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Folders

2008 800 Meter World Stage.....Jul 2nd 2008, 6:47pm
Greensboro or Bust.....Jun 20th 2008, 3:58am
Records Fell.Jun 8th 2008, 10:32pm
Falling Records....Jun 7th 2008, 10:17pm
OSAA 4A 5A 6A Day 1 and 2!May 24th 2008, 1:21am
 

 

Records Fell.

Published by
Rossco   Jun 8th 2008, 10:32pm
Comments

Wow.....  The 2008 was riddled with great performances! 

Pre opened with sunny skies, little to no wind, and a double world record attempt.  Kenenisa Bekele's confidence from yesterday's press conference was clearly no joke.  As the pacers dropped he continued on alone for 5000 meters to chase lapped traffic, and the records fell.  His time of 26:25, the fourth fastest 10000 meter race ever run, was short of his own personal best and world record, but crushed the Pre, Hayward Field, and American Soil records all by over 30 seconds.  Even after Bekele crossed the line, the story continued to unfold as Abdi Abdirahman chased fellow Pac 10 alumni Meb Keflezighi's American mark. Abdi's 27:17 also fell just short becoming the second fastest time run by an American.  This was just an appetizer!

The women took the stage next in the 5k chasing another world record as Meseret Defar looked to recapture her world record broken just last week by fellow Ethiopian Tirunesh Dibaba.  As the pacers fell off so did the pace, but her Pre win was sealed, along with the fates of Mary Slaney's Pre and Hayward records with a 14:38 performance.  On the American front Kara Goucher dipped under 15 minutes with a 14:58.1.

The fans were treated to some more extras with a field of qualifying events with notables coming from Gabe Jennings in the 1500 running 3:40.58  and Oregon High School junior Elijah Greer taking runner up honors in section 3 of the 800 with a 1:50.31. 

The Field events posted record book assaults of their own with Brad Walker paying special attention to Sergey Bubka.  Bubka's Pre record fell first, then fellow 2008 vaulter Jeff Hartwig watched as his Hayward Field and American Record's were broken.  Walker then turned his attention back to Bubka, the bar was set over 20 feet!  Walker would have one attempt as he took a time foul for his first and ran through his second.  His day ended short of the 20 foot barrier, but he walked away with a new personal best and American Record of 6.04 meters, 19-9.75.

While Walker took on the 20 foot barrier, Adam Nelson (with his crowd pleasing flare) and Reese Hoffa looked beyond 70 feet in the shot put with Nelson coming out on top with a put of 22.12, 72-07, just two inches off Kevin Toth's meet record.  This was followed by the news from the booth that Hayward Field is the home of a record of its own, the most throws over 70 feet in track and field history.  

Not to be outdone, the women put up a record shattering battle in the hammer ring.  On her first throw Ivana Brkjacic of Croatia broke Erin Gilreath's Pre and Hayward records, only to watch Germany's Betty Heidler step in the ring and steal her thunder on her very first throw.  The battle continued as Brkjacic would step in the ring and take back the records with her second attempt.  In the end the battle for Hayward history would be won by Heidler with a mark of 73.93 meters 242-07.

In 2007 the diminutive Gelete Burka was crowned the queen of the Pre 1500 as she set a meet record.  2008 saw her add another gem to this crown as she broke her own meet record in 4:00.44.  Her win came only with the help of a rabbit as she was out front the entire time and took the title by over 3 seconds.  

This year's Prefontaine Classic was not only about the distances as the men and women of the sprints each walked away with a meet record with Torri Edwards slipped under Gwen Torrance's Pre and Hayward Records with a clocking of 10.94 in the 100 meter dash.  After performing well below his own standards in other visits to Hayward Wallace Spearmon Jr. took away any doubt breaking the meet record of one of the sports great sprint figures, Michael Johnson, with a 200 meter time of 20.14.

More distance action in Track Town saw Bernard Lagat best a great 2 mile field in a sprint finish running 8:12.45.  Shadrack Korir lead 9 more men under 4 minutes in the Bowerman 1 Mile Run making it 208 times the 4 minute barrier has been broken here at Pre.  In an utterly loaded mens 800 meter Alfred Kirwa Yego broke the tape in 1:44.01 to break Nick Symmond's 2007 Prefontaine Record and the shared Hayward record held by Mark Everett and Dave Wottle.  Three men went under 1:45 with Yusuf Saad Kamel and Khadevis Robinson taking second and third. Duck fans were excited to see another personal best out of former Oregon 400 meter star Matt Scherer as he broke the Olympic A standard running a PR of 1:46.01.  However, the afternoon belonged to Hayward field legend Maria Mutola 

Mutola extended her winning ways at the Prefontaine Classic for the 16th year taking home the women's 800 meter with a 1:59.24 after being challenged by a talented field including prep star Chanelle Price who's efforts to become the first prep under 2:00 will have to wait another day.  Price's time of 2:01.61 however is now #2 all time.  This win was an emotional one for Mutola who's ties to the Eugene/Springfield area run deep.  With the one of a kind sound of a Hayward standing ovation she took her final victory lap and handed the newly minted Maria Mutola Outstanding Performer award to pole vaulter Brad Walker.  An award designed after her bib number, number 1.  An award to immortalize her winning ways, an award to embody the spirit of the Prefontaine Classic, an award to symbolize her place in the heart of Track Town.  

Thanks Maria.

-Rossco-

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