2008 Millrose Games Wrap-Up: Lagat & Nelson Win Big

World-leading 72 feet, 5 inches for Adam Nelson at Millrose

Lagat leaves field in dust.

They say timing is everything. So far in 2008 – and specifically Friday at Madison Square Garden – that adage held true for Bernard Lagat.

Lagat was off to a slow start in the race before Craig Mottram took the lead at mid-race point fearing the pace was too slow. Bernard took the lead with one and a half laps to go and blistered the field to win his 6th Wanamaker Mile in 3:57.51 over Mottram, Nick Willis and Galen Rupp.

After the race Lagat said, “It might have looked easy. Like always, I have to prepare myself for a great race. I have run with him [Mottram] several times and stick to my strategy that I had prepared coming into the race. Before I came to the arena, I had envisioned the race as it happened. I passed him with two laps to go.”

Other Millrose highlights

Women’s 60-meter: Carmelita Jeter has been putting together solid finishes lately. She surged at Osaka to place third in the 100-meter world final. At Fresno State, she sealed the deal at the finish line. On Friday at Millrose, she continued her streak to win in 7.29 seconds at the finish line over Miki Barber (7.30) and Daigel-Bowen(7.32).

Men’s 60-meter: Reigning World Indoor 60-meter champion Leonard Scott demonstrated his indoor dominance again in winning the Metro men's 60-meters in 6.59 seconds.

Women’s high jump: Amy Acuff showed why she’s a three-time Olympian with a first-place finish of 6 feet, 3.50 inches.

Women’s pole vault: Jenn Stuczynski will have to wait another year for a Millrose victory. Both Jenn and 2004 Olympian Jillian Schwartz cleared 15 feet, 2¼ inches, but Schwartz won because she had fewer misses.

Men’s shot put: Men’s shot put was a highlight of the Millrose events with an energetic performance by Adam Nelson. Nelson stole the show heaving a massive 72 feet, 5 inches throw while setting a MSG record in front of 12,647 screaming fans. Christian Cantwell took second with 69 feet, 11 inches in front of reigning world champ Reese Hoffa’s 69 feet, 4 inches. For his sick performance, Nelson has the world’s top throw and was named the Millrose Games Athlete of the meet.

The women’s mile came down to sprinting power. Sarah Hall swung wide coming down the homestretch giving 10,000-meter runner, Kara Goucher, enough room to slide inside to narrowly win in 4:36.03.

600 yards is a difficult event. Quarter mile runners find the distance too long and 800 meter runs have found the race too short to get going. Bershawn Jackson found the race to be the perfect length in a narrow victory over two lap star Khadevis Robinson. Jackson took the early lead and finished in 1:10.34 over Robinson’s 1:10.53.

By Jay Hicks, a.k.a. Track Evangelist

PRJ Insider: 101st Millrose Games Preview

Bernard Lagat won the 1,500 for his first world championship and the first U.S. Olympic or world title in the event since 1908.

Track fans have plenty to be excited about this week, and that goes double for distance fans. Bernard Lagat and Craig Mottram face one another in the meet’s legendary Wanamaker Mile, New York City is always a welcome stop on the schedule, and we get a sneak peak at match ups that have implications for this summer.

Clear your schedule for Friday night or Saturday afternoon, you’re going to need a couple hours of viewing time.

Lots of big names show up in the meet’s legendary Wanamaker Mile . If you’re betting against Bernard Lagat, at least do it in a meet he doesn’t care about. The indoor track at Millrose Games is one of the most Lagat-friendly you’ll find, tight curves that favor his shorter body frame. Bernard’s resume on this track is unreal: five wins in a row.

Mottram would be the clear favorite in a Lagat-less field—just last week he shredded the competition at Reebok Boston Indoor meet running a stunning 7:34.50 in 3,000 meters. That was fast enough to be the make and break for the USA-all comer record that Haile Gebrselassie held. Mottram will be ready to run the curves on Friday.

Another hot match up: Jenn vs. Stacey in the women’s pole vault. Jenn Stuczynski doesn’t have much of a history here, but her jump to break the American record last summer was impressive. Stacy Dragila, considered by many the pioneer of women’s pole vault, returns in a highly anticipated clash with the new kid on the block.

Bershawn Jackson is another runner who looks to run well at this meet, however he will have his hands full with U.S. double lap champ Khadevis Robinson in the 600. Robinson is a bomber down the home stretch and will probably try to avenge the slow time run from last week’s victory in Boston.

Other athletes towing the line are Joanna Haynes, Kara Goucher, Carmelita Jeter, Miki Barber, Reese Hoffa, Leroy Dix, Amy Acuff and Dwight Philips.

Don’t miss the action. The third event of USA Track & Field's 2008 Indoor Visa Championship Series, the Millrose Games will be televised live Friday night from 7-8 p.m. Eastern Time on ESPN2 and Saturday on NBC from 2:30-3:30 p.m. ET.

It will also be Webcast by Sportnet next week, available via link from www.usatf.org.

By Jay Hicks, a.k.a. Track Evangelist