Jackie Areson, 2012 World Indoors, photo by PhotoRun.net

Jackie Areson ran a WL of 15:18.31 WL, in a close battle with Lisa Uhl (15:21.56) over 5,000 meters at the 2012 Stanford Invitational. Lennie Waite of the UK ran 9:48.35 for a world leading steeple. Dathan Ritzenhein has obviously not had any bad effects from the Olympic Trials marathon, running 28:21.48 for 10,000 meters.

Dathan Riztenhein, 2012 NYC Half, photo by PhotoRun.net

The Stanford Invitational is the opening big West Coast meet. Coming up, Kansas Relays, Mt. SAC Relays and Penn Relays in April!

FREEMAN
11.10, BATMAN 48.49, OLIVER BEATEN

GAINESVILLE
(USA, Apr 6): Octavious Freeman who will be 20 on April 20 clocked world lead
and two personal bests at Florida Relays in women sprints. She won the 100 m in
fastest time of 2012 11.10 (+1.2 over Tiffany Townsend 11.22) and got her
lifetime best in the 200 m 22.80 (+0.5, beating Chalonda Goodman 22.85). World
leads in both 400 m hurdles men and women were registered too. Former world
champion Bershawn Jackson clocked 48.49 (second Johnny Dutch 48.96) and Tierra
Brown 54.88 (beating Tiffany Ross-Williams 55.76). Francena McCorory won the
400 m in fast 51.56 and UK record holder Tiffany Porter started for first time
ever her 100 m hurdles season with a legal sub 13 (12.96, -0.5). Also to
note on the women side that US indoor hurdles champion Kristi Castlin after
Istanbul disappointment won her 200 m section in new PB 23.46 (+1.7). In men
events Jeff Demps confirmed solid early shape 10.11 (+1.1) at 100 m with Kemar
Hyman of Cayman Islands improving to 10.14 as second. In the high school
section windy (+2.3) but still respectable 10.21 for Levonte Whitfield. High
hurdles had a top field, but the race was aided by not-allowed +3.0 and
saw Ronnie Ash in 13.10 beating David Oliver who stumbled after the last hurdle
(fourth 13.43) with Dexter Faulk second 13.25 and South African Lehann Fourie
third 13.31. In college race Devon Hill got legal 13.58 (-0.1). The 200 m races
were also wind-aided. Maurice Mitchell achieved 20.08 (+3.4) as the fastest,
Bahamian 400 m runner Ramon Miller 20.29 (+3.3) in his section over Jeff Demps
(20.64) and Kind Butler 20.43 (+2.8) in another one. In the 400 m Tony McQuay
posted 45.65 with Jamaican Dane Hyatt 45.68 in his race. Slovak World
University Games medalist Marcel Lomnicky improved in hammer from 75.84 to
77.43. But he missed the olympic A qualifier (78) by 57 cm.

ARESON
15:18.31 WL

PALO
ALTO (USA, Apr 6): Stanford Invitational started with world leading women 5000
m 15:18.31 by Jackie Areson over Lisa Uhl 15:21.56 (Irish European CC Champion
Fionualla Britton was fifth in 15:28.22 European leader 2012). Another world
lead in the women steeple as Briton Lennie Waite clocked 9:48.35. Brigetta
Barrett equaled top mark of 2012 in the high jump with 195 clearance and had
good attempt at two meters. In other women events Ashton Purvis won the 100 m
in 11.43 (+1.4), Nicole Sifuentes of Canada the 1500 m (4:11.80) and Tara
Erdmann the 10 000 m in 32:31.15. Dathan Ritzenhein won the 10 000 m in
28:21.48, David Adams the steeple 8:29.51, Kenyan Stephen Sambu the 5000 m
(13.31.51, with Alistair Cragg of Ireland fourth 13:32.76) and French Jamel
Ahrass the 1500 m 3:39.04. Last year junior Diondre Batson improved to 10.27
(+1.9) when winning the 100 m (his previous PB was not under 10.50). Australian
junior record holder Julian Wruck was the best in the discus 63.79.

COSBY
73.71 PB

TEMPE
(USA, Apr 6): First day of Sun Angel Track Classic saw good hammer throwing.
World finalist Jessica Cosby improved to 73.71 and beat Canadian Heather Stacy
72.16. Cosby is so second best ever US performer.

WJB
FOR KOECH

BERLIN
(GER): The 59:14 of Denis Koech at recent Berlin Half Marathon could be
considered as world junior all-time best. Agent Marc Corstjens confirmed that
Kenneth Kipkemoi (59:11 in Den Haag in March) is not born in 1994 but in 1984 as
also Spanish statistician Carlos Fernandez Canet says.

COLLINS
OUT

STAWELL
(AUS, Apr 7): An engineering student, a school teacher and an AFL boundary
umpire have produced the three fastest heat times of the 131st edition of the
Australia Post Stawell Gift. The Gift field is one of the closest in recent
years, with only 0.15 seconds separating the ten fastest winning heat times
over the 120 meter distance. Post graduate engineering student Josh Tiu,
running off a handicap of 10.75m,was the fastest of the day, winning his
heat by three meters in a relaxed 12.15 seconds. School teacher Kevin
Brittain(6.75m), who has made the Gift final the past two years, held off
Jamaica’s 4x100m world record holder Michael Frater in the final heat to record
the second fastest time of the day with a 12.20 second run. Frater, who
competed from scratch, enjoyed his first experience of running in a handicapped
Gift. “I think I ran a very good race,” he said. With his 12.35
second performance Frater progresses to Monday’s semi-finals with the 17th
fastest time. After officiating Thursday night, AFL boundary umpire Adam Coote
ran a swift 12.21 seconds to take out his heat from the limit mark of 11
meters. Strong performances were also recorded from 2009 Gift winner Aaron
Stubbs, and former Commonwealth Games 400m champion John Steffensen, who won
their respective heats in 12.29s and 12.30. Former 100m world champion Kim Collins
was less fortunate, missing a semi-final berth despite finishing second in
his heat in 12.56 seconds. Wearing a stunning black and emerald ensemble,
2010 national 100m champion Melissa Breen took out the Driscoll, McIllree &
Dickinson Fashions on the Field Parade, having earlier won heats of the Gift
Hotel Arthur Postle 70m and State of Victoria Strickland Family Women’s Gift.
The Australia Post Stawell Gift continues on Sunday with Family Day, with the
semi-finals and final of the Gift to be held on Easter Monday. Organizers are
informing.

OTHER RESULTS

NATCHITOCHES
(USA, Apr 6): Jamaican Jason Morgan broke his own national discus record at
Leon Johnson Invitational with 65.61 m. Former Jamaican mark of Morgan was
64.11 last year in May in Monroe, USA. Morgan told trackalerts.com that „things
are connecting right and I’m at my place of comfort to throw really far. This
is just the start of what to come. Trust me.”

KITALE
(KEN, Apr 6): World 800 m bronze medallist Janeth Jepkosgei won women’s 1500 m
heat at the fourth National Bank of Kenya and Athletics Kenya track and field
meeting at Kenyatta Stadium in Kitale with 4:27.1. Former world junior 800 m
silver medallist Winnie Chebet was second (4:27.5). In heat two Eunice Sum got
4:18.0 with long distance star Linet Masai fourth but qualifying into the final
(4:20.1). Fireworks is expected in Saturday’s men’s 1500 m final because Haron
Keitany showed good shape with 3:42.2 heat win. Second Gilbert Kipsang (3:42.8)
ahead of Bernard Kiptum (3:44.5). New Zealand’s Jake Robertson won another heat
(3:47.2) outrunning former world Youth great Daniel Selel (3:53.0) and Richard
Kiplagat (3:53.2). Two-time world steeplechase champion Ezekiel Kemboi faded to
seventh in 3:56.1. Duncan Kipchirchir won men’s 5000 m in 13:52.9 ahead of
world cross-country runner, Hosea Macharinyang (13:59.7) and World Indoor
runner Bethwel Birgen (14:01.1). Africa Junior 3000 m champion Jairus Kipchoge
(14:01.4), Uganda’s Commonwealth Games winner Moses Kipsiro (14:02.2) and World
Cross-country silver medallist Thomas Ayeko (14:03.2) followed in that order.

LINCOLN
(USA, Apr 6): Sprinter Brijesh Lawrence of St. Kitts scored a good double
at a dual meet here 10.33 and 20.83.

OTHER NEWS

BEOGRAD
(SRB): The jubilee 25th Beograd Marathon announced that it expects 25 000
participants on April 22. This year the star guests will be Serbian Olympians
among them also six top tennis players. Organizers are also hoping that Serbian
runners will attack the olympic standards. The elite fields will be announced
later.

LONDON
(GBR): Mara Yamauchi her training totally focused on her second Olympic
marathon appearance in London this summer is enjoying the close by facilities
of Richmond and Bushey Parks in west London. Yamauchi like many other world
class athletes including Sonia O’Sullivan, Mo Farah and groups of Kenyan
runners who have resided in the area during their stays in England, has found
the lush grasslands and tracks in the parks perfect locations for her daily
workouts. The outstanding sixth finisher at the 2008 Beijing Games has even
overcome the problem of migrating toads which have temporarily closed some
roads from interfering with her preparations for the home Olympics which take
place in less than a 100 days time. Yamauchi is due to compete next at the
Bupa Great Manchester Run on 20 May. Informs David Martin.

LONDON
(GBR): Insidethegames informs that Britain’s former marathon record holder
Sarah Rowell and Sarah Smart will join the UK Athletics Board from May 1 this
year. Rowell and Smart – who will also chair the Board’s Audit Committee – will
replace Baroness Tanni Grey Thompson and Ian Fox, both of whom will be stepping
down from their Board duties after the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic
Games.

LONDON
(GBR): Simon Hart of the London Telegraph writes that while Dwain Chambers
looks forward to a legal ruling this month that will decide whether he can
compete at the London Olympics, four British women who were cheated out of an
Olympic medal eight years ago are still waiting for justice. The GB quartet of
Donna Fraser, Catherine Murphy, Christine Ohuruogu and Lee McConnell finished
fourth in the 4×400 meters final at the 2004 Athens Olympics, where the gold
went to the United States. But, in January 2010, it was revealed that US
athlete Crystal Cox, who ran in the heats of the relay in Athens, had been
taking performance-enhancing drugs at the time. Confronted with evidence found
during the investigation into BALCO – the same Californian laboratory that
supplied Chambers with drugs – Cox admitted to have taken steroids from 2001 to
2004, including the Athens Games. She was banned from athletics for four years
and, in addition, the US Anti-Doping Agency decreed that “all of Cox’s competitive
results will be disqualified, including forfeiture of all medals, points, and
prizes since November 3, 2001”. But, more than two years after the
International Olympic Committee announced that it was beginning disciplinary
proceedings in February 2010, the British quartet have heard absolutely nothing
and the entire case is shrouded in mystery.