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Lagat, Drummond, Williams,
Highlight
Strong L.A. Invitational Lineup
The Los Angeles Invitational indoor track meet, the nation's second
oldest undercover meet, will return for its 43rd year to the Los Angeles
Sports Arena, Saturday, February 15, 2003. The classic meet will embrace
its usual formula of world class events, collegiate standouts and nearly
2000 high school athletes from 500 schools. The event is second only to
the Millrose Games in New York among the nation's track meets in history.
A
total of 105 Olympic gold medalists and dozens of world and American record
holders have competed over the years, in the L.A. Invitational.
This year's meet will feature a strong group of world class
performers. Among the meet's headliners:
Bernard Lagat of Kenya, history's second fastest 1500 meters runner
(3:26.34, equivalent of a 3:43.5 mile) has won the L.A. mile four times
in
a row. He is trying to become the first miler in the meet's history to
win
the event five consecutive times. Lagat will compete against Ibrahim Aden,
who was the no.2 U.S. miler last year with a 3:55.53 time.
Jon Drummond ran the leadoff leg on the gold medal U.S. 400-meter
relay team at the 2000 Olympics. Drummond is favored to win the 55-meter
dash against a strong field that includes Darrell Rideaux, a starter on
SC's Orange Bowl football championship team and a former California state
prep 100-meter champion. Rideaux claims he's never lost an indoor race.
Rideaux teammate in the Trojans' defensive backfield, Marcell
Allmond, will compete in the 55-meter hurdles. Allmond won the 1988 and
1999 California prep 110-meter hurdles championships, and set a U.S. junior
record in the decathlon with 7,377 points in 1999. He will against a strong
field that includes fellow Trojans Ryan Wilson, a NCAA 110 hurdles
medalist, and Jeff Garrison, who set a national prep record in the 50
hurdles at the 2000 L.A. Invitational.
Angela Williams, the only woman to win four NCAA titles at
100-meters (1999-2002, for USC), heads the women's 55-meter dash field.
Also added to the L.A. Indoor track meet is Miesha McKelvy, a former San
Diego State star, who will run the 50-meter hurdles at the L.A.
Invitational. An explosive starter, Williams holds the collegiate record
for 60-meters with a best of 7:09 seconds. She set a national prep
50-meter record in the 1998 L.A. Invitational while at Chino High.
Miesha McKelvy, a past bronze medalist in the 100-meter hurdles at
the World Track and Field Championships, is favored in the 55 hurdles.
McKelvy ran a person best last year of 12.60 in the 100 hurdles and was
ranked third in the world.
Yuliana Perez, the nation's number one triple jumper, will battle
national champion Vanitta Kinard in the women's triple jump. Perez's saga
is akin to the Cuba boat kid, Elian Gonzalez, only in reverse. Yuliana's
mother escaped Cuba on a boat, coming to the U.S. She was killed in a
shooting in San Diego when Yuliana was 2. Perez was sent back to live
with
relatives in Cuba. She never gave up her American citizenship despite
pressure from Cuban authorities and promises of a spot on the 2000 Cuban
Olympic team. With the help of the Swiss Embassy in havana, Yuliana managed
to get back to the U.S. and enrolled at Pima Community College in Arizona.
Four 19-foot vaulters - Curt Hanna, Russ Buller, Dean Starkey and
Toby Stevenson - will compete in the men's pole vault. Buller and Stevenson
are former NCAA champions. On the women's side, Mel Mueller, the 3rd
highest ever U.S. performer (15-2 1/4) will duel Tracy O'Hara, a five-time
NCAA champion while at UCLA.
Kenta Bell was the leading U.S. triple jumper last year (and fourth
in the world) with a mark of 57-10 3/4. He will battle a quality veteran,
Von Ware.
The high school portion of the L.A. Invitational, always loaded
with talent, will showcase top football recruits like Reggie Bush (Helix),
Chad Green (Birmingham) and Noah Smith (Taft) and a plethora of returning
state champions - Thomas Mack (Bakersfield), 55 hurdles, Michelle Stanford
(Woodbridge), triple jump, Ashley Brown and Lena Betis (both Riverside
North), Sharon Day (Costa Mesa), high jump, etc.
High School Events start at 10:30 am, with Invitational events at
4:30 pm. Information about the meet is available at
www.frankenenterprises.com For ticket information call (213) 748-6131.
The meet is made possible each year by Loyal Sponsors of the L.A. Invitational
including PacifiCare, Charter Communications, AMC Theaters, SEIU Local
660/Keep L.A. Running, Southwest Airlines, Venue Sports, American Athlete,
Cal Track & Running News, Reebok, Springco Athletics,and ESSX Sports.
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