by Larry EderLook, I have been to a few track meets.
Natasha Hastings, AR, photo by PhotoRun.net
And I do have my beliefs on how a meet should be managed, run and presented. The New Balance Meet, the NB Indoor GP is a case in point. This year, they moved the traditional date by two weeks, gave us the coldest day in two decades and still, the fans came and rocked the Reggie Lewis.
Tonight, seeing Meseret Defar run for the first time, in her indoor home, since the birth of her baby in 2014. Amy Hastings put an AR together, running well over 300 meters, and Dawit Seyaum continues to impress with her 4:01.86, but so did Brenda Martinez, who duked it out with Seyaum and came out with a 4:04!
Oh, and Nick Willis, he is just the best indoor miler in the world. One final thing, watch Jenn Suhr clear 5.07m very soon!
Here is how our man from Central Europa, Alfons Juck wrote up the highlights!
Nick Willis, photo by PhotoRun.net
Defar 8:30.83, Seyaum 4:01.86, Hastings NR 36.25
BOSTON (USA, Feb 14): Second meet of newly created IAAF World Indoor Tour at Reggie Lewis Center saw in total 7 World leads. Meseret Defar returned after baby break and injury with fast 3000 m WL in 8:30.83. Distant second Abbey D´Agostino 8:56.77. Olympic winner Jenn Suhr cleared 462, 472 in first, then 482 in second and afterwards tried three times at overall WR height 507. Second Greek Ekaterini Stefanidi 472. Probably the best result of the meet was the 4:01.86 indoor improvement of Ethiopian Dawit Seyaum in the 1500 m, number 14 in all-time performers list. It was her only second ever indoor race after Praha 2014. Second Brenda Martinez 4:04.58 indoor PB and third Kate Grace 4:06.75 overall PB. Sensational US indoor record for Natasha Hastings 36.25 in the 300 m, fifth best performer of all-time. Another top WL by US Kurt Roberts 21.57 in shot put ahead of old-timer Reese Hoffa 21.02 and Poland´s double Olympic winner Tomasz Majewski 20.14. Rest of World leads at non championships events. Vernon Norwood 32.70 in the 300 m, Boris Berian 1:15.51 in the 600 m as fifth best performer ever (second Bershawn Jackson 1:17.85), Nick Willis of New Zealand over the mile 3:53.27 (second Kenyan Bethwell Birgen 3:55.41). In the sprint battle Mike Rodgers beat Trayvon Bromell 6.53 to 6.57. Superb field in women 60 m hurdles saw Brianna Rollins clocking 7.87 over Nia Ali 7.89 and Janay DeLoach Soukup 7.92 (she also won long jump 663). Fourth Lolo Jones 7.88 ahead of Jasmin Stowers 8.03, Dawn Harper-Nelson 8.03 and Tiffany Porter 8.04. Women 60 m winner English Gardner posted 7.15 ahead of Long jump world champion Tianna Bartoeltta 7.20 and another World medalist Tori Bowie 7.21. Andrew Wheating won the 1000 m in 2:18.68 and Ethiopian Dejen Gebremeskel the 3000 m in 7:42.94 over Australian Brett Robinson 7:44.29 overall PB in his indoor debut and Kenyans Lawi Lalang 7:45.07 and Isiah Koech 7:46.50. Sam Kendricks with 577 beat in pole vault World champion Shawn Barber 567 and Omar Craddock topped triple 16.82. Both 300 m winning times and men 600 m were also new meet records.
