|
|
|
|
|
|
"My training has been better than ever," she said after the race. |
Shayne Culpepper took part of 2001 and 2002 off from competition to have a baby, and she returned stronger than ever. |
Her son, Cruz, would turn three in April. |
Amy Rudolph, the 2002 champion in this event, finished second in 8:57.42. |
Lauren Fleshman finished third in 8:59.93. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Fleshman shows her pain as she crosses the finish line. |
Shayne Culpepper congratulates her competitors. |
Amy Mortimer held off Sharon Dickie to finish fourth in 9:15.58. |
Sharon Dickie made a strong late charge and finished fifth in 9:16.69. |
The women's 1,500 was held as a straight final, with no preliminary rounds. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
There were nine competitors in the field. |
Jen Toomey of nearby Salem, Massachusetts, takes the lead early on. |
Toomey had dominated both the 1,500 and 800 at last year's USA Championships... |
...but she was taking a much more low-key approach to the indoor season this year and only decided to compete here at the last minute. |
Arkansas graduate Christin Wurth and Mississippi State graduate Tiffany McWilliams follow Toomey. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Treniere Clement (right) and Jenelle Deatherage tangle up a bit but stay on their feet. |
300 meters in, Jen Toomey continues to lead. |
L-R: Tiffany McWilliams, Mary Jayne Harrelson, Jen Toomey, Heather Sagan, and Christin Wurth. |
Toomey later said that she was surprised to find herself in the lead so early in the race. |
R-L: Harrelson, Jenelle Deatherage, and Treniere Clement. |
