The CHill Zone of T&F

While the elite are competing in Eugene this weekend at the Prefonataine Invitational, many of the country’s top high school athletes will be strutting their stuff at the California and Texas State Championships. These meets annually are among the best that the high schools have to offer. Allyson Felix, Sanya Richards, Jeremy Wariner, Lashinda Demus and German Fernandez are among the many current stars of the sport that have recently competed in these two great meets. Below are the links to the results sites for both meets, as well as a link to the top high school marks in the country. Check them this weekend to see how well young…

According to a Reuters News article Prefontaine Classic meet director Tom Jordan is trying to get a Tyson Gay/ Asafa Powell head to head at the meet this coming weekend. Tyson’s manager Mark Whetmore is quoted as saying that Tyson wants to run at Pre the only question being whether or not he feels like he is ready to run as the original plan was that his next competition was scheduled to be at the National Championships June 25. While I would love to see a Tyson v Asafa matchup, not sure there is much to be gained right now. Asafa Powell has yet to show the signs of a…

After watching the meet again, actually a couple of times, as well as some video on You Tube, this was one hot meet that deserves some additional comments. But before I comment on the meet, I want to beg NBC, and any others that will be televising meets, to do everything in their power to televise the FULL meet! We missed some outstanding races – men’s 110H and women’s 200 – as well as some outstanding field event competition that could have been shown in between running events. This was a high class competition and every chance we have to showcase the best of this sport to viewers in the…

Tyson Gay was triple World Champion in 2007 winning the 100/200 and running on the gold medal 4×1 relay. Last year in New York he had his first set back on his way to Beijing – running second to Usain Bolt’s first WR of the season (9.72) with his early season 9.85. Gay looked to have rebounded nicely from the loss at the Olympic Trials as he blazed an American Record 9.77, then the fastest ever 100 with a windy 9.68. But then he suffered his second, and most severe set back of the season when he pulled up in his first round of the 200 meters. After spending his…

With one of the US’s top meets on tap for tomorrow, I thought I would take an event by event look at the Reebok Grand Prix. Women’s Long Jump – We get a rare shot of Carollina Kluft (SWE) here in the US. Kluft is arguably one of the best female athletes in the sport as a former Olympic and reigning World Champion in the Heptathlon. The long jump is her best event, but she should have all she can handle from Grace Upshaw and Tianna Madison. Don’t be surprised if Kluft’s visit to the states is a successful one. Women’s Pole Vault – Jenn Stuczynski has only one peer…

USA Track and Field filled its position of Chief of Sports Performance by hiring former hurdler Benita Fitzgerald Moseley last week. Fitzgerald Moseley will be responsible for overseeing USATF’s High Performance and Sports Science Programs, and the person that will ultimately be responsible for seeing that CEO Doug Logan’s goal of 30 track and field medals in London (2012) comes to fruition. Not sure exactly what “High Performance” and “Sports Science Programs” really means, although her oversight will include USATF’s athlete development, USA team management, national relay management, elite athlete services, sport science programs, coaching education, and management of meet officials. But the bottom line in plain speak, is that…

The Memorial Day weekend is typically quiet on the elite scene, and was an off weekend for Division I colleges as they rested between Conference meets and Regionals, but there was a lot of action in the lower collegiate divisions, low level open meets and high schools. The hottest action, however was at the National Junior College Championships, as the young sprinters made their case for why they should be running for upper level schools. Rend Lake’s Ryan Bailey set a new JCR of 10.05 in the 100 meters in the heats before winning the final in 10.07. He also ran 20.45 in his semi before returning to run 20.47…

The buzz last night in the world of sports was not the NBA Playoffs, or even the Draft lottery to determine which order NBA teams will be selecting players in next months college draft. The buzz in the sports world was the release of Michael Vick from prison and just where he will fit in upon his return to the NFL! Sports announcers, analysts and others have been taking a look at his skills and how long he has been away, in an effort to estimate just which team he may fit best with, and what position may best suit him. You see, the NFL, and the sporting world in…

Two Time Olympic Gold Medalist Jon Drummond is conducting a Speed Clinic in Clarksville, TN June 8th & 9th. Coaches Monday June 8th 12-5pm Presentation: Training MethodologyPresentation: Speed Training Coaches & AthletesTuesday June 9th 10-4pm Presentation: Drills Acquisition Demonstration: Mechanics Demonstration: Block work analysis Registration: $200 for coaches if registered before June 1. $75 for students with proof of student id or drivers license. Late registration: $225.00 after June 1. Location: Kenwood High School, 251 E. Pine Mt, Clarksville, TN 37042Clinic Director: Erin Walden, nedlawme@hotmail.com, 931-542-8018 For a registration form, and additional information contact Event Director Erin Walden.

The weekend’s big meet on the elite side was the Adidas Classic in Carson. Great competition but the times were hampered by negative winds all day. In spite of the conditions, some athletes still distinguished themselves, and showed that they will play a factor on the road to Berlin. The best on the day for my money was Lashawn Merritt who improved on his own world leading time in the 200 with a 20.07 win into a slight headwind (-0.5). Merritt dominated all phases of the race and won going away, with second place Xavier Carter a well back 20.71. Merritt chose to run the 200 here to work on…