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Hoffa’s heroics anchor exciting 99th
Millrose Games
An impressive crowd of 14,851 filled Madison Square
Garden for the 99th running of the Millrose Games Friday
night anticipating one of the greatest Millrose Games in
recent history. Led by a world-leading performance by
Reese Hoffa in the Visa men’s shot put, a photo finish
in the adidas women’s 60m and an impressive run by
Bernard Lagat in the Wanamaker Mile, the athletes did
not disappoint.
The second stop of the 2006 Visa Championship Series,
the 99th Millrose Games will be broadcast from 6:30-8:30
p.m. on Sunday, February 5, on ESPN2.
Reese does it again
Visa Championship Series leader and 2004 World Indoor
silver medalist Reese Hoffa made good on the gold bib he
was wearing as the Series leader, winning the men’s shot
put with a Madison Square Garden record of
21.65m/71-0.5, a 2006 world leader. Reigning World
Indoor champion Christian Cantwell was second with
20.88m/68-6, and World Outdoor champion Adam Nelson was
third with 19.42m/63-8.75, a potential winning throw
being negated by a foot fault.
Hoffa’s performance earned him the Fred Schmertz
trophy as the top performer of the meet.
Campbell wins a close one
Olympic women’s 200m gold medalist Veronica Campbell
of Jamaica and U.S. outdoor 100m champion Lisa Barber
lived up to their identical personal bests in the adidas
women’s 60m dash. Barber burst from the blocks with a
huge lead, but Campbell ran her down in the final stages
of the race. The two women crossed the finish line
together, in what appeared to be a dead heat. Only a
photo finish separated the two, with Campbell getting
the win and Barber placing second, both timed in 7.10
seconds – just .01 off their personal bests. World 100m
champion Lauryn Williams was third in 7.19.
Lagat wins fourth Wanamaker
The showdown between American Bernard Lagat and
Ethiopian hero Kenenisa Bekele in the Wanamaker Mile
provided the closing excitement for the 99th Millrose
Games. The two-time Olympic 1,500 meter medalist, Lagat
has become a specialist on the Garden track, entering
the meet with three victories. With world records at
5,000 and 10,000 meters and an Olympic medal over the
longer distance, Bekele brought long-distance
credentials.
It was Lagat’s speed that ruled the evening.
Elkanah Angwenyi of Kenya led Lagat through 800
meters in 1:53.7, with Bekele training by a meter or
two. At that point, Lagat pulled away for his fourth
Millrose victory in 3:56.85, with Bekele holding on for
second in 4:01.57. Olympic bronze medalist and World
Indoor champion Rui Silva of Portugal was third in
4:01.79.
Crawford takes men’s 60
Like Campbell in the women’s sprint, Olympic men’s
200m champion Shawn Crawford used a strong finish to win
the Hershey’s men’s 60m dash in 6.59 second. World
Outdoor 200m bronze medalist John Capel was second in
6.63, and two-time Olympic 110m hurdles silver medalist
Terrence Trammell was third in 6.67.
Hartwig gets better with age
At age 38, Jeff Hartwig won his fifth Millrose title
in the Fred Schmertz men’s pole vault, clearing
5.73m/18-9.75 to relegate #1 world-ranked Brad Walker to
second (5.68m/18-7.75). Olympic silver medalist Toby
Stevenson was third with 5.60m/18-4.5.
Hayes returning to form
Olympic gold medalist Joanna Hayes showed great form
in the women’s 60-meter hurdles, putting on an
impressive show in the last half of the race to win in
7.93 seconds. Jenny Adams was second in 8.05, Nichole
Denby was third in 8.07 and Gail Devers, the American
and Millrose record holder, was fourth in 8.13 in her
first race since giving birth to daughter Karsen Anise
on June 20.
Dominique Arnold also had a strong second half in the
men’s hurdles, coming from behind Terrence Trammell to
win in 7.59 seconds. Antwon Hicks was second in 7.64,
and Trammell was third in 7.66.
Multi-lap winners
Carmen Douma Hussar survived a near spill with two
laps to go to win her third consecutive Fred Lebow
women’s mile in 4:35.64. Fellow Canadian Courtney
Babcock, with whom Hussar tangled legs, was second in
4:36.00, and Malindi Elmore made it a Canadian sweep in
third with 4:36.28.
Employing his traditional fast start, Khadevis
Robinson held off David Krummenacker to win the men’s
800 meters in 1:49.98. Krummenacker was second in
1:50.35, with Berhanu Alemu of Ethiopia third in
1:51.13.
Tim Seaman, a native of Long Island competing for New
York AC, racked up his third Millrose victory and the
27th national title of his career at any distance in the
Susan Rudin men’s 1 mile race walk, cruising to a time
of 5:47.59 to win easily. David McGovern was second in
6:04.66, and David McGovern was third in 6:32.27.
More winners
Chaunte Howard won the women’s high jump for the
second straight time in the indoor Visa Championship
Series with a clearance of 1.93m/6-4. Hazel-Ann Regis of
Grenada won the women’s 400 meters in 55.54 seconds over
Tiffany Ross-Williams (56.08); Mary Sauer took first on
fewer misses in the women’s pole vault, leading four
women who cleared 4.40m/14-5.25. Dana Buller of Canada
and Jillian Schwartz tied for second, while 2006 U.S.
leader Jen Stuczynski was fourth. Kenia Sinclair of
Jamaica won the women’s 800 meters in 2:05.62, while
LaShawn Merritt won the men’s 500 meters (1:03.38) over
World Outdoor 400m hurdles gold medalist Bershawn
Jackson (1:03.80).
High school thrills
In high school action, Danielle Tauro of Southern
Regional became the first New Jersey athlete to win the
girls’ high school mile. Tauro moved impressively from
third to first in the last half-lap of the race, winning
in 4:51.89. Colleen Wetherbee of Dennis-Yarmouth (Mass.)
was second in 4:52.78, and Lindsey Ferguson of Saratoga
Springs was third in 4:54.74.
In the boys’ mile, Dan McManamon of Shenendehowa High
School ran 4:17.18 to win, holding off Mark Amirault of
Xaverian Brothers (Mass.) in second (4:18.10) and Greg
Kiley of Saratoga Springs (4:18.42).
Fordham Prep became the only school ever to win five
consecutive Millrose relay crowns in the boys’ 4x800m
relay, finishing in 8:04.07 to best Monsignor Farrell
(8:05.15). |
