Lagat, Campbell Shine at 2010 USA Indoor Championships

from USATF - ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - Bernard Lagat and Amber Campbell each turned in memorable performances in front of an enthusiastic sell-out crowd of 2,979 fans at the 2010 USA Indoor Track & Field Championships at the Albuquerque Convention Center in Albuquerque, N.M.

The third and final event of the USA Track & Field 2010 Indoor Visa Championship Series, the USA Indoor Championships will be televised February 28, from 7 - 9 p.m. Eastern Time on ESPN2. In addition to competing for a total prize purse of $117,000, U.S. athletes will have the opportunity to qualify for Team USA roster spots for the 2010 IAAF World Indoor Championships, March 12-14, in Doha, Qatar.

The Albuquerque Convention and Visitors Bureau, along with the New Mexico Sports Authority, the University of New Mexico and USATF New Mexico, are the official hosts for the championships, which will also be held in Albuquerque in 2011 and 2012.

Lagat beats Rupp in men's 3,000 meters

As it's been throughout his entire career, it was two-time Olympic silver medalist Bernard Lagat's uncanny kick with 150 meters remaining that was the difference between winning and losing in a highly competitive men's 3,000m race.

The 2007 World Outdoor Championships 1,500m and 5,000m gold medalist, Lagat was in a heated battle throughout with 2008 Olympic Games and 2009 World Outdoor Championships 10,000m finalist Galen Rupp and 2009 USA Outdoor Championships 5,000m runner-up Chris Solinsky in the mix the entire way.

Lagat, who owns U.S. Indoor records in the 5,000m, 1,500m, mile and 3,000m, captured the first U.S. Indoor title of his career in crossing the finish line first in 8:12.60.

Rupp finished as the runner-up in 8:13.49, with Solinsky placing third in 8:13.85.

Campbell's monster toss wins women's weight throw

2008 Olympian and former New Mexico resident Amber Campbell celebrated a happy homecoming by dominating the field in the women's 20-lb. weight throw.

Campbell ended the suspense in the competition on her first throw, which sailed to 24.70 meters/81 feet 0.50 inch, which is the third-farthest throw ever in the world and gave her a fourth consecutive U.S. Indoor title and the lead in the 2010 USATF Women's Indoor Visa Championship Series with 1,213 points.

Campbell's closest pursuer was Loree Smith, who finished as the runner-up with a toss of 21.99m/72-1.75. Three-time U.S. Indoor champ Erin Gilreath was third with a best of 21.92m/71.11.

Metivier Baillie wins tension filled women's 3,000 meters

Renee Metivier Baillie opened a half lap lead early on in the race and she maintained that margin through a series of 38 second laps. With a lap to go, Sara Hall and 2009 World Outdoor Championships bronze medalist Shannon Rowbury made their moves and stormed to the front.

With 100 meters to go, Hall, Rowbury and Metivier Baillie created one of the most exciting finishes ever in a 3,000m at a USA Indoor Championships.The three of them were together heading into the front stretch when Metivier Baille surged to the lead with Hall in chase. Hall dove for the finish line, but it was not enough as Metivier Baillie captured her first USA Indoor title by finishing in 9:14.90, withHall finishing just two hundredths of a second behind the victor. Rowbury finished third in 19:15.41

Mack captures Gill Men's Pole Vault

2004 Olympic Games men's pole vault gold medalist Tim Mack won his second U.S. Indoor title Saturday night with a clearance of 5.70m/18-8.25.

Mack faced a strong challenge from 2003 USA Indoor champion and the fourth-place finisher at the 2008 Olympic Games Derek Miles, who also cleared 5.70m/18-8.25, but was awarded second place due to more misses during the competition.Scott Neidermeyer finished third with a best of 5.60m/18-4.50, with Jeremy Scott placing fourth after clearing the identical height.

Lowe soars high in Albuquerque

2005 World Outdoor Championships silver medalist and three-time USA Outdoor champion Chaunte (Howard) Lowe won the second USA Indoor women's high jump title of her career in dominating fashion Saturday night.

Lowe, who won her first U.S. Indoor title in 2006, had a best clearance of 1.98m/6 feet 6 inches. Deidre Mullen finished as the runner-up with a best of 1.86m/6-1.25, with Raevan Harris clearing the identical height in finishing in third place.

Williams wins men's high jump

2008 Olympian Jesse Williams ended his 2009 season ranked #4 in the world by T&FN, and his momentum from last year continued this evening with his convincing win in the men's high jump.

Williams had a best clearance of 2.34 meters/7 feet 8 inches, which gave him a one inch margin of victory over 2008 Olympian Dusty Jonas, who cleared 2.31m/7-7. 2009 World Outdoor Championships finalist and 2008 Olympian Andra Manson also cleared 2.31m/7-7, but he ended up in third place because he had one more miss than Jonas during the competition

Willis a surprise winner in men's triple jump

2007 Team USA World Outdoor Championships competitor Lawrence Willis did not compete at all last year due to injuries, but bounced back in a big way Saturday night in winning his first ever USA Indoor title.Willis won the event on his last attempt when he soared to 16.86m/55-3.75 to edge out runner-up and reigning USA Indoor and Outdoor champion Brandon Roulhac, who finished second with a leap of 16.72m/54-10.25.

2001 USA Junior long and triple jump champion and former USC standout Allen Simms finished third with a best of 16.49m/54-1.25.

43 national titles and counting for Seaman

Two-time Olympian Tim Seaman captured his 43rd career national race walk title this evening when he won the men's 5,000m race walk in 20 minutes 57.47 seconds.

A six-time U.S. 20 km champion ('98, '00, '02, '04, '05, '09) Seaman has won 12 of the last 13 U.S. Indoor race walk titles. With his win in Albuquerque, Seaman passed National Track & Field Hall of Famer Henry Laskau, who owns 42 U.S. race walk crowns. Seaman trails only Hall of Famer Ron Laird, who owns the most U.S. race walk national titles in history with 65.

Patrick Stroupe was the runner-up in 21:19.90, with Benjamin Shorey finishing third in 22:06.36.

A.G. is A-O.K. in men's 35-lb weight throw

2008 Olympic Trials champion and four-time USA Outdoor hammer throw champion A.G. Kruger won his sixth career U.S. men's 35-lb weight throw title with his opening round toss of 24.99 meters/82 feet.

Kruger's throw gave him a winning margin of exactly two feet over runner-up Cory Martin, who is ranked #4 nationally in the men's hammer throw by Track & Field News. Kruger's mantle now holds U.S. 35-lb weight throw titles from 2003, '05, '06, '07, '09 and 2010.

Finishing third was 2009 USA Outdoor Championships hammer throw runner-up Jake Freeman, who had a best toss of 23.98m/78-8.25.

McLain one and done in women's triple jump win

2009 USA Outdoor runner-up and 2008 NCAA Outdoor champion Erica McLain either fouled or passed on five of her six attempts in the women's triple jump, but her first attempt of 14.06 meters/46 feet 1.50 inches was good enough to win the competition.

McLain's winning effort is the best by an American this year and gave her a winning margin of nearly a foot over runner-up Shakeema Welsch, who finished as the runner-up with a hop, skip and jump of 13.73m/45-0.50

Moving on up!

In men's 60m hurdles qualifying, two-time Olympic Games 110m hurdles silver medalist and three-time World Outdoor Championships silver medalist Terrence Trammell won the first heat of three in the second-fastest time of the day in 7.62 seconds. Dexter Faulk won the second heat in the fastest time of the day of 7.57 seconds.

The fastest time in the opening round of the women's 400 meters was turned in by 2004 Olympic Games 4x400m relay gold medalist Dee Dee Trotter, who won the first of five heats in 51.79 seconds. Natasha Hastings won heat two in 52.52, with Debbie Dunn capturing heat 3 in 52.17 and Valerie Brown winning the fourth heat in 52.84. Two-time Olympic Games 200m silver medalist Allyson Felix won the fifth heat in 53.09.

In the first round of the men's 800 meters, 2008 Olympian and 2009 World Outdoor Championships finalist Nick Symmonds won the first of four heats in the fastest time of the day, 1:47.59.

The second-fastest time of the afternoon was turned in by Tyler Mulder, who was the runner-up to Symmonds in heat 1 in 1:47.80.

Former U.S. women's steeplechase record holder Anna (Willard) Pierce entered the 2010 season ranked #2 in the world in the women's 800 meters, and she lived up to her billing by posting the fastest time of the day in the first round of the women's 800 meters. Pierce won heat two in 2:03.17, with Team USA Minnesota's Heather Dorniden winning heat 1 in the second-fastest time of the day of 2:05.70.

2010 Millrose Games and Reebok Boston Indoor Games men's 60m winner Ivory Williams won heat 1 in men's 60m qualifying in 6.56 seconds, which shared the fastest time of the day with heat two winner Trell Kimmons.

Two-time World Outdoor men's 400m hurdles champion Kerron Clement won the third of five first round 400m heats in 46.88 seconds, with 2008 Olympic Games and 2010 World Outdoor Championships 400m hurdles bronze medalist Bershawn "Batman" Jackson winning heat 4 in 46.32.

Tavaris Tate posted the fastest time of the day from his win in the first heat in 45.89.

For more information on the 2010 USA Indoor Championships in Albuquerque and the 2010 Visa Championship Series, visit www.visachampionshipseries.com or www.usatf.org.