News & Notes, Volume 8, Number 68

Americans win at Monaco

LaShawn Merritt, Terrence Trammell, Angelo Taylor, Brian Johnson and Damu Cherry each won their respective events Wednesday at the 2007 Herculis IAAF Super Grand Prix Meet in Monaco.

The runner-up at the 2007 AT&T USA Outdoor Championships, Merritt won the men's 400 meters in 44.38 seconds. Other Americans in the race included 2006 USA Outdoor champion and 2005 World Outdoor silver medalist Andrew Rock, who finished fourth in 45.28 seconds, and Olympic relay gold medalist Derrick Brew, who was sixth in 45.49.

Two-time Olympic silver medalist and reigning USA Outdoor champion Terrence Trammell led an American sweep of the first five positions in the men's 110m hurdles with his winning time of 13.19 seconds. Other top American finishers were Ryan Wilson (2^nd-13.22), Aries Merritt (3^rd-13.24), David Oliver (4^th-13.30) and Ron Bramlett (5^th-13.37).

2000 Olympic men's gold medalist Angelo Taylor just edged two-time USA Outdoor champion Kerron Clement in a highly competitive men's 400m hurdles race. Taylor hit the finish line first, stopping the clock in 48.45 seconds, with Clement the runner-up in 48.47.

In field event action, 2006 USA Outdoor champion Brian Johnson won the men's long jump with a leap of 8.18 meters/26 feet 10 inches. He was joined in the competition by fellow Americans John Moffitt (4^th-7.79m/25-6.75) and Trevell Quinley (5^th-7.73m/25-4.50).

2006 USA Indoor and Outdoor runner-up Damu Cherry was victorious Wednesday in the women's 100m hurdles. Cherry's winning time of 12.74 seconds was just good enough to finish ahead of runner-up and reigning USA Indoor champion LoLo Jones, who finished in 12.78 seconds.

In other performances in Monaco, Christine Aaron of France won the women's 100 meters in 11.06 seconds, followed by a quartet of Americans. Carmelita Jeter was the runner-up in 11.11 seconds, followed by Lisa Barber (3^rd-11.17), Marshevet Hooker (4^th-11.21) and reigning World Outdoor champion Lauryn Williams (5^th-11.27).

Elsewhere, 2007 USA Outdoor 5,000m runner-up Jen Rhines posted the second-fastest women's 3,000m time in the world this year in finishing as the runner-up in that event in 8 minutes 35.03 seconds. 2007 Visa Indoor champion, two-time U.S. Outdoor 5,000m winner and 3,000m American indoor record holder, Shalane Flanagan finished fourth in 8:35.34. With their performances, Rhines and Flanagan have moved up the all-time U.S. performers list to #3 and #4 respectively.

For more information on the 2007 Herculis Meet in Monaco, including the complete results, visit: www.iaaf.org.