
Argo, Antonio Mendez & Matt Baglio
Mad Women: the Other Side of Life on Madison Avenue in the '60s and Beyond, Jane Maas
Marilyn Monroe: A Case for Murder, Jay Margolis 
Amelia Earhart: The Truth at Last, Mike Campbell
Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho, Stephen Rebello
Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness, Susannah Cahalan
Detroit: An American Autopsy, Charlie LeDuff
Top of the Morning, Brian Stelter
A Private Disgrace: Lizze Borden by Daylight, Victoria Lincoln
Iron War: Dave Scott, Mark Allen and the Greatest Race Ever Run, Matt Fitzgerald
Waiting to be Heard, Amanda KnoxBehind the Candelabra: My Life with Liberace, Scott Thorson & Alex Thorleifson
 
Currently Reading: The Good Nurse: A True Story of Medicine, Madness and Murder, Charles Graeber

NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships

Associated Press/Don Ryan

The NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships concluded Saturday at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.

The women's title was won by Kansas with a total of 60 points over Texas A&M with 44 points.  A tie occurred in the men's competition. Florida and Texas A&M tied with 53 points. Arkansas was third with 46.5 points.

Some of the events that I was most excited to watch are listed below.

The women's 10,000m took place on Thursday night. Bestsy Saina of Iowa State won in 33:08.85. Aliphine Tuliamuk-Bolton of Wichita State was second in 33:14.12, Boise State's Emma Bates was third (33:37.13), Megan Goethals of Washington fourth (33:40.85) and Katie Matthews of Boston University was fifth (33:43.26).

On Friday, the women's 100m was won by English Gardner of Oregon in 10.96. That was Gardner's second NCAA 100m title. That time set a school record, broke the Pac-12 record and was the third fastest time in NCAA history. Octavious Freeman of UCF was second in 11.0 and LSU's Kimberlyn Duncan followed in third in 11.08.

Oregon's Elijah Greer pulled away from Penn State's Casimir Loxsom to win the men's 800m title in 1:46.58. Loxsom was second in 1:46.88.

Ashley Spencer from Illinois repeated as the 400m champion. Spencer's winning time was 50.28. Gerogria's Shaunae Miller finished second in 50.70. In the men's 400m, USC's Bryshon Nellum won in 44.73.

The last event of the night on Friday was the women's 5000m. Abbey D'Agostino won in 15:43.68. The women's 10,000m champion Besty Saina was second in 15:50.26. Jordan Hasay of Oregon finished third in 15:50.78. The women's 10,000m runner-up Alihine Tuliamuk-Bolton was fourth (15:51.92) and Washington's Megan Goethals was fifth (15:54.00).

On the final day, Natalja Piliusian of Oklahoma State won the women's 1500m in 4:13.25 over Florida's Cory McGee in 4:13.94. Amanda Mergaert of Utah was third (4:14.30), Rebecca Tracy of Notre Dame was fourth (4:14.42) and Michigan's Amanda Eccleston was fifth in 4:14.56.

The men's 1500m was won by Oregon's Mac Fleet with a time of 3:50.25. Zach Perkins from Air Force was second (3:50.60), Patrick Casey of Oklahoma third (3:50.60) Austin Mudd of Wisconsin was fourth in 3:50.84.

Kimberlyn Duncan of LSU won her third NCAA in the women's 200m. Duncan's winning time was 22.04. Kamaria Brown of Texas A&M was second in 22.21 and UCF's Aurieyall Scott was third in 22.48.

Emma Coburn of Colorado won the women's 3000m steeplechase in 9:35.38 and Florida State's Colleen Quigley was second in 9:38.23.

Lawi Lalang of Arizona, winner of the men's 10,000m, won the 5000m in 13:35.19. Paul Chelimo of UNC-Greensboro finished second in 13:40.41, Diego Estrada of Northern Arizona was third in 13:42.27 and Wisconsin's Maverick Darling was fifth in a time of 13:44.56.


Women's Team Scores

1.    Kansas           60
2.   Texas A&M    44
3.    Oregon           43
4.    LSU               40
5.    UCF               35

Men's Team Scores
1.    Florida           53
1.    Texas A&M   53
3.    Arkansas       46.5
4.    Oregon          44
5.    USC              42

iRun for Kassie Wingerd 10K

I ran the iRun for Kassie Wingerd 10K Sunday morning. A gray and cloudy morning turned into a lovely sunny morning. Besides the sun, there was a slight wind to deal with.  The iRun for Kassie 5K/10K runs is a memorial scholarship run. On the registration sheet it stated, "Kassie Wingerd was diagnosed in 2008, at the age of 10, with Leukemia. She completed treatments in May 2010 but was re-diagnosed in September 2011. Kassie passed away October 24, 2011 at the age of 13. The scholarship will be given to a student who has overcome many struggles throughout their education in Clinton Community Schools; just as Kassie did."

All of the 10K runners were told to line up first in front of the 5K runners and walkers. When the race started, it really didn't matter. The faster 5K runners had already passed me. In the first half mile of the race, I knew that a really fast girl in my age group was ahead of me. I knew that I needed to keep the only other age group runner behind me. Right at the start of the race, she was beside me. Then she started to run in front of me. I was determined to not let her get away. When she got in front of me, I fell in right behind her. I knew once we turned left a subdivision that we were going to be running into a headwind.

When we all turned the corner out of the subdivision, I found myself side-by-side with her. The out-and-back course took us over many rolling hills. Coming out of the subdivision, we started to head up one. When I looked over, the lady beside me was gone. I could hear her breathing behind me. I kept telling myself that I needed to keep her behind me.

Now that the woman in my age group was behind me, I wanted it to keep it that way. In order to do that, I needed to put a gap between us. I mentioned that the course had many rolling hills. After running up a hill, most of the time, the road would flatten out for a while before going up another hill. In between the hills, I started surging. I thought if I could speed up on the flat ground that maybe I could get away from her. That seemed to work for me. I was catching runners in front of me.

On that stretch of country roads, I passed probably 4-5 people. I was really excited. The 5K and 10K runners shared mostly the same course. The 5K course had a turnaround at halfway. The 10K runners continued running straight down the road. When I passed the 5K turnaround, I was running by myself. Probably all of the runners I just passed were in the 5K race. I didn't want to look behind me to see how far the next runner was, so I continued my surge strategy on the flat parts of the road.

When I finally saw the 10K leader running my way, I was thrilled. That meant it was almost time to turnaround. The best part about running an out-and-back course is you can see how many people are in front of you. While I was passing the lead runners, I was counting them too. Before hitting the turnaround point, I was in 10th place overall and third overall woman.

I grabbed a cup of water on the turnaround and looked at my watch. My watch said 27 something. I was thinking that was slow. I figured it must have been the hills slowing me down. As I ran down the road, the woman in my age group was running my way. I had at least a 20 second lead on her. I was thinking that she could negative split her second half and run me down. That thought made me push myself. I was in a good spot and I didn't want her to take it away from me.

Passing the 5K turnaround table, the girls working the station told me I was almost done. Since I don't run with music anymore, I was listening for their voices as I continued down the road. About 15-20 seconds later, I heard the girls telling someone "good job." I didn't know for sure if it was the 10K lady behind me or the 5K walkers. But I didn't want to know. When I passed the sign that read 5 miles, I really picked up the pace. I only had 1.2 miles left, I needed to finish strong. I ended up catching up to a bunch of walkers. I ran to the center of the road to avoid colliding into them.

The last part of the race took us from the road to the town's high school track. Turning into the driveway that lead to the track, I caught up with about 5 walkers. When I got beside them, two of the girls started running. The other three girls moved out of my way and continued walking. I passed a few more walkers heading towards the finish line. When I crossed the finish line, I didn't realize that I did. I left my watch running for a few more seconds. I thought the balloon arch that was behind the finish line was the finish line. The arch was set up for us to go under to have the volunteers take off our bib number tags. I stopped my watch under the balloon arch. When I read my watch it said 51:42. I couldn't believe it. According to that time, I set a new 10K PR by 1:24. Since I didn't stop my watch at the actual finish line, I took off two seconds to my race time: 51:40, (PR lowered by 1:26). I figured that was how long it took me to run from the finish line to the balloon arch. The results will be posted online today or tomorrow. Once I see my finishing time. I will adjust everything out.

I finished the race somewhere around 51:40. That placed me 10th overall, 3rd woman overall and 2nd in my age group. After I drank two bottles of water, grabbed a banana and started walking toward the stairs at the end of the track, the other woman in my age group just on the track running towards the finish line. I couldn't believe how big of a gap I put between us after the turnaround.

I'm very excited for the new 10K PR. My previous PR was set in 2011 with a time of 53:06. I was close to beating it last year a couple of times. I thought that I never lower it again. I'm thankful that everything fell in place. I will keep on training to hopefully lower it again.

Simon & Simon

We only had one television in the house back in the 1980s. So that meant the entire family had to watch the same shows.

One of the shows that the whole entire family watched together was Simon & Simon. It was about two brothers that ran a private detective agency together. It starred Gerald McRaney as Rick Simon and Jameson Parker as A.J. Simon.

My husband was watching TV last week when I was getting ready for work. He told me to watch something. He was watching Adult Swim on Cartoon Network and they were running a special program called The Greatest Event in Television History. Jon Hamm (Mad Men), Adam Scott (Parks and Rec), Paul Rudd, Paul Scheer and Jeff Probst all starred in a mockumentary about re-making the opening credit sequence of Simon & Simon, shot-for-shot.

When my husband pressed play on the remote for the DVR. I saw one of the funniest things ever. Hamm and Scott nailed the sequence. I have since watched the video of the opening credits probably 20 times since last week. I still laugh.  My husband only recorded the opening sequence. But I did find the entire mockumentary leading up to the big event of the Simon & Simon opening credits remake online. If you find it, watch it. It is pretty funny.

RIP Jon Hamm. (That sentence will make sense if you watch the mockumentary.)

I posted the mockumentary and parody. The quality of the mockumentary isn't too good.

Books read in 2013

Between Here and April, Deborah Copaken Kogan
Bleed for Me, Michael Robotham
The Making of a Royal Romance, Katie Nicholl 
Prince Philip: The Turbulent Early Life of the Man Who Married Queen Elizabeth II, Philip Eade
The Black Box, Michael Connelly
The Painted Girls, Cathy Marie Buchanan
The Drowning House, Elizabeth Black
Killing Kennedy, Bill O'Reilly
Argo, Antonio Mendez & Matt Baglio
Mad Women: the Other Side of Life on Madison Avenue in the '60s and Beyond, Jane Maas
Marilyn Monroe: A Case for Murder, Jay Margolis
Amelia Earhart: The Truth at Last, Mike Campbell
Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho, Stephen Rebello
Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness, Susannah Cahalan
Detroit: An American Autopsy, Charlie LeDuff
Top of the Morning, Brian Stelter
A Private Disgrace: Lizze Borden by Daylight, Victoria Lincoln
Iron War: Dave Scott, Mark Allen and the Greatest Race Ever Run, Matt Fitzgerald
Waiting to be Heard, Amanda Knox

Currently Reading: Behind the Candelabra: My Life with Liberace, Scott Thorson & Alex Thorleifson

Mary Cain

Associated Press/Don Ryan

Over the weekend, 17 year-old Mary Cain competed in the IAAF Diamond League Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Oregon. Cain ran against some of the best elite athletes in the 800m.

Cain finished the 800m in 1:59.51. That time set a new American high school and junior record.  She is now the first American junior athlete to run under two minutes in the event.

Francine Niyonsaba of Burundi won the women's 800m race in 1:56.72. That time set a meet record and is a world leading. American Brenda Martinez was second with a personal best of 1:58.18. Alysia Montano was fourth in 1:59.51. Cain finished behind Montano in fifth.

After Cain found out she broke the high school and junior record from her coach Alberto Salazar, Montano did something really neat. Montano asked Cain if she would like to have her red chrysanthemum that she wore in her hair. Cain said yes and Montano put the flower in Cain's hair. I thought that was so classy of Montano. That moment made me smile.

Here is the video:

Dexter-Ann Arbor Half Marathon

I ran the Dexter-Ann Arbor Half Marathon Sunday.

The race is a point to point. The half marathon runners get bussed out to an elementary school in Dexter. The course is run on rural roads that lead to downtown Ann Arbor. According to the website, ".. the race is run on paved surfaces throughout the entire course, and features its only real flat stretches of any length for two miles during the entire race." That's true until you run up the big hills during the final two miles.

The first part of the course isn't too bad. There are plenty of rolling hills. Nothing too bad. When I ran up the heads, I just stared at the pavement. The first reason I looked at the pavement to make sure I wasn't going to twist my ankles on my low spots or potholes in the road. The second reason is the hills always go by quicker to me if you are not staring at how much longer you have to go.

When I passed the six mile mark, I was happy to be on pace to run under two hours. I have run this half marathon since 2011 and I have never done that. Then at 6.5 miles the biggest hill of the course was right up in front of us. A guy and woman next to me stopped to walk the hill. If this race was an ultra, I would have walked the hill too. Since it was just a half marathon, I ran up the hill. I put my head down and looked at the pavement about 10 feet in front of me. That hill was brutal. When I reached the top, it took a bit for my legs to speed back up and run again. I think that was the case for everyone around me.

Around the eight/nine mile mark, I thought I was still doing well to break two hours. I was wrong. The two hour pace group ended up passing me on my left. I hung with them for a stretch, but they ended up getting away. As disappointed as I was, I kept running. During those last four miles, I was surprised to see so many male runners on the side of the road with their hands on their knees or walking. It boggled my mind. Males are supposed to be tougher then females. Maybe they hot from the sun, tired or just didn't train properly. It just surprised me to see so many of them on the side of the road.

The stretch between mile 11 and 12 seemed like it took forever. Just being so close to the end, I wanted to see the next mile marker as soon as I could. When the course made a curve to the right, I knew a hill was coming. The course takes us up a hill before coming to the 12 mile marker. I was almost two minutes behind when I reached the final mile marker. I didn't want it to get any worse, so I kicked it into gear. I ended up passing so many people. I'm sure they were probably as tired as me, but I wanted to be done.

I was stuck in no-man's land after passing a bunch of runners. I had a group of runners in front of me and behind me. No one beside me. I really wanted someone next to me. The wind was hitting us in the face and I wanted a person to break the wind for me. Since I had no one but my self, I kept going. Then probably for the last half mile the course goes up hill. My legs couldn't switch into any other gear. The pace I was running is what I was going to finish in. A block away from the finish line, I took my Oiselle hat off. I did that so I could have photos taken of me without huge shadows on my face from the bill of my hat. I crossed the finish line in 2:02:26. I was two minutes shy of going under two hours. Maybe I can get my sub-two hour next year. I know I will try.

Official results:
Time: 2:02:26
Overall place: 1346/2087
Gender place: 435/1229
Age group: 70/202

Favorite photos from May 25, 2013