Spearmon just shy of his U.S. mark
Posted on Saturday, February 16, 2008
FAYETTEVILLE — Wallace Spearmon gave his record a run for its money at his old stomping grounds.
Spearmon, a former Arkansas national champion, won the 200-meter dash in 20. 19 seconds at the Tyson Invitational on Friday at the Tyson Track Center. His time was just off his American record of 20. 10, which he set at the 2005 NCAA Indoor Championship.
“I let y’all down, I’m sorry,” Spearmon said afterward. “I tried.” Spearmon ran against two other professionals and Tennessee standout Rubin Williams. He was never challenged after the start and began to pull away near the end of the backstretch.
The home crowd of 4, 519 whooped in approval as Spearmon roared down the final stretch, but Spearmon couldn’t beat his record. Spearmon said he was still pleased with a strong time this early in an Olympic training year.
“It’s a great opening, but not what I hoped for,” Spearmon said. “I’ll take the victory. I feel like if I ran one more I’d be a lot closer.” Spearmon doesn’t run a lot of indoor meets, especially with the Olympics coming this summer. He said his quick early time — Spearmon said he usually runs his first race in about 20. 3 — let him know his new strenuous training regimen is paying dividends.
“Proof is in the pudding,” Spearmon said. “I think I put my name on the radar. I gave my opponents something to look at.” Former Arkansas national champion Alistair Cragg showed his old form in a convincing victory in the 5, 000. Cragg led the entire race once pacesetter Peter Kosgei stepped off the track nine laps into the 25-lap event.
Cragg won in 13 minutes, 32. 01 seconds and then jokingly asked afterward if he had qualified for the NCAA meet. Cragg beat a field made up almost entirely of collegiate runners.
“It’s nice to race the college guys again,” Cragg said. “They run to win. I see all these crazy moves. These college guys run with a lot of heart and passion.” Cragg, who runs for Ireland, entered the Tyson Invitational as his only indoor meet of the year since this is an Olympic year. Cragg said he will always try to make the Tyson Invitational because of its ties to the Razorbacks.
“Barring injury, I’ll be here,” Cragg said. “If there was any year I wouldn’t do it, it’d have been this year because of Beijing.” Former Lady Razorback Christin Wurth-Thomas won the women’s mile in 4: 27. 18, which set a Tyson Center record.
“I wanted that track record here for a long time,” Wurth-Thomas said. “I train here. It gets you hungry.” Wurth-Thomas said the first half-mile was a couple seconds slower than she wanted, but it worked out OK because she was able to pick up the pace in the second half of the race.
“I got the second wind, the second breath and said, ‘ Let’s go for it, ’” Wurth-Thomas said.
Former Arkansas runner James Hatch won the 800 in 1: 47. 92. It was Hatch’s best time since his stunning second-place finish to help clinch the 2005 NCAA Indoor title for the Razorbacks.
“I’ve dropped about 15 pounds since September and lifted and gotten stronger, and it all adds up,” Hatch said. “I’ll take a 1: 47 any day.” The meet’s highlight event, other than Spearmon’s 200 run, was the men’s shot put. The event had four of the top five throwers of the year, and it didn’t disappoint.
Adam Nelson won with a distance of 73 feet, 6 inches, the best indoor mark this year. Nelson bellows and gestures wildly before entering the shot put ring and ripping off his shirt.
The crowd loved it. The crowd really loved his winning throw, erupting in applause when the shot landed well past the tape marking the 70-feet mark.
“I really enjoy it when I compete,” Nelson said. “It helps me get ready to throw far. I’m really an intense guy.”
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