JACKIE JOYNER-KERSEE INVITATIONAL: UCLA IMPRESSES AT MEET BRUINS SENIOR RECORDS SUB-4-MINUTE MILE.Byline: Sean Ceglinsky Staff Writer Several former Olympians and elite athletes competed at the third annual Rafer Johnson/Jackie Joyner-Kersee Track and Field Invitational meet Saturday at UCLA's Drake Stadium Drake Stadium is a stadium in Des Moines, Iowa. It is primarily used for the Drake Relays, and is the home field of the Drake University Bulldogs. It opened in 1925 and currently holds 14,557 people. A large scale renovation of the stadium was completed in 2006. . But it was Jon Rankin who nearly stole the show. The UCLA UCLA University of California at Los Angeles UCLA University Center for Learning Assistance (Illinois State University) UCLA University of Carrollton, TX and Lower Addison, TX senior set a meet record in a special running of the mile with a time of 3 minutes, 57.89 seconds, the fastest mark in the world this year and the first sub-4-minute mile by a Bruins runner in 25 years. ``Everyone knows that breaking four minutes in the mile is a big deal,'' Rankin said. ``I didn't force the issue. I just let things kind of happen out there. I'm still in shock. This is a dream come true.'' His effort was just one of several impressive feats by the UCLA contingent. The men's 4x400 meter relay team of Mario Bassani, Denye' Versher, Brandon Johnson Brandon Johnson (born May 5, 1983) is an American football player who currently is a free agent. On September 12, 2007 the Cardinals released him. On September 18, 2007 they re-signed him. and Craig Everhart ran the sixth-fastest collegiate time this season, winning in a meet record 3:05.42, a regional qualifying time for NCAA NCAA abbr. National Collegiate Athletic Association West Region Meet in late May. Johnson, a sophomore, posted the second-fastest collegiate time in the 400 hurdles, winning in 49.65, also a regional qualifier. Alyson Felix competed in her first meet of the season. The L.A. Baptist of North Hills graduate and silver medalist in the 200 meters during the Athens Olympics Athens Olympics
Olympic Games • anchored the Elite International relay team that set meet records in the 4x100 relay (44.44) and the 4x400 relay (3:34.19). ``It was good to get out there and run and see where I'm at,'' Felix said. ``Time doesn't matter too much. This serves as good training. I'm pleased overall.'' UCLA's Monique Henderson Monique Henderson (born February 18, 1983 in San Diego, California) is a track and field athlete, competing internationally for the United States. She was a gold medalist in the 4x400m relay at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece. , who won a gold medal gold medal traditional first prize. [Western Cult: Misc.] See : Prize in Athens as a member of the 4x400 relay, won both sprint races, winning the 100 in a personal best 11.54 and posting a 23.05 in the 200, both regional qualifying times. ``This meet is growing bigger and better each year and Rafer and myself are very honored to be a part of it. We want to make it a great tradition,'' Joyner-Kersee said. ``There was some great talent out here today.'' Even Felix Sanchez, the Olympic gold medalist in the 400 hurdles, tried his luck in the 100 and 200. The USC An abbreviation for U.S. Code. product, running for Nike, finished second in the 100 (10.45) and first in the 200 (20.88). Sean Ceglinsky, (818) 713-3607 sean.ceglinsky(at)dailynews.com |
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