June 03, 2005

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Palo Alto Online

America's best right on schedule

by Rick Eymer

Being on schedule is the most important thing right now for USA's track and field elite. That means training is paying off heading into the 2005 Outdoor National Championships that begin June 23 in Carson.

John Godina has to be feeling pretty good right now, for he's right on schedule for the nationals and an eventual trip to the World Championships in Helsinki, Finland, in August.

Godina, who recorded his personal best in the shot put last week for the first time in six years, came close again on Monday at Stanford's Cobb Track & Angell Field.

The two-time Olympic medalist and three-time world outdoor champion, won the shot put with a heave of 71-11 1/2 at the Payton Jordan U.S. Open, the third event of the Visa Outdoor Championship Series.

"My technique is good right now; it's never been better," said the UCLA grad. "I can miss and still go 72 feet almost and that's a good sign."

Godina improved his world lead with a PR toss of 72-10 at the adidas Track Classic in Carson two weeks ago and came back with another solid performance at Stanford.

"That was very important," said Godina, who won the event a meet record fifth time. "I'm actually a little disappointed because I wanted to come back with another PR. The results are fine but it's a bad day when I don't do everything right from start to finish."

Elsewhere during the day:

UCLA grad Tracy O'Hara hit her personal best 15-1 in the women's pole vault, the second-best mark in the world this year, and continues to look higher.

"This is a breakthrough because I have been jumping so well in practice and now I'm starting to come around in meets," she said. "I know I have more in me. I don't want to set limits but I don't want to get ahead of myself and set myself up for a disappointment."

American Dominique Arnold won the men's 110 meter hurdles in 13.21, the fifth- fastest time in the world this year, and he's not quite satisfied.

"I'm slightly disappointed," Arnold said. "It's always good to be in the top five in world in anything and I don't discount that but I am working on some things and it's important to get things right before nationals."

Michelle Perry, who plans to compete in both the heptathlon and the hurdles, won the 100 hurdles in a personal best of 12.65 that ranks her No. 3 in the world.

"The heptathlon shows how tough an athlete is," Perry said. "It's a two-day event and when you come back for the second day your body is not at full strength and you still have a full day of competition ahead of you. To do that and come out on top is very rewarding."

David Krummenacker won the men's 800 in 1:45.19, one of nine meet records and the No. 5 time in the world.

Palo Alto's Kristin Heaston won the women's shot put at 60-10 1/2, giving her the "A" qualifying standard for the World Championships. All she has to do is finish among the top three at nationals to earn a trip to Helsinki.

Rachid Ramzi of Bahrain set another meet record with a 3:34.74 victory in the men's 1,500 as the first three finishers ran faster than the IAAF world standard.

On Sunday night, Ethiopian Werknesh Kidane ran the fastest women's 10,000- meter race ever on United States soil. She completed the race in 30:19.39, the fastest time in the world this year and the 11th fastest time in history.

Stanford grad Lauren Fleshman, recovered from a stress fracture last year, won the women's 5,000 meters in 15:15.63, the fastest time by an American this year.

Ethiopian Markos Geneti finished the men's 5,000 meters in 13:08.59, the fastest in the world this year.

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