PALO ALTO, Calif. – With some of the world’s finest athletes including Marion Jones, Stacy Dragila, John Godina and Gail Devers competing at the Oracle U.S. Open, Mother Nature made an appearance at Stanford University’s Cobb Track and Angell Field as well. A strong, swirling wind gusting to levels far in excess of event wind readings and cool temperatures were competitors in every event, but it did nothing to diminish the level of competition or the appreciativeness of the facility-record 6,844 fans on hand for the meet, the third stop on USA Track & Field’s Golden Spike Tour.

Stanford alumna Regina Jacobs and 800m American indoor record holder Nicole Teter pitched an epic duel over the final 400 meters of the Oracle Women’s 1,500 meters in the night’s most hotly contested event. Jacobs, the defending U.S. champion in the 1,500 and the greatest American middle-distance runner of the last several years, avenged her last-lap loss to Teter at the Nike Prefontaine Classic two weeks earlier by running 4:11.35 at Stanford. Teter was second in 4:11.70 and Sarah Schwald was third in 4:12.75.

Three-time world champion Gail Devers turned in one of the most impressive performances of the night, bucking a .7 meters-per-second headwind to run 12.81 in the Oracle women’s 100m hurdles. Donica Merriman was second in 12.88 and Jenny Adams was third in 12.99. Running strongly in second, Miehsa McKelvy hit a hurdle and finished fifth in 13.20.

Marion Jones fought through a 2.7 mps headwind and strong Caribbean competition to win the Verizon women’s 100m dash in 11.20 seconds. Veronica Campbell of Jamaica was second in 11.31 and Tayna Lawrence of Jamaica was third in 11.33.

Among the most popular events of the night with the crowd was the Nike men’s mile. Kenyan William Chirchir took advantage of pacesetting through 800m by Stanford’s Gabe Jennings (1:55.6) to win in 3:55.40. He was followed by a trio of Americans: Seneca Lassiter (3:58.59), Jonathon Riley (3:59.69) and Bolota Asmeron (3:59.86).

In one of the most anticipated competitions, 2001 world indoor and outdoor champion John Godina won the men’s shot put with a best of 21.38m/70-1.75 to earn his first victory of the Golden Spike Tour. Nike Prefontaine Classic champion Kevin Toth was second at 21.11m/69-3.25. adidas Oregon Track Classic winner Adam Nelson withdrew from the meet due to an Achilles tendon injury but is expected back for the USA Outdoor Championships.

Olympic champion and world record holder Stacy Dragila easily won the Visa women’s pole vault. Struggling against the unpredictable wind on her approach, Dragila cleared 4.32m/14-2. Becky Holliday was second at 4.07m/13-4.25.

Defending world 400m hurdles champion Felix Sanchez of the Dominican Republic won the SoBe Sports System men’s 400m in 45.24 seconds. Alleyne Francique of Grenada was second in 45.36.

A homestretch run brought Jearl Miles-Clark a victory in the women’s 400 meters. The three-time U.S. outdoor champion in the event ran 50.45 to post the second-fastest time in the world this year. World leader Michelle Collins was second in 50.87, with four-time Jamaican Olympian Sandie Richards third at 50.98.

Former TCU standout Kim Collins of St. Kitts held off 2001 World University Games champion Marcus Brunson in the Oracle Men’s 100 meters with a time of 10.18 seconds. Brunson, who attended Arizona State, was runner-up at 10.21 with a 3.0mps headwind.

U.S. indoor champion Miguel Pate dominated the men’s long jump with a mark of 8.28m/27-2. Tyrone Ward was a distant second at 7.47m/24-6.25. The reigning U.S. indoor champions also won the men’s triple jump and the Oracle men’s 800m. Tim Rusan won the triple jump with a leap of 17.17m/56-4 (wind readings were not available for the LJ and TJ). In the 800m, Derrick Peterson ran down NCAA champion Otukile Lekote of Botswana, by way of LSU. Peterson ran 1:47.18 to Lekote’s 1:47.42, repeating their 1-2 finish in the 800 at the 2001 US Open.

In the women’s high jump, Tisha Waller made it through the competition with no misses, clearing 1.93m/6-4. (She missed three times at her final height of 1.96m/6-5.) Canadian Nicole Forrester was second at 1.90m/6-2.75. Suzy Powell won the women’s discus with a throw of 64.39m/211-3, with Aretha Hill second at 63.21m/207-4. Luke Kipkosgei of Kenya won the men’s 5,000m in 13:17.46 with countryman Abraham Chebii second in 13:22.88 and American Dan Browne third in 13:34.72.

An IAAF Grand Prix I event, the Oracle US Open will be broadcast from 3-4 p.m. Eastern Time on Sunday on CBS. The GST will conclude June 21-23 with the USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships, also at Stanford.

For complete results from the Oracle US Open, including Olympic Development events, visit www.usatf.org

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Norgren Mahon sets hammer AR

2002 U.S. indoor weight throw champion Anna Norgren Mahon on Saturday set an American record in the outdoor hammer throw Saturday at the Holmdel International Track and Field Meet at West Point, New York. Nogren Mahon threw 71.64m/235-0 to break Dawn Ellerbe’s previous American record of 70.62/231-8, set in 2001. The mark is also a 2002 world leader.

ATHLETE QUOTES, Oracle US Open

Marion Jones, winner of the 100 in the 11.20 with a minus 2.7 wind:

On getting acclimated to the track: “I felt fast. I felt like I was running to a wall the whole way. In terms of getting comfortable with the track, I was comfortable. This is the type of race I wanted to get through, and get through alive. We did that today.”

On her speed: “I think I am running faster now than I did at Pre. If I got a good start at Pre, I would have gone faster than 10.90. Who knows. If we could turn that around to a plus 2.7 you would have seen something really, really fast.”

On the wind: “I don’t know how many of you guys remember the 1998 Goodwill Games in New York. I think we had a minus 3.something wind. It reminded me of that. My eyes… I kept on getting stuff in my eyes in the warm-up. But you know conditions are going to be different wherever you go. It’s my last 100 tune-up prior to coming back here in a few weeks for Nationals. I would like to have had good conditions and run faster. It didn’t happen today. I’m still kind of happy with my race. My start was better than a few weeks ago at Pre.”

Jearl Miles-Clark, winner of the 400 in 50.45

On gaining confidence in her running: “ Its always good to beat [Collins]. I’ve been trying to get my rhythm back and my time has been dropping down. My workouts have been great. I felt like with still conditions I may have run under 50—I just felt that god today.”

On the environment at Stanford: “It was a really great atmosphere. The audience was really enthusiastic.”

On the wind: “During warm-ups, I totally couldn’t believe the wind. But I knew that everyone has to run the race so you just gotta block it out. I was concentrating so much on the race that I hardly felt the wind. The wind was swirling the most on the home stretch.”

Derrick Peterson, winner of the 800 in 1:47.18

On the facility: “Any track meet that I have ever come here, the weather has been perfect and the conditions—the stadium and the fans—have all been perfect. This is one of the greatest places for a track and field spectator and a track and field athlete.”

On his time: “It’s a great time going into the USA Nationals here in the next two weeks. This definitely gives me something to work forward to as far as getting faster. I came here for a victory and put on a good show for the fans. The time for me comes later.”

Felix Sanchez, winner of the 400 in 45.24

On the field: “It was a great field. I’ve run in four different races and each time it’s been different. But the field has been fast every time. I was glad I won my last race. It was good for my confidence, especially to run that way in this wind. …It sure is a lot easier with the hurdles out of the way.”

Stacy Dragila, winner of the pole vault

“This wind today was a little crazy for me. When you have gusts, it’s really hard to get your steps together on a day like today. But I’ll be back in two weeks (at the USA Outdoor Championships).” “It was a tail-cross wind for me over my right shoulder. Not a bad scenario for me. But for some reason I couldn’t get it together.”

Gail Devers, winner of the 100 hurdles in 12.81 with a minus 0.7 wind

“It was a very sloppy race. I don’t wanna see it on TV. I was never able to get my lead leg down. I couldn’t use my foot-speed until I was coming off of the 10th hurdle. On nationals: “Hopefully we’ll have something great in two weeks. I wanna run fast on American soil. I’m gonna try to push the envelope and challenge myself on all 10 hurdles. Sometimes it works out like at the Prefontaine and sometimes it doesn’t.”

Regina Jacobs, winner of the 1,500 meters in 4:11.35

On Nicole Teter: “Nicole is great. If we can develop a rivalry, I think it would be terrific. She’s been racing for about now almost six or eight weeks. So for me to come up, step up and I still got my training legs on. I was very pleased to be able to out kick her today. I thought it was a good race. It was a good show of my strength right now.”

Kevin Toth, second place in the shot put:

“Today I felt just a little bit flat. I was off technically. I had a wonderful practice during the week. I thought bigger and better things were going to happen like they did in Eugene. I felt good but I wasn’t into it emotionally. It was windy and that made a difference. I’m sweating right now because after the competition the adrenaline in me is coming out. I didn’t use it right today.”

John Godina, winner of the shot put at 21.38 m, 70-1. ¾ :

“It’s nice to maintain over 70 (feet) and finally get a win over somebody in an important meet. I haven’t done that this year just because everybody has been blasting on me. Hopefully at the US Championships in two weeks that’s going to be my coming out party. I would hope at least.”