U.S. Outdoors Day 3: Payne Nips Trammell in 110 Hurdles

David Payne pulled a mild upset by out-leaning Terrence Trammell at the finish line to take the men’s 110 hurdles final, highlighting Day 3 of the U.S. Outdoor Championships Saturday. Both runners were credited with legal times of 13.12. Going to three decimal places, Payne won in 13.115 while Trammell ran 13.118. Aries Merritt was a close third (13.15). Dexter Faulk, the fastest competitor in both the prelims and the semifinals, was running with the leaders when his trail leg struck the fifth hurdle, throwing him off balance. He continued but finished eighth. Earlier on Saturday, Faulk ran his semifinal heat in 13.17, while Payne was second in the heat (13.21). Trammell won the initial heat in a legal 13.19 with just a 1.4 meters-per-second wind.

Christin Wurth tried to take charge of the women’s 1500 final, taking a big lead midway through the race and hanging on until the final stretch when Shannon Rowbury ran her down to win in 4:05.07. Wurth finished second (4:06.00) while Anna Willard placed third (4:07.70). Willard will seek a second berth on the U.S. World Outdoor Championships team in Sunday’s steeplechase final.

LaShawn Merritt surprised nobody by winning the men’s 400-meter final in 44.50 seconds, matching his 2009 world-leading performance. Gil Roberts was a strong second (44.93), Kerron Clement, who’ll run the 400 hurdles in the World Championships, placed third (45.14) and Lionel Larry took fourth (45.40). Likewise, Sanya Richards, the women’s favorite, won her final in 50.05 seconds. Debbie Dunn was the runner-up (50.79) while Jessica Beard took third (50.81).

Lashinda Demus set a Hayward Field record while coming from slightly behind to win the women’s 400 hurdles in a world-leading 53.78. Demus pulled even with Sheena Tosta at the final hurdle, then out-sprinted Tosta to the finish line. Tosta held second (54.45) while Tiffany Ross-Williams gained the final spot on the Team USA World Championship squad by placing third (55.18).

Dwight Phillips’ strong season continued as the 2004 Olympic champion won the long jump final with a slightly wind-aided (2.2 MPS) jump measuring 8.57 meters (28 feet, 1½ inches). Phillips took just two jumps – fouling once and passing on his last three – but they were the two longest jumps of the competition. Brian Johnson was a solid second (a wind-aided 8.26/27-1¼) while George Kitchens was a close third (8.23/27-0).

Four pole vaulters cleared 5.75/18-10¼, but Brad Walker did so without a miss to win the U.S. title. Both Jeremy Scott and Derek Miles cleared the same height with two misses and tied for second, while Toby Stevenson missed four times before clearing 5.75 and had to settle for fourth. Stevenson avoided the huge disappointment of missing out on the World Championship team, despite clearing the same height as the event winner, because Walker gets an automatic bye as the defending World Outdoor champ, meaning the U.S. can send its top three finishers to Berlin, in addition to Walker.

Defending U.S. javelin champion Kara Patterson turned the tables on Rachel Yurkovich, who defeated Patterson earlier this month in the NCAA final, by defending her U.S. crown. Patterson was in seventh place entering the fifth round when she unleashed the winning throw, measuring 63.95/209-10. Yurkovich captured second place (59.31/194-7) while U.S. record- holder Kim Kreiner placed third (58.0/190-3).

Hammer throw favorite A.G. Kruger took a first-round lead, then dropped to second behind Thomas Freeman in round two, but came back to win by throwing 75.31/247-1 in the fifth round. Freeman held on to second (74.64/244-10) while Michael Mai improved throughout the day to take third (73.80/242-1).

Josh McAdams was in or near the lead the entire race on his way to victory in the men’s steeplechase final (8:29.91). Daniel Huling was second (8:32.86) and Kyle Alcorn third (8:34.65). Tim Seaman led off the day by winning his sixth U.S. Outdoor 20-kilometer race walk title. Seaman finished in 1:26:14. Patrick Stroupe was second (1:26:41) and Benjamin Shorey third (1:27:17).

As expected, Hyleas Fountain is in control of the heptathlon after the four day-one events. Fountain finished first in the 100 hurdles (12.90) and the 200 (23.29) while placing second in the high jump and the shot put to score 4038 points. Diana Pickler is second (3768). Sharon Day, who’s in third with 3739 points, finished first in the high jump (1.90/6-2¾) while Bettie Wade enjoyed the best shot put effort (13.98/45-10½). Wade is sixth in points (3552).

Bershawn Jackson led all competitors in the men’s 400 hurdles semifinals in a time of 48.80. Johnny Dutch won the initial heat in 49.24.

In the 200 prelims, Shawn Crawford was fastest overall with a wind-aided 20.19, while Ivory Williams was second in Crawford’s heat but also second among all competitors (20.27). Other wind-aided heat winners included Chris Lawson, Xavier Carter, Wallace Spearmon, Charles Clark and Bernard Williams. Jeremy Wariner, who has a bye into the 400 at the World Championships, finished 12th to qualify for Sunday’s semifinals, should he choose to continue. The top two 100-meter finishers, Mike Rodgers and Darvis Patton, withdrew from the 200. Allyson Felix led the way in the women’s 200 with a wind-aided 22.58. Other heat winners included LaShauntea Moore, Charonda Williams and Porscha Lucas. Carmelita Jeter withdrew due to the leg cramp she suffered while winning the 100 on Friday.

Damu Cherry led all first-round competitors in the 100 hurdles preliminaries. Cherry won her heat in 12.49. Three-time NCAA champion Tiffany Ofili won her heat in 12.57 while 2008 Olympic Champion Dawn Harper prevailed in the other heat (12.68). Michelle Perry, the 2007 World Outdoor Champion who owns a bye into this year’s World Championships, had the third- best time overall (12.64).

The Championships conclude Sunday with finals in 15 events, including the heptathlon.

In a related note, the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials will return to Eugene, Ore. – where the U.S. Outdoors is currently taking place – according to the Oregon Register-Guard. Instead of running eight days of competition in a 10-day period, however, the event will cover two consecutive weekends, running from Friday through Sunday each week.