A long time fan of athletics just called me, this sunny Monday morning. Still excited about watching the Millrose Games, my friend told me that it was “the finest meet of the year.” With no World Indoors, most Americans focused on Millrose.
The big talk is about Ellie Purrier, coached by Olympian Mark Coogan, an old school coach, who does it the old fashioned way: build up, some mileage, long tough days, take your time to progress. Ellie Purrier showed her amazing talents in this exciting race, taking down the AR of Mary Decker Slaney, an American icon.
This piece was done by the USATF communications team.
Writer Jeff Benjamin, Elle Purrier, Coach Mark Coogan, after her AR, MR of 4:16.85.
photo by Jeff Benjamin @runblogrun, at Millrose, Feb 8, 2020, @millrosegames, @armorynyc pic.twitter.com/4Zluhlj11O
— RunBlogRun (@RunBlogRun) February 9, 2020
New York — American records fell in three events as athletes entertained a sell-out crowd at the Armory and the113th NYRR Millrose Games Saturday afternoon in Washington Heights.
Elle Purrier raised the bar in the NYRR women’s Wannamaker mile smashing the American Record in 4:16.85. At the bell, Purrier powered ahead to outpace Germany’s Konstanze Klosterhalfen at the wire and break one of the oldest American records in the books, a 4:20.5 by Mary Slaney in 1982. Her en route time at 1,500m was 4:00.23, the second-fastest time in U.S. indoor history
In the New York Presbyterian men’s 800 meters, Donavan Brazier added another record to his resume, crossing the line in 1:44.22 to break his own mark of 1:44.41 set here last year in finishing second. Brazier holds both the indoor and outdoor U.S. records.
Ajeé Wilson put on a show in the women’s 800 meters, biding her time through 600 meters when she surged to go ahead of Jamaica’s Natoya Goule to cross the line in 1:58.29, bettering the AR of 1:58.60 she set in 2019 to win the Millrose title.
USATF CEO Max Siegel and USATF COO Renee Washington presented the World Athletics Heritage Plaque to the Armory to honor the NYRR Millrose Games’ Wanamaker Mile.
In a showdown between the reigning Olympic and World champions in the men’s shot put, Rio gold medalist Ryan Crouser blasted the sixth-best throw in American indoor history, a 22.19m/72-9.75 in round five, that gave him an almost three-foot margin of victory over Doha winner Joe Kovacs, who threw 21.34m/70-0.25.
Another world-leading performance came in the women’s pole vault, where Sandi Morris scaled 4.91m/16-1.25, a height only she and Jenn Suhr have ever bettered on the U.S. indoor all-time list. Keni Harrison, the world record holder in the women’s 100m hurdles, won the 60m version of her specialty in 7.90, with Daniel Roberts taking the men’s race in 7.64.
Coming through 200m in 20.61, 400m hurdles World Championships silver medalist Rai Benjamin won the Jane & David Monti 300m in 32.35, making him the No. 8 all-time U.S. indoor performer. 2018 World Indoor bronze medalist Ronnie Baker won the men’s 60m in 6.54, and ’18 USATF Indoor women’s 60m champ Javianne Oliver took the women’s dash in 7.13.
World Championships fourth-placer Wadeline Jonathas powered away from the field in the Cheryl Toussaint women’s 400m to win by more than a second in 51.93, while Team USATF steeplechaser Allie Ostrander unleashed an unbeatable kick over the final 100m of the Mike Frankfurt women’s 3,000m to win in 8:48.94.
For full results, click here.
USATF’s indoor season caps off with the Toyota USATF Indoor Championships next weekend in Albuquerque. A limited amount of tickets are available at www.USATF.org/tickets.
