1997 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships

The 1997 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships was organised by USA Track & Field and held from June 20 to 24 at the IU Michael A. Carroll Track & Soccer Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana. The four-day competition served as the national championships in track and field for the United States and also the trials for the 1997 World Championships in Athletics in Athens, Greece.

1997 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships
DatesJune 12–15
Host cityIndianapolis, Indiana
VenueIU Michael A. Carroll Track & Soccer Stadium
LevelSenior
TypeOutdoor
Events40 (men: 20; women: 20)

It was the third time that the stadium in Indianapolis had held the combined gender national track and field event. The USA Junior Championships were held in conjunction with the event.

Athletes that finished in the top three of their event and held the IAAF qualifying standard were eligible to represent the United States at the 1997 World Championships. The United States was able to send three athletes per event to the competition, provided they all met the A qualification standard. In addition, this was the first year to also allow the reigning world champions an automatic qualification separate from the national selection. That new rule was essentially created to allow Michael Johnson to qualify even though at the time of these championships he was unable to compete (and thus qualify) due to the injury he received in the Bailey–Johnson 150-metre race just two weeks earlier. Johnson did recover in time for the World Championships and did successfully defend his world championship. The World Championships national selection for the marathon and 50 kilometres walk were incorporated into the discrete national championship meets for those events. Selection for the relay races were made by committee.

Five Americans went on to win an individual gold medal at the 1997 World Championships; Johnson, Maurice Greene, Allen Johnson, John Godina and Marion Jones. In addition USA won the Women's 4 × 100 metres relay, and took silver in the 4 × 400 metres relay. The Men's 4 × 400 metres relay crossed the finish line in first, but was disqualified in 2009 following the admission of long term doping by Antonio Pettigrew.

Results

edit

Key:  Not selected for World Championships in Athletics due to failure to reach IAAF qualifying standard within the specified time limit.

Men track events

edit
Event Gold Silver Bronze
100 meters
Wind +0.2
Maurice Greene 9.90 CR Tim Montgomery 9.92 Michael Marsh 10.03
200 meters
Wind +1.0
Jon Drummond 20.23 Kevin Little 20.27 Gentry Bradley 20.49
400 meters Antonio Pettigrew 44.65 Tyree Washington 44.79 Jerome Young 44.83
800 meters Mark Everett 1.44.37 Brandon Rock 1.44.79 Rich Kenah 1.44.87
1500 meters Seneca Lassiter 3.45.85 Karl Paranya 3.46.78 Jason Pyrah 3.46.94
5000 meters Bob Kennedy 13.30.86 Alan Culpepper 13.48.90 Brian Baker 13.59.36
10,000 meters Mike Mykytok 28.34.92 Reuben Reina 28.34.93 Pete Julian 28.35.65
110 m hurdles
Wind +0.6
Allen Johnson 13.25 Reggie Torian 13.28 Terry Reese 13.32
400 m hurdles Bryan Bronson 47.79 Derrick Adkins 48.00 Joey Woody 48.18
3000 m s'chase Mark Croghan 8.20.86 Tom Nohilly 8.23.66 Pascal Dobert 8.24.23

Men field events

edit
Event Gold Silver Bronze
High jump Charles Austin 2.31 m (7 ft 6+34 in) Randy Jenkins 2.28 m (7 ft 5+34 in) Brian Brown 2.28 m (7 ft 5+34 in)
Pole vault Lawrence Johnson 5.90 m (19 ft 4+14 in) Dean Starkey 5.85 m (19 ft 2+14 in) Pat Manson 5.80 m (19 ft 14 in)
Long jump Joe Greene 8.42 m (27 ft 7+14 in) Erick Walder 8.38 m (27 ft 5+34 in) Kevin Dilworth 8.29 m (27 ft 2+14 in)
Triple jump Kenny Harrison 16.97 m (55 ft 8 in) LaMark Carter 16.76 m (54 ft 11+34 in) Robert Howard 16.62 m (54 ft 6+14 in)
Shot put Randy Barnes 21.37 m (70 ft 1+14 in) John Godina 21.19 m (69 ft 6+14 in) C. J. Hunter 21.07 m (69 ft 1+12 in)
Discus throw John Godina 67.38 m (221 ft 0 in) Andy Bloom 65.30 m (214 ft 2 in) Adam Setliff 63.35 m (207 ft 10 in)
Hammer throw Kevin McMahon 77.42 m (254 ft 0 in) Jud Logan 75.39 m (247 ft 4 in) David Popejoy 73.33 m (240 ft 7 in)
Javelin throw Tom Pukstys 83.97 m (275 ft 5 in) CR Ed Kaminski 79.91 m (262 ft 2 in) Breaux Greer 78.10 m (256 ft 2 in)
Decathlon Steve Fritz 8604 Chris Huffins 8458 Shawn Wilbourn 8268

Women track events

edit
Event Gold Silver Bronze
100 meters
Wind -1.1
Marion Jones 10.97 Chryste Gaines 11.19 Inger Miller 11.21
200 meters
Wind -0.1
Inger Miller 22.62 Cheryl Taplin 22.90 Zundra Feagin-Alexander 23.06
400 meters Jearl Miles Clark 49.40 CR Kim Graham 50.65 Maicel Malone 50.74
800 meters Kathy Rounds 2:00.45 Joetta Clark Diggs 2:00.64 Jill McMullen 2:00.81
1500 meters Regina Jacobs 4:03.42 Suzy Favor Hamilton 4:04.36 Sarah Thorsett 4:07.34
5000 meters Libbie Hickman 15:37.73 Amy Rudolph 15:45.21 Melody Fairchild 15:45.54
10,000 meters Lynn Jennings 32:26.41 Annette Peters 32:28.55 Deena Kastor 32:53.18
100 m hurdles
Wind +0.0
Melissa Morrison 12.61 Anjanette Kirkland 12.74 Dawn Bowles 12.74
400 m hurdles Kim Batten 52.97 CR Tonja Buford-Bailey 54.05 Ryan Tolbert 54.21
3000 m s'chase [1] Melissa Teemant 10:30.90 Elizabeth Jackson 10:38.72 Gracie Padilla 10:44.12
10 km walk Debbi Lawrence 46:45.36 Sara Standley 46:53.07 Victoria Herazo 47:18.05

Women field events

edit
Event Gold Silver Bronze
High jump Amy Acuff 1.96 m (6 ft 5 in) Angela Spangler 1.93 m (6 ft 3+34 in) Erin Aldrich 1.93 m (6 ft 3+34 in)
Pole vault Stacy Dragila 4.30 m (14 ft 1+14 in) Melissa Price 4.00 m (13 ft 1+14 in) Melissa Mueller 3.95 m (12 ft 11+12 in)
Long jump Marion Jones 6.93 m (22 ft 8+34 in) Jackie Joyner-Kersee 6.91 m (22 ft 8 in)w Sharon Jewell 6.77 m (22 ft 2+12 in)
Triple jump Niambi Dennis 13.63 m (44 ft 8+12 in) Shonda Swift 13.61 m (44 ft 7+34 in) Cynthea Rhodes 13.54 m (44 ft 5 in)
Shot put Connie Price-Smith 19.06 m (62 ft 6+14 in) Valeyta Althouse 18.60 m (61 ft 14 in) Tressa Thompson 17.73 m (58 ft 2 in)
Discus throw Lacy Barnes-Mileham 61.16 m (200 ft 7+34 in) Suzy Powell 60.46 m (198 ft 4+14 in) Edie Boyer 60.08 m (197 ft 1+14 in)
Hammer throw Dawn Ellerbe 62.96 m (206 ft 6+12 in) CR Renetta Sailer 60.94 m (199 ft 11 in) Kiyomi Parish 59.90 m (196 ft 6+14 in)
Javelin throw Lynda Blutreich 58.52 m (191 ft 11+34 in) Erica Wheeler 57.22 m (187 ft 8+34 in) Nicole Carroll 56.46 m (185 ft 2+34 in)
Heptathlon Kelly Blair LaBounty 6465 DeDee Nathan 6317 Kym Carter 6289

World Championships qualification

edit

Automatic byes

edit

A total of eight American athletes received automatic byes into the 1997 World Championships in Athletics as a result of their being the defending champions from the 1995 World Championships in Athletics.[2] Michael Johnson qualified in two events and his injury situation largely created the bye rule in the first place. Johnson chose not to defend the 200 metres title, but was able to successfully defend his 400 metres title, a feat equalled by Allen Johnson and John Godina in their respective events. Dan O'Brien also did not defend his title.

Non-top three selections

edit

Karl Paranya did not participate in the 1500m. Pascal Dobert did not participate in the steeplechase. Dan Middleman and 7th place Brad Barquist were the American representatives in the 10,000. Since Allen Johnson and Bryan Bronson received a bye, 4th place Mark Crear and Octavius Terry were allowed to compete in their respective hurdle races. LaMark Carter and no other American achieved the A standard in the triple jump. Breaux Greer didn't achieve the A standard. 4th place, naturalized British Olympian Roald Bradstock did and took the third position at the World Championships.

References

edit
  1. ^ Note: not an official championship event this year
  2. ^ World Championships in Athletics. GBR Athletics. Retrieved on 2015-06-27.

Results