Track and Field — Bagley, Rupp and Gay burn up track at Outdoor Nationals

EUGENE, Ore – Amy Yoder Bagley, Galen Rupp thrilled their hometown crowd and Tyson Gay burned up the track during the opening day of the 2009 USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships at the University of Oregon’s Hayward Field.

The final event of the 2009 USATF Outdoor Visa Championship Series, the USA Outdoor Championships runs from June 25-28.

Yoder Begley thrills Hayward crowd again
Oregon Track Club member Any Yoder Begley thrilled the Hayward Field crowd in finishing third at the Olympic Trials last year, bettering the Olympic Games women’s “A” qualifying standard in the process, and she brought an even bigger roar tonight as she won her first national championship and set a Hayward Field record.

Yoder Begley and 2008 Olympic 10,000m bronze medalist Shalane Flanagan traded the lead twice in the final lap, with Yoder Begley emerging as the victor in 31 minutes, 22.69 seconds, which is the #9 U.S. women’s 10,000m time in history. Flanagan was the runner-up in 31:23.43. Both times shattered Flanagan’s previous Hayward Field record time of 31:34.81, set in winning the 2008 Olympic Trials. 2008 Olympic Trials fourth-place finisher Katie McGregor punched her ticket for her third U.S. World Championships team with her third-place finish in 32:08.04.

Rupp pleases hometown fans
In his last ever race in a University of Oregon singlet, 2008 NCAA Cross Country champ, and 2009 5,000m and 10,000m winner Galen Rupp battled two-time Olympian Dathan Ritzenhein most of the way in the 10,000m final, until Rupp broke away with 150 meters to go before winning the race in 27:52.53.

Ritzenhein punched his ticket for a second World Outdoor Championship with his runner-up finish in 27:58.59, and Oregon TC Elite member and 2008 Olympic Trials tenth place finisher Tim Nelson finished third in 28:01.34

Gay torches Hayward Field track
Reigning World 100m and 200m champion Tyson Gay had a solid start in first round competition in the men’s 100 meters and convincingly won heat one in the sixth-fastest time in history under all conditions with a wind-aided 9.75 seconds (+3.4 mps). Gay announced on Wednesday that this would be his only race at the USA Championships, with his Team USA 100m and 200m roster spots for the 2009 World Outdoor Championships already secure.

Earlier this year at the Reebok Grand Prix in New York City, Gay dominated the men’s 200m, crossing the finish line in a blistering 19.58 seconds, which is the third-fastest performance ever, behind only USA Track & Field Hall of Famer Michael Johnson (19.32) and triple 2008 Olympic champion Usain Bolt (19.30).

Other men’s 100m heat winners were Travis Padgett (Heat 2-9.93w), 2008 Olympic finalist Darvis “Doc” Patton (Heat 3-9.92w), 2008 Olympic Games 200m silver medalist Shawn Crawford (Heat 4-10.06w) and current U.S. seasonal leader Michael Rodgers (Heat 5-9.92w).

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