Courtesy: USATF

Two Olympic champions survived threats to their sprint dominance by rising to the occasion Saturday, and a trio of world-beaters threw their weight around at the 2002 USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships at Stanford University's Cobb Track and Angell Field. A facility-record, standing-room-only crowd of 7,128 fans basked in a warm, sunny day and appreciated the performances.

The men's 100m more than lived up to its pre-meet billing and the tension surrounding a Maurice Greene-Tim Montgomery battle of sprint heavyweights. Greene had dominated Montgomery in Friday's semifinal by using an explosive start to put Montgomery away early. But on Saturday Montgomery was undeterred by another brilliant start by Greene, the world record holder, world champion and Olympic gold medalist.

The 2001 U.S. champion, Montgomery made big gains on Greene in the final 10 meters but it wasn't enough to unseat the world's fastest human. Greene won in 9.88 and Montgomery was second in 9.89, running with a 2.4 meters-per-second tailwind. Jon Drummond finished third in 10.04.

"It was probably the best start I've ever had," Greene said. "This was my third race of the year, and I'm still trying to put things together. Tim gave me a fantastic run, and I hope the fans loved it. I love the crowd here - they're the ones who get us hyped up to run."

Having dominated Friday's first round and semifinal heats, Olympic champion Marion Jones and 2001 U.S. champion Chryste Gaines went head-to-head in the women's 100m. The two-time defending U.S. indoor 60m champion, Gaines got out quickly on Saturday and held the lead until the final steps, when Jones overtook her. Jones won in 11.01 seconds running into a 1.0 mps headwind, with Gaines second in 11.05. Kelli White was third in 11.22.

Three men once again went over 70 feet in the men's shot put. As is his convention, three-time world champion John Godina opened with a standard-setting throw, a 21.91m/71-10.75 toss that put pressure on his chief competitors, Kevin Toth and Olympic silver medalist Adam Nelson. Nelson responded in the second round with a throw of 22.13m/72- 7.25 to take a lead he wouldn't lose.

Rallying the crowd, Nelson improved on his mark in the sixth and final round with a throw of 22.22m/72-11 to win his second career U.S. title. Godina finished second and Toth was third at 21.53/70-7.75. The three men placing fourth through sixth - Jamie Beyer (21.0m/68-10.75), Tonyo Sylvester (20.51m/67-3.5) and Reese Hoffa (20.47m/67-2.0) - all set personal bests in the competition.

Defending U.S. champion Marla Runyan followed a perfect race plan to defeat American 10,000m record holder Deena Drossin in the women's 5,000m. A 1,500m finalist at the 2000 Olympics, Runyan ran off Drossin's shoulder until 400m to go, when her superior leg speed propelled her to a win in 15:07.19. Drossin finished in 15:13.93 and Carrie Tollefson was third in 15:21.37.

The men's 5,000m kept fans riveted as six men jockeyed for the lead throughout the race. The final two laps provided the most drama, with Bolota Asmeron fending off charges by Saturday's 10,000m champion, Meb Keflezighi, and 1999 U.S. 10km champion Alan Culpepper. At the bell lap, Asmeron made a move but Culpepper quickly covered it, then blew the race open. Culpepper went on to win in 13:27.51, with Keflezighi second (13:30.05) and Matt Lane third (13:30.58).

Breaux Greer won his third consecutive U.S. javelin championship on his first throw of the competition; his opening mark of 81.78m/268-4 is a 2002 U.S. leader. Latrell Frederick was second at 77.91m/255-7. In the women's triple jump, Yuliana Perez won her first U.S. title with a wind- aided jump of 14.20m/46-7.25. 2002 indoor champion Vanitta Kinard was second at 13.83m/45-4.5.

Kris Kuehl won her first U.S. title in the women's discus with a throw of 64.44m/211-5, unseating fourth-time champion Seilala Sua, who was fourth (61.68m/202-4). Suzy Powell finished second at 62.57m/205-3.

Jeff Hartwig added a third U.S. championship in the men's pole vault to his resume, winning with a clearance of 5.84m/19-2. Tim Mack, Nick Hysong, Toby Stevenson and Derek Miles all cleared 5.74m/18-10 and placed second through fifth, respectively. Two-time defending champion Lawrence Johnson competed despite undergoing surgery to repair torn cartilage in his left knee on April 28. Walking with a severe limp, Johnson was eighth at 5.64m/18-6.

Joann Dow, the 1998 U.S. 10,000m race walk champion, won her second U.S. title with a time of 1:34:46.52 in the women's 20km race walk, held entirely on the track.

Qualifying rounds in several events were held to set up Sunday's final-laden schedule, and the women's 100m hurdles first round provided some scintillating performances. Miesha McKelvy ran a U.S.-leading time of 12.67 in the first heat, but Gail Devers one-upped her in heat 2 by running a world-leading 12.56.

Top qualifiers in Friday's other rounds included three-time defending champion Sandra Glover in the women's 400m hurdles (55.60); James Carter in the men's 400m hurdles (49.47); Nicole Teter in the women's 800m (2:01.13); David Krummenacker in the men's 800m (1:47.43); Michelle Collins in the women's 400m (50.97); Leonard Byrd in the men's 400m (45.40); Allen Johnson in the men's 110m hurdles (13.35); Marion Jones in the women's 200m (22.46); and Floyd Heard in the men's 200m (20.54).

In masters competition Saturday, Maureen De St.Corix won the women's 800m in 2:19.51 and Elvis Forde won the men's 400m in 48.60.

Finals contested on Sunday are the men's 20km race walk, women's hammer throw, women's pole vault, men's triple jump, men's discus, men's high jump, men's and women's 3,000m steeplechase, men's and women's 400m hurdles, men's and women's 800m, men's and women's 400m, men's 110m hurdles, women's 100m hurdles, men's and women's 1,500m and men's and women's 200m.