Friday event previews

HEPTATHLON, Day One

Key Athletes: GiGi Johnson, Hyleas Fountain, Diana Pickler

The past two USATF champions are in the field with GiGi Johnson (2006) and Fountain (2005). They also went 1-2 in the NACAC hept last year with Johnson having the upper hand. From the collegiate ranks come a strong challenger in Diana Pickler, the U.S. leader in 2007 with a score of 6205.

DECATHLON, Day One

Key Athletes: Bryan Clay, Tom Pappas, Jake Arnold

Four-time U.S. champion Pappas contends with reigning World Champion and Olympic silver medalist Clay, who scored 8,493 points to place third at Gotzis and set the current American leading score for 2007. Pappas is the defending champion and could tie Bill Toomey and Dan O'Brien for most U.S. titles in the event. Arnold recently claimed his second NCAA title, scoring 8,215 points for the victory.

WOMEN'S DISCUS FINAL, 4 p.m.

Key Athletes: Suzy Powell, Becky Breisch, Aretha Thurmond

Powell set an American record in Hawaii with a toss of 222-0 while Thurmond claimed her third US title last year. Powell won a US title back in 1996. Breisch, who won the USATF meet in 2005, also bettered the previous American record when she hit a mark of 221-0 in the same meet with Powell.

MEN'S STEEPLECHASE 1^st Round, 4:15 p.m.

Key Athletes: Daniel Lincoln, Anthony Famiglietti, Steve Slattery, Josh McAdams

Three-time champ Lincoln headlines the field. Famigiletti, who won in 2002, was a runner-up in 2004 and 2005. Slattery is also a former champ, having won in 2003. McAdams is the current US leader with an 8:21.36 that placed him second at Pre.

WOMEN'S 100 HURDLES 1^st Round, 4:45 p.m.

Key Athletes: Michelle Perry, Ginnie Powell, Joanna Hayes

Olympic champion Hayes will face the past two USATF winners in Ginnie Powell (2006) and Michelle Perry (2005). Powell is the current world leader with a 12.45 from her Reebok GP victory. Perry is second on the 2007 world list with a 12.51 from her Pre win.

MEN'S HAMMER FINAL, 5 p.m.

Key Athletes: A.G. Kruger, Kibwe Johnson, Travis Nutter

Kruger will seek to defend the title he won last year. He comes into the meet as the US leader with a mark of 252-5. Johnson was fourth last season, but ended up as the second-ranked thrower for the year. Nutter has placed in the US finals nine of the last 10 years, reaching a high of third at the 2004 Olympic Trials.

WOMEN'S 400 HURDLES 1^st Round, 5:30 p.m.

Key Athletes: Sandra Glover, Nicole Leach, Tiffany Williams, Sheena Johnson

Glover, a four-time US champion, mined a silver medal in 2003 and bronze in 2005 at the World Championships. Leach enters as the US leader with a 54.32 winning time at NCAAs. Williams is right on the heels of Leach with a season best of 54.34. Johnson clocked 54.44 as the runner-up at Pre.

MEN'S POLE VAULT FINAL, 5:45 p.m.

Key Athletes: Brad Walker, Tim Mack, Jeff Hartwig, Russ Buller

Four US champions square off in this event. Walker, who won in 2005, is the world leader in 2007 with a 19-6 ¼ clearance. Olympic champion Mack won US titles in 2003 and 2004. Hartwig was the US champ in 1998 and 2002. Buller is the defending champion, having won the title with a 19-0 ¼ clearance.

Visa WOMEN'S 100 METER SEMIFINAL & FINAL, 5:55 p.m. & 8:04 p.m.

Key Athletes: Allyson Felix, Torri Edwards, Lauryn Williams, Me'Lisa Barber

Barber (10.95w), Edwards (11.01), Stephanie Durst (11.09) and Brianna Glenn (11.10) were heat winners in the first round. Felix ran 11.13 in second to Glenn's PR, while Williams went 11.02 in the windy heat 1.

MEN'S LONG JUMP FINAL, 6 p.m.

Key Athletes: Dwight Phillips, Brian Johnson, Miguel Pate, Tony Allmond

Olympic gold medalist and double World Champion Phillips is the current US leader with a jump of 27-1 ¼, which was part of his series when he placed second at Pre with a windy 27-4 ¾. After winning the 2004 Olympic Trials, Phillips has been runner-up in the past two USATF meets. Johnson won last year's title with a mark of 26-7 while Pate was the US winner in 2005. Allmond, second at the '04 Trials, enters with a season best of 26-9 ¾.

AT&T MEN'S 100 METER SEMIFINAL & FINAL, 6:10 p.m. & 8:52 p.m.

Key Athletes: Tyson Gay, Walter Dix, Shawn Crawford, Trindon Holliday

Heat winners in round one included Gay (9.98), Holliday (10.03w), Mark Jelks (10.04), Dix (10.08), and Leonard Scott (10.15). Crawford ran 10.13 for fourth in his heat and advanced to the semi. Bernard Williams false-started in the final heat. Wallace Spearmon did not start.

MEN'S 1500 METER 1^st Round, 6:25 p.m.

Key Athletes: Bernard Lagat, Alan Webb

Lagat is the defending champion and the current US leader from his mile win at Pre. His 1500 en route time at Pre was 3:33.85. Webb won the national championship in 2004 and '05 and has a best of 3:51.71 in the mile this year.

WOMEN'S 400 SEMIFINAL, 6:45 p.m.

Key Athletes: Sanya Richards, Natasha Hastings, Dee Dee Trotter

Hastings (51.07), Mary Wineberg (51.15), Richards (51.38) and Trotter (52.39) were heat winners in the opening round. Monique Henderson also looked strong with a 51.62 behind Hastings as did Monique Hennagan running a 51.93 for second behind Richards.

MEN'S 400 SEMIFINAL, 7 p.m.

Key Athletes: Andrew Rock, Angelo Taylor, LaShawn Merritt

Heat winners in the opening round included Merritt (45.20), Taylor (45.44), Darold Williamson (45.57), Lionel Larry (45.69) and David Neville (45.76). Rock ran 45.92 for second behind NCAA runner-up Larry.

WOMEN'S JAVELIN FINAL, 7 p.m.

Key Athletes: Kim Kreiner, Dana Pounds, Rachel Yurkovich

Kreiner, who improved upon her American record to 210-7 this season, has won three consecutive US titles and four total. Pounds has been the US runner-up the past two years and placed third at Pre recently. Yurkovich enters with the third best mark this season, a 189-11.

WOMEN'S 800 SEMIFINAL, 7:15 p.m.

Key Athletes: Alice Schmidt, Hazel Clark, Alysia Johnson

Clark (2:04.16), Schmidt (2:04.36) and Johnson (2:05.36) were heat winners in round one. Clark, who won the past two USATF titles and has three US titles, can tie her sister Joetta for the most consecutive wins in this event. Johnson, meanwhile, could attain a rare NCAA-USATF double.

MEN'S 800 SEMIFINAL, 7:30 p.m.

Key Athletes: Khadevis Robinson, Nick Symmonds, Lopez Lomong

Symmonds (1:46.17), Robinson (1:47.28), Trent Riter (1:48.48) and Duane Solomon (1:48.49) were heat winners in the opening round. Symmonds had to hold off strong efforts by Floyd Thompson (1:46.24), Lopez Lomong (1:46.24) and Elliott Blount (1:46.39) in the first heat of the day. Lomong recently won the NCAA 1500. Derrick Peterson didn't advance, placing ninth in his heat in 1:49.62.

MEN'S 400 HURDLES SEMIFINAL, 7:45 p.m.

Key Athletes: Kerron Clement, Kenneth Ferguson, James Carter, Brandon Johnson

Carter (49.07), Ferguson (49.31), Clement (49.72) and Johnson (50.04) were the heat winners. Bershawn Jackson, the reigning world champ and #1 world ranked hurdler the last two years, opted to run only the open 400. Clement seeks a third consecutive win.

NIKE WOMEN'S 5,000 METER FINAL, 8:14 p.m.

Key Athletes: Shalane Flanagan, Jennifer Rhines, Kara Goucher

Flanagan, who won the 2005 title, lowered the American record to 14:44.80 in winning the Mt. SAC Relays this season. Rhines was runner-up to Flanagan in the Mt. SAC race, running 15:10.80. Goucher, the USATF runner-up last year, has posted a 15:16.86 this season.

NIKE MEN'S 5,000 METER FINAL, 8:35 p.m.

Key Athletes: Bernard Lagat, Matt Tegenkamp, Adam Goucher, Abdi Abdirahman

Lagat will seek to defend the title he claimed last year. Tegenkamp was the runner-up last year and placed third at World Cup. Goucher, the 2000 Olympic Trials winner, finished fourth last season. Abdirahman won the 10,000 Thursday night by nearly 10 seconds.