Established stars won national titles at new distances during the AT&T USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships, held June 21-25 in Indianapolis, Indiana.
The distance ace of the meet was former Kenyan Bernard Lagat, who became a U.S. citizen in 2004 and was competing in his first American championship. On Friday night, just a few hours after winning his 1500-meter semi-final heat, Lagat eked out the win in a hotly contested 5,000m final. He sprinted away from his last challenger, Matt Tegenkamp, in the last half-lap for a 13:14.32 minutes victory. Tegenkamp, who was fifth in the 2001 junior world cross country championship, was just behind in 13:15.00, a 10-second personal best for the KIMbia athlete. Dathan Ritzezhein, who will make his marathon debut in New York City in November, placed third in 13:16.61, a 6-second personal best. With 2000 Olympian Adam Goucher taking fourth in 13:18.93, the race was the first time that four Americans had gone under 13:20 in one race.
Lagat returned two days later to win the 1500m in 3:39.29. His second victory made him the first man to win 1500m and 5,000m titles in the same U.S. championship. With Alan Webb out of the meet nursing a troublesome hamstring, Lagat’s competition came in the surprising form of eccentric 2000 Olympian Gabe Jennings. In his best race since winning the 2000 Olympic Trials, Jennings challenged Lagat with 200 meters to go, and placed second in 3:39.42. The race was delayed by several hours by thunderstorms.
Severe weather also affected the 10,000m races. Originally scheduled for Thursday night, they were postponed an evening by thunderstorms, and were run in hot, muggy conditions. Two-time Olympian Amy Rudolph finally won her first outdoor title after 11 years of trying, as she took over on the last lap to win in 32:25.56. Defending champion Katie McGregor led for the first 22 laps, after which Sara Slattery began a long drive for the finish. Rudolph was under orders from her coach not to take the lead until it was time to try to win, so she latched on to Slattery and then used her superior miling speed to take the title. Slattery was four seconds back, in 32:29.97, followed by rising star Samia Akbar in a personal best of 32:41.84. McGregor held on for fourth. The race was Rudolph’s first attempt at 10,000m in a national championship.
For Jorge Torres, the men’s 10,000m was not only his first attempt at 10,000m in a national championship, but also his first time ever at the distance on the track. Nonetheless, he won a tactical race with a convincing kick over Olympic marathon silver medalist Meb Keflezighi, 28:14.43 to 28:18.74. Dan Browne, who had been mostly injured since running the 10,000m and marathon at the 2004 Olympics, had his best race in two years to place third in 28:19.32.
Like Browne, Lauren Fleshman hadn’t done much of note leading up to the meet, but she ran well when it counted, taking the women’s 5,000m in 15:12.37. The 2004 Olympian gave up her spot at this year’s world cross country championships because of a foot injury. The woman who took her place on that team, Kara Goucher, chased Fleshman here and was rewarded with a second-place finish and a personal best of 15:14.13.
