2009 Prefontaine Classic Had Exactly One Great Leap from Dwight Phillips

Copyright © 2009 Ed Bagley

The 2009 Prefontaine Classic at legendary Hayward Field on the University of Oregon campus came and went almost with a whisper. There was no bang and except for Dwight Phillips mighty 28-foot-8.25-inch long jump—the longest in the world this year—there was not too much to get excited about.

Mike Powell's world record 29-foot-4.5-inch leap in 1991 might now be within Phillips reach. Powell finished 4th in last year's U. S. Olympic Trials for the Beijing Olympic Games, and we will see just how ready he is for prime time at the World Championships in mid-August.

Rather than reporting on what of significance did not happen at the 2009 Prefontaine Classic (a bunch of ho-hum, workmanlike performances), here are some notes and comments on what did happen that went unnoticed and unreported by the nation's media:

1) The closeness of a race has nothing to do with how good the performance was, or how fast the race was won. Michelle Perry (USA) beat Damu Cherry (USA) in the 100-meter hurdles, yet both were officially clocked at 12.74.

Perry's time was actually 12.731 and Cherry's time was 12.739, only 8 one-thousandths of a second separated the two. So how fast is 8 one-thousandths? Glad you asked. Take one second and divide it into 1,000 equal units, then think it is only 8 units among 1,000 units in one second. You could not blink your eyes in 8 one-thousandth of a second.

The American record holder for the 100-meter hurdles is the incomparable Gail Devers, who clocked 12.33 in 2000.

2) Nick Symmonds (USA), a member of the Oregon Track Club Elite and a favorite in Eugene, won the 800 in 1:45.86. Symmonds won the same race in the 2007 Prefontaine Classic, and won the U. S. Olympic Trials last year at Hayward Field in a personal best 1:44.10.

Finishing last at 8th place in the 800 was none other than Elijah Greer, one of the two best 800 runners in high school. Greer, a senior at Lake Oswego High School outside of Portland (OR), ran 1:49.15. Greer held the fastest time among high schoolers in the nation at 1:48.97 until Robby Andrews of Manalapan High School in Englishtown (NJ) ran a record-setting 1:48.66 to become the New Jersey state champion.

3) An American, Maggie Vessey, won the 800 in 2:00.18. It's not exactly an earth-shaking result, but anytime an American wins is a big deal today if the race is from 800 meters up to the marathon.

It is doubtful that Vessey would have won if Maria Mutola of Mozambique had been running. Last year Mutola won her 16th consecutive victory in 16 years of competing in the Prefontaine Classic. Maria Mutola is a legend at Hayward Field.

Her 1:59.24 winning time in the 800 last year would have won this year. Mutola, arguably the greatest woman runner Mozambique has ever produced, currently holds the All-Comer's record of 1:56.56 (set in 1993), the Prefontaine Classic record of 1:57.57 (set in 1997), and the Hayward Field record of 1:57.57 set in the same race.

The excitement she generated as her unbeaten record continued at the Prefontaine Classic year after year was sorely missed this season.

4) Jenny Barringer (USA) broke the 4 minute barrier in the 1500, finishing as runner-up in 3:59.90, a scant one-hundredth of a second behind Gelete Burka of Ethiopia (3:59.89). Barringer put on a terrific sprint down the final straightaway to all but beat Burka. Had the race been 2 yards longer, Barringer would have won.

At one point in the race, I believe Barringer was running in 11th place, but when the gun lap started, she was running 4th and held that position to the final straightaway where, from probably 5-7 yards back, put on a kick worthy of note. Her 3:59.90 time was the 3rd fastest among women in U. S. track and field history.

After crossing the finish line, Barringer appeared to have mixed emotions—disbelief and sheer happiness. It would be an understatement to say her confidence level rose at the Perfontaine Classic.

Barringer qualified for the first ever 3000-meter steeplechase in Olympic history last year at Beijing, finishing 9th in 9:22.26 against world competition, but setting an American record enroute.

And while we are talking about the 1500, let's give a big shout out to the greatest ever, Mary (Decker) Slaney. The little girl with pigtails we remember so well is still—repeat, still—the American record holder (3:57.12 in 1983), Hayward Field record holder (3:59.19 in 1984), and the All-Comer record-holder (3:58.92 in 1988).

The Mary Decker of 1983 has now held the 1500 American record for more than 25 years. There are many more legends than there are icons in American track and field. Mary Decker Slaney is an icon.

4) The mile run at this year's meet—one of the signature events—was underwhelming for American runners. Five foreigners raced home ahead of 6th-place Lopez Lomong, 7th-place Evan Jager and 10th-place Alan Webb, who could only manage a 3:55.99.

Webb, the American record-holder in the mile (3:46.91 in 2007), has not really returned to his 2007 form, especially after not even qualifying for the U. S. team at last year's Beijing Olympics.

Webb has talent and speed, but unless he starts listening and learning more, and building his confidence back up, he may have topped out in his career as America's best miler. After this year's Prefontaine Classic, one could argue that Webb is—at best—America's 3rd best miler.

5) LaShawn Merritt (USA) ran away with the seldom-run 300, winning in 31.30 to lower his own Hayward Field record of 31.31 set in 2006. It was Merritt, you will recall, that took down world-beater Jeremy Wariner in the 400 at the Beijing Olympics to win the gold medal. Wariner won the silver.

Wariner anchored America's Olympic record-setting 4 x 400 victory with a 43.18 split, and will be aiming for Merritt at the 2009 World Championships in mid-August. 6) American record-holder Sanya Richards won the 400, Prefontaine record-holder Paul Koech of Kenya won the 300-meter steeplechase, and Prefontaine record-holder Betty Heidler of Germany won the hammer throw. Richards, Koech and Heidler all had workmanlike performances.

That wraps it up for the 2009 Prefontaine Classic. Without the late, great and never-to-be-equaled Steve "Pre" Prefontaine and 16-time consecutive winner Maria Mutola, this year's classic named for Steve Prefontaine lost some luster. When Pre stepped on the track at Hayward Field, hearts beat faster and greatness lasted longer.