Courtesy: USATF

Coming off the most successful start in its four-year history, USA Track & Field's 2002 Indoor Golden Spike Tour continues Friday night at the most prestigious indoor invitational track meet in the world, the Verizon Millrose Games.

Adding to the prestige in 2002 is a field of international superstars. On the women's side, Olympic gold medalist, world champion and world record holder Stacy Dragila looks to defend her Verizon Millrose Games title in the Visa women's pole vault after setting a world record here last year (4.64m/15 feet, 2.75 inches). Regina Jacobs also defends her 2001 Millrose title in the Fred Lebow women's mile after running the fastest indoor 2 mile by a woman in history last week at the adidas Boston Indoor Games, the first stop on the Golden Spike Tour.

Two-time Olympic 100m champion Gail Devers is scheduled to compete in the women's 60m dash, Olympic bronze medal hurdler Melissa Morrison will run the 60m hurdles, and the woman who owns the fastest indoor 800m time ever on U.S. soil, Jolanda Ceplak of Slovenia, will duel American outdoor record holder Jearl Miles-Clark.

The women's competition also will feature a fast-paced new format in the women's high jump. Literally jumping in the spotlight on Madison Square Garden's infield, Amy Acuff, Tisha Waller and Erin Aldrich each will have 45 seconds for each attempt, will be allowed three misses for the entire competition, and must attempt each height. The change was designed to bring added excitement and attention to the event, which in past years has been held in front of a sparse crowd before Millrose elite competition began, due to time and space limitations brought on by reconfiguring MSG's track for sprints and distance events. Now held during "prime-time" in the event schedule, the women's high jump will be a featured event of the meet.

The men's field for the Verizon Millrose Games features the world's best as well. Three-time world champion and '96 Olympic gold medalist Allen Johnson competes against a strong field in the 60m hurdles for the first time since 2000. The Fred Schmertz men's pole vault will be a near-reprise of the adidas Boston Indoor Games, with World Indoor champion and defending Millrose winner Lawrence Johnson, World Indoor silver medalist Tye Harvey, Goodwill Games gold medalist Tim Mack and American outdoor record holder Jeff Hartwig in the field.

The Verizon men's 60m could be the marquee event of the night, with Tim Montgomery, Terrence Trammell, Tim Harden, J.J. Johnson and Shawn Crawford to take the starting line. Between them, the group has seven medals from 2001 World Championships events. Montgomery is the World Outdoor 100m silver medalist and World Indoor 60m silver medalist. He also anchored Team USA to a win in the 4x100m relay at World Outdoors; Trammell is the 2001 World Indoor 60m hurdles champion; Harden is the defending World Indoor 60m gold medalist; Shawn Crawford is the defending World Indoor 200m champion, World Outdoor bronze medalist and U.S. outdoor champion; and J.J. Johnson had the fastest 200m time in the world last year.

The Wanamaker Mile will provide the drama and exciting finishes the historic event is known for. Top Kenyans Bernard Lagat, Laban Rotich, Leonard Mucheru and Paul Bitok can' t overlook young U.S. upstart Bryan Berryhill, the 2001 NCAA champion and a sub-3:58 miler.

Held at New York City's Madison Square Garden, the Verizon Millrose Games is the second stop on the Golden Spike Tour. The Tour began January 27 at the adidas Boston Indoor Games, where one world best and two American records were broken. Ceplak ran her U.S. all-comers record at Boston as well.

For more information on the 2002 Indoor Golden Spike Tour, including rankings of top performances and full results from the adidas Boston Indoor Games, visit the USATF Web site, www.usatf.org

Verizon Millrose Games Preview
Fields subject to change; all nationalities USA unless otherwise noted

Men

60m: Timothy Montgomery, Nike; Terrence Trammell, Mizuno; Tim Harden, Nike; Julian Dunkley, East Carolina University/Jamaica; J.J. Johnson, Nike; Shawn Crawford, Mizuno
THE SCOOP: The Verizon Millrose Games will reach its grand finale with perhaps the strongest field in the meet. Montgomery is the World Outdoor 100m silver medalist and World Indoor 60m silver medalist. He also anchored Team USA to a win in the 4x100m relay at World Outdoors; Trammell is the 2001 World Indoor 60m hurdles champion; Harden is the defending World Indoor 60m gold medalist; Shawn Crawford is the defending World Indoor 200m champion and U.S. outdoor champion; and J.J. Johnson had the fastest 200m time in the world last year.

60mHH: Allen Johnson, Nike; Mark Crear, God Speed; Dominique Arnold, Nike; Dudley Dorival, Asics/Haiti; Larry Wade, Nike; Dawane Wallace, adidas
THE SCOOP: Allen Johnson makes his 2002 U.S. indoor debut after a stellar 2001. The 1996 Olympic gold medalist last year won his third World Outdoor crown, fourth U.S. Outdoor title, the Goodwill Games and a share of the IAAF Golden League jackpot. A win at Millrose will not be easy, however: Dorival of Haiti was the World Outdoor bronze medalist; Crear is a two- time Olympic medalist and Wallace and Wade are among the top U.S. hurdlers.

800m: Patrick Nduwimana, Burundi; Bryan Woodward, Nike Farm Team; Jess Strutzel, Nike; David Krummenacker, adidas; Derrick Peterson, adidas; Daniel Caulfield, Ireland; Trinity Gray, Nike
THE SCOOP: The 2001 U.S. Outdoor champion, Krummenacker enters the race with tremendous confidence after breaking the American record for 1,000m (2:17.85) last Sunday at the adidas Boston Indoor Games. Peterson was second at the 2001 U.S. outdoor meet in a photo finish, and Gray is the defending U.S. indoor champion and also ran the fastest time by an American last year outdoors (1:44.54). Woodward is the 2000 U.S. indoor champion.

Mile: Bernard Lagat, Kenya; Paul Bitok, Puma/Kenya; Laban Rotich, Kenya; Leonard Mucheru, New Balance/Kenya; Bryan Berryhill, adidas; Andy Downin, Nike; Andrew Graffin, New York A.C./England; Bryce Knight, Nike
THE SCOOP: The World Outdoor silver medalist and Olympic bronze medalist, Lagat is coming off a personal-best winning time (3:55.16) at Boston. Also winning impressively at Boston was Mucheru in the 3,000m (7:37.46). Bitok and Rotich will factor in as well, but don't count out 2001 NCAA champion Bryan Berryhill, who ran 3:57.11 in Boston.

3000m: Tom Nohilly, New Balance T.C.; Sean Mick, Haddonfield R.C.; David Slavinski, Haddonfield R.C.; Ricardo Santos, Saucony; Thomas Baldwin, Montclair State University; David Bronfenbrenner, Westchester Puma T.C.; Brian Clas, New York A.C.; Sergio Ribeiro, Westchester Puma T.C.; Bermuda's Terrence Armstrong, Ridgewood R.C.; Tom Martin, Quinnipiac University; Mike Thompson, Stony Brook University; Mike Owens, Westchester Puma T.C.
THE SCOOP: Local hero Nohilly, with a strong past resume as a 3,000m steeplechaser outdoors, has the edge in this field filled with NYC-area stars.

High Jump: Nathan Leeper, Nike; Charles Clinger, Nike; Henry Patterson, Unattached; Shane Lavy, Asics; Dan Olson, Wheaton College
THE SCOOP: Leeper is the 2001 U.S. champion indoors and outdoors, while Clinger had the best mark among Americans outdoors last year at 2.35m/7-8.5. Patterson is a former U.S. Indoor champion and was third last year at U.S. Outdoors. Olson, a college freshman, makes his second Millrose appearance after clearing 2.23m/7-4 indoors as a high schooler last year.

Pole Vault: Lawrence Johnson, adidas; Jeff Hartwig, Nike; Tim Mack, Nike; Tye Harvey, New Balance; Derek Miles, Bell Athletics; Russ Buller, Asics
THE SCOOP: The best in the U.S. - and the world - go head-to- head for the second straight weekend. The American record holder outdoors, Hartwig won at Boston last week (5.70m/18-8.25). Johnson is the defending World Indoor and U.S. Indoor and Outdoor champion and the American record holder Indoors. Harvey won silver last year at World Indoors and Mack is the 2001 Goodwill Games gold medalist.

Race Walk: Curt Clausen, New York A.C.; Tim Seaman, New York A.C.; John Nunn, U.S. Army; Ben Shorey, University of Wisconsin-Parkside; Jim Heys, University of Wisconsin-Parkside; Adam Staier, Maine Racewalkers
THE SCOOP: Competing for the New York Athletic Club, Clausen typically has won at Millrose. The 1997 World Championships 50k bronze medalist will face his toughest competition from five time U.S. indoor champion Tim Seaman, also a member of NYAC.

Women

60m: Gail Devers, Nike; Chryste Gaines, adidas; Chandra Sturrup, Bahamas; Angela Williams, University of Southern California; Sevatheda Fynes, Mizuno/Bahamas; Torri Edwards, Nike
THE SCOOP: American indoor 60m record holder Devers is scheduled to compete for the first time in 2002. The two-time Olympic 100m gold medalist will face World Indoor silver and bronze medalists Angela Williams and Chryste Gaines, respectively. Sturrup won at Boston last week in a quick 7.10 seconds.

60m hurdles: Melissa Morrison, adidas; Dionne Rose-Henley, Jamaica; Miesha McKelvy, Nike Brigitte Foster, Jamaica; Nadine Faustin, Haiti; Ellakisha Williamson, Nike
THE SCOOP: Morrison is a three-time U.S. Indoor champion in this event and the 2000 Olympic bronze medalist in the 100m hurdles. She is coming off her sixth consecutive win at Boston and looks strong for Millrose. Rose-Henley was sixth at World Outdoors last season.

800m: Jearl Miles-Clark, New Balance; Jolanda Ceplak, Slovenia; Jennifer Toomey, New Balance; Charmaine Howell, Jamaica; Nicole Teter, Nike Farm Team; Svetlana Badrankova, adidas/Kazakstan
THE SCOOP: The women's 800m could be one of the most exciting races of the night. Ceplak set a U.S. indoor all-comers record at Boston (1:57.79). The American record holder in the 800m outdoors, Miles-Clark demonstrated her speed and fitness in Boston with a 400m victory (52.48).

Mile: Regina Jacobs, New York A.C.; Cheri Kenah, adidas; Mary Jayne Harrelson, Nike; Mardrea Hyman, Jamaica; Lyudmila Vasileyeva, Russia; Grace Njoki, Kenya
THE SCOOP: The formidable Jacobs, who holds four American records indoors and outdoors, is at the top of her game after an all-time world best at 2 miles in Boston (9:23.38) and is favored to defend her Millrose title. Hyman is a 2001 World Championships finalist.

High Jump: Amy Acuff, Asics; Tisha Waller, Nat's Athletic Training; Erin Aldrich, Asics
THE SCOOP: Acuff dominated U.S. jumping last year, winning the indoor and outdoor titles as well as the Millrose Games. Waller, a four- time U.S. Indoor and three-time U.S. Outdoor champion, comes back after a year off, where she completed her master's degree and returned to teaching first grade at a brand new school, Winthrop Traditional Theme School in Stone Mountain, Georgia.

Pole Vault: Stacy Dragila, Nike; Mel Mueller, Nike; Mary Sauer, Asics; Jillian Schwartz, Nike; Lesa Kubishta, So High Elite
THE SCOOP: Dragila set a world record at Millrose last year and is a threat to break her own, current indoor WR of 4.70m/15-5 every time she takes to the runway. Sauer broke the 15-foot barrier outdoors last year and Mueller is a former American record holder and winner at Millrose.