AZRunning.com – David Daer's Photo Journal

On a soggy final day of the AT&T USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, Tyson Gay again made history, by running the second fastest time ever for the 200 meters, 19.62 seconds. In the men’s 3,000 meter steeplechase, Arizona State All-American Aaron Aguayo placed second, with a personal best time of 8:27.01. By virtue of his second place finish, Aguayo has an opportunity to represent the USA at the IAAF World Championships in Athletics (also known as the World Track and Field Championships) in Osaka, Japan in August. In addition to placing in the top three, one must also achieve certain World Championships time standards.

Click here to view photos from the 2007 AT&T USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships — Sunday competition

Dee Dee Trotter stunned most track and field experts, after she won her first national title and defeated the heavily favored Sanya Richards. A 2004 Olympic relay gold medalist, Trotter took the lead on the final curve and powered to the win in a world-leading, personal-best time of 49.64.

Click here to view photos from the 2007 AT&T USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships — Saturday competition

In junior competition on Saturday, Jordan Hassay established a new meet, age and sophomore class record for the 1500 meters, with her time of 4:16.98.

Click here to view photos from the 2007 Finish Line USA Junior Outdoor Track & Field Championships — Saturday competition

Tyson Gay set a new meet record in the 100 meters on Friday at the 2007 AT&T USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships. In the distance races, Arizona resident Bernard Lagat prevailed in a thrilling 3-man sprint finish of the 5,000 meter run over Matt Tegenkamp and Adam Goucher. In the women’s 5,000, Shalane Flanagan cruised to a 14:51.75, the fourth fastest time ever run by an American. Top finishers in this year’s open meet will have an opportunity to represent the USA at the IAAF World Championships in Athletics (also known as the World Track and Field Championships) in Osaka, Japan in August.

Click here to view photos from the 2007 AT&T USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships — Friday competition

Also on Friday, 2006 U.S. Junior champion and two-time Nike Outdoor National champion Walter Henning broke his own American Junior record en route to his win in the men’s hammer throw, and distance event champions were crowned in the women’s steeplechase and men’s 10,000 meters, in the Finish Line USA Junior Track and Field Championship portion of the meet.

Click here to view photos from the 2007 Finish Line USA Junior Outdoor Track & Field Championships — Friday competition

Breaux Greer broke his own American record for the javelin throw to open the first day of competition for open athletes at the 2007 AT&T USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships. Closer to home, former Pima Community College and University of Arizona star Abdi Abdirahman gave Arizona its first national championship of 2007, by winning the 10,000 meter run in 28:13.51. In the women’s 10,000, several runners with Arizona connections competed, including Flagstaff resident Alicia Craig and former Phoenix area high school stars Sara (Gorton) Slattery, Stephanie Rothstein, and Sally Meyerhoff. Deena Kastor won the race, in an impressive solo effort, with a time of 31:57.00. Top finishers in this year’s open meet will have an opportunity to represent the USA at the IAAF World Championships in Athletics (also known as the World Track and Field Championships) in Osaka, Japan in August.

Click here to view photos from the 2007 AT&T USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships — Thursday competition

Multi-event winners were crowned during Day 2 of the junior competition, as well as distance titles in the women’s 3,000 and men’s 3,000 meter steeplechase.

Click here to view photos from the 2007 Finish Line USA Junior Outdoor Track & Field Championships — Thursday competition

Multi-event competition for Junior athletes comprised the schedule for Day 1 of the 2007 Finish Line USA Junior Outdoor Track & Field Championships. The junior meet (for athletes 19 and under) is being held in conjunction with the AT&T USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships, which officially begin tomorrow. For the second year in a row, the Michael A. Carroll Track & Soccer Stadium on the campus of Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) is hosting the championships.

2006 USA Junior champion Shana Woods leads the junior women’s heptathlon competition and Oregon freshman Ashton Eaton leads the junior men’s decathlon at the conclusion of day one Wednesday at the 2007 Finish Line USA Junior Track & Field Championships in Indianapolis.

Click here to view photos from the 2007 Finish Line USA Junior Outdoor Track & Field Championships, Wednesday events

Glendale Community College hosted the 2007 Arizona Interscholastic Association 5A Division I & II State Track & Field Championships. The two-day meet produced dozens of outstanding performances, including a distance triple win (in the 800, 1600, and 3200 meter runs) by Flowing Wells senior Tara Erdmann in 5A-II competition…

2007 AIA 5A Division I T&F meet results

2007 AIA 5A Division II T&F meet results

Click here to view photos from the 2007 AIA 5A Division I & II Track & Field Championships

Mesa Community College hosted the 2007 edition of the NJCAA Region I Track and Field Championship. Central Arizona College claimed the men’s and women’s team titles.

Meet Results, Day 3 (Tuesday)

Meet Results, Day 4 (Thursday)

Click here to view photos from the 2007 NJCAA Region I Track and Field Championship (Day 3, TUESDAY).

Click here to view photos from the 2007 NJCAA Region I Track and Field Championship (Day 4, THURSDAY).

The Mount San Antonio College Relays celebrated its 49th edition in 2007. Shalane Flanagan provided the major headline for Day 1 of the University / Open portion of the meet, after she set an American record in the 5,000 meter run.

The Friday distance events featured notable performances from several athletes with Arizona connections. Jeff Helmer, an ASU redshirt freshman, won his heat of the 5,000 meter run, which also featured several teammates. Tyson David from Central Arizona College won the “Olympic Development” heat of the men’s 5,000. Four Sun Devils earned NCAA regional qualifying marks. Kyle Alcorn’s 13:55.17 in the Men’s Invitational 5,000 meter run was the 8th fastest time in ASU history.

Meet record breaking performances continued in the field events during Day 3 of the University / Open competition. Shu Ying Gao (China) initially got the crowd’s attention when she set the meet, stadium, and Asian records in the women’s pole vault. Mt. SAC alum Giovanni Lanaro (Mexico) followed with meet, stadium and Central American records in the men’s pole vault. Also in the infield, Gerardo Martinez (Mexico) set a Mexican National Record in the men’s high jump.

Click here to view photos from the 2007 Mt. SAC Relays, University / Open competition (FRIDAY, Part 1).

Click here to view photos from the 2007 Mt. SAC Relays, University / Open competition (FRIDAY, Part 2).

Click here to view photos from the 2007 Mt. SAC Relays, University / Open competition (SUNDAY).

The Sun Devil track and field teams hosted the Arizona State Clif Bar Invitational, on an overcast Saturday afternoon / evening, March 24. Nineteen schools and dozens of unattached athletes participated, from all parts of the country, including Ashland (Ohio), BYU, Dartmouth, Kent State, Manhattan, Michigan (women only), Missouri, Northern Arizona, Notre Dame, Ohio State (men only), Oregon, Purdue, Texas-San Antonio (men only), UC Davis, UNLV (women only), Washington, Wyoming and Xavier (Ohio).

It was a homecoming of sorts for a number of out-of-state athletes that have connections to the Valley, including Purdue distance runner Kristin Phillips (Mountain Pointe) and Trisha Rasmussen of the University of Washington (Mountain Ridge), who both competed in the same heat of the women’s 1500 meter run.

Meet records were shattered in several events, by Tiffany Ofili (Michigan) and Jacquelyn Johnson (ASU) in the 100 meter hurdles; Lopez Lomong (NAU), Aaron Aguayo (ASU), and Kyle Alcorn (ASU) in the 1500 meter run; Katie Erdman (Michigan) and Trisa Nickoley (Missouri) in the 800 meter run, Latosha Wallace (ASU) in the 400 meter hurdles; the Michigan foursome of Nicole Edwards, Anna Willard, Erin Webster, and Rebecca Walter in the 3000 meter run; Tyson David (Central Arizona College), Mark Korir (Wyoming), Roger Cahill (ASU graduate), and John Ealy (Ohio State) in the men’s 3000 meter run; and the women’s 4 x 400 meter relay teams from ASU, an all-star post collegiate team that included Olympic gold medalist Veronica Campbell, and Michigan.

Click here to view photos from the 2007 Arizona State Clif Bar Invitational.

One week after the ASU women’s track and field team captured the 2007 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championship, the Sun Devil men’s and women’s teams opened the 2007 outdoor season, by hosting the Baldy Castillo Invitational in Tempe. Track fans had a chance to see multiple All-American distance runner Amy Hastings test her sprint speed in the 4 x 400 meter relay.

Click here for the 2007 Baldy Castillo Invitational Photo Gallery.

On the first Saturday in November, hundreds of high school harriers converged upon the Cave Creek Golf Course for a full day of competition during the 2006 edition of the Arizona Interscholastic Association State Cross Country Tournament. (click here for meet results on Arizonatrack.com).

2006 AIA XC Championships Photo Gallery