Jenny Simpson breaks US women's 2-mile indoor record
BOSTON (AP) - Jenny Simpson broke the U.S. women's two-mile indoor record Saturday in the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix, a year after she miscounted the laps and had nothing left for the final 200 meters.
"I ran Lap 16 so I don't get fined," Simpson joked.
Pushed by the enthusiastic fans, the 23-year-old Simpson finished in 9 minutes, 18.3 seconds to break the mark of 9:23.38 set by Regina Jacobs in 2002.
"Nothing helps as much as having a rowdy crowd behind you," Simpson said.
American Bernard Lagat finished second in the 3,000 meters behind Ethiopia's Dejen Gebremeskal, but his time of 7:48.33 smashed the masters world record of 8:01.44. Lagat turned 40 on Dec. 12.
"I am satisfied but I think I could have gone even faster," said Lagat, a two-time Olympic medalist and five-time world champion.
Gebremeskal finished in 7:48.19.
Sarah Brown, Mahagony Jones, Megan Krumpoch, and Brenda Martinez broke the U.S. and world records in the 4,000 distance medley relay with a time of 10:42.57.
In all, there were two world records, one American record and five meet records set on the Mondo track at the Reggie Lewis Center, the site of the USA Track & Field Indoor Championships Feb. 27-March 1.
Nick Willis of New Zealand took the lead with 250 meters to go and defended his mile title in a meet-record 3:51.61. American Ben Blankenship finished in 3:53.13 to also top the former record.
Willis credited recent training at altitude in Flagstaff, Arizona, although he was unsure how it would translate into a time.
"Things have been going very well," he said. "I knew my speed was there and I could finish strongly."
Ethiopia's Dawitt Seyaum set a meet record in the women's 2,000 in 5:35.46.
Matt Centrowitz won the 1,000 in a meet-record 2:17.00 - 0.24 off the American record.
"I came up a little short so I'll have to try attacking it another time," Centrowitz said. "I thought I was running fast enough."
Centrowitz, second-place Pat Casey and third-place Sowinski were members of the team that broke the world record for the men's distance medley relay a week ago.
"This track's been very good to me," Centrowitz said.
Treniere Moser held off Mary Cain to win the women's 1,000 in 2:37.86. The 18-year-old Cain set the world junior record for the 1,000 at 2:35.80 a year ago at the New Balance meet.
Trell Kimmon s won the 60 in 6:51, and Michelle-Lee Ahye took the women's 60 in 7:15.
American Jen Suhr's streak of four straight event women's pole vault victories ended. Suhr was one of three women to clear 14 feet, 9 inches, but finished third behind Mary Saxer and Melissa Gergel on tiebreakers.
Ryan Whiting won the shot put at 70-3 3/4.
Other meet records included John Trautmann in the masters mile in 4:18.72 and Tiffany Townsend in the women's 300 in 36.74.