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Media Contact: Al Heppner
Phone: 619-410-1181
North American Racewalking Institute
March 2, 2002
For immediate release
Seaman wins 6th straight in near record time; high performance team makes strides
Reggie Lewis Center, Boston--Tim Seaman held off the US Army's John Nunn to win his sixth consecutive US Indoor National Championship in the 5000 meter racewalk this afternoon in the second fastest US time ever (19 minutes, 21.56 seconds). Joanne Dow won her second straight women's 3000 meter walk yesterday in 13:07.68.
Seaman, competing for New York Athletic Club, led teammate Curt Clausen and Nunn through the first two kilometers (3:51 and 3:45) in record pace. Clausen fell back after 2 km, while Seaman opened up a 10-second gap on Nunn over the fourth kilometer.
"My main focus was to win. I knew John was in good shape," Seaman said.
Nunn charged back with a 3:56 last kilometer to halve the gap on Seaman, but it was not enough. Still, Nunn's finishing time of 19:26.43 was the third fastest ever by an American. Clausen finished third in 20:38.34.
"The fourth kilometer really got me. I didn't realize I had slowed (to 4:00). I wasn't watching the clock so I had no idea how close we were to the record. If I would've known, we could've raced for the record. I felt I had more to give," Nunn said.
Still, what Nunn gave today was over a minute better than he had ever given before. His previous best was 20:35. Seaman's and Nunn's times were the sixth and seventh fastest in the world this year. The American Record of 19:18.40 was set by Tim Lewis in 1987. However, that was a different era in which walkers competed in a series of indoor races as part of a grand prix and the indoor world championships. Now the focus for most is solely on the 20 km and the 50 km.
"I was pleased with my race today, especially considering I haven't done much speed work. I hope to translate this type of performance into my upcoming 20 km races," Seaman said.
In the women's 3 km, Dow was able to defend her title over three-time Olympian Michelle Rohl. For the first 11 laps, Rohl led the way.
"I could hear (Michelle) breathing hard late in the race, so I decided to pass her with four laps to go. I gave it my best the rest of the way and it all worked out," Dow said.
Last year, Rohl missed the championships while she was pregnant with her fourth child. Yesterday, she could not outlast Dow and finished second in 13:21.19
Meanwhile, several members of the High Performance Team, based at the ARCO Olympic Training Center, qualified for the Indoor World Championships March 14-16 in Birmingham, England by finishing in the top two at Indoor Nationals.
The team was led by Sasha Spencer, who cruised to second place in the 800 meters (2:03.20).
"I did a lot of work over the past couple of months, so I knew I was ready to compete here. Making the team for the World Championships was the most important to me. (I) came here thinking that if I ran my best race I would be right there at the end," said Spencer, a Georgetown graduate now competing for Nike.
Megan Addy led a 2-4-6 finish in the 400 meters. Addy won the silver in 53.88 seconds, with Brenda Taylor (54.04) and Tanisha Mills (54.37) following.
"Making the Indoor World Championships was a complete surprise, given that I've only been training with my current coach (Brooks Johnson) at the (San Diego) US Training Center for less than a month. At the start of the indoor season, I thought I would be training through it. Now I'm off to Birmingham," Addy said.
Both Taylor and Mills will likely be added to the World Championships Team in the 4 x 400 meter relay. The 400 meter hurdles, which is not contested indoors, is the best event for all three of the training center-based athletes.
Kenta Bell (55 feet, 11.75 inches) and Von Ware (52-4.50) took third and fifth in the triple jump, while Jamie Nieto placed fourth in the high jump with a leap of 7 feet, 5.25 inches.
Performing double duty, Shakeema Walker leaped 44 feet in the triple jump for fifth and 19 feet, 4 inches in the long jump for 11th. Finally, defending 3000 meter champion Amy Rudolph finished third in 8 minutes, 57.44 seconds.
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