Courtesy: USATF

A facility-record crowd of 7,644 packed Stanford University's Cobb Track and Angell Field Saturday as a group of seasoned champions, as well as collegians, were crowned U.S. champions at the 2003 USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships presented by Verizon.

Most notable among the victors was Regina Jacobs, who won a record 12th title in the Nike women's 1,500 meters. Jacobs owns U.S. crowns from 1987, '89, '92, '94-'97, and 1999-2003

It didn't take a soothsayer to predict how the race would shape up strategically. As seen every year since 2000, Suzy Favor Hamilton and Jacobs went head-to-head for the first 1,300 meters of the race. A three-time U.S. champion, Favor Hamilton passed 800m in 2:10.4, with Jacobs on her shoulder. The two champions only picked up the pace from there. Jacobs broke from Favor Hamilton with 200 meters to go, winning her 12th U.S. title in the 1,500 and her 25th overall national crown in a world-leading time of 4:01.63. Favor Hamilton was second in 4:03.70, and NCAA champion Tiffany McWilliams of Mississippi State University was third in 4:10.85.

Also racking up another U.S. title was Stacy Dragila, who took her seventh championship in the women's pole vault with a clearance of 4.50 meters/14 feet, 9 inches in difficult, swirling winds. Dragila passed at 4.55m/14-11 and took two attempts at 4.65m/15-3 before calling it a day. Jillian Schwartz finished second at 4.40m/14-5.25, and Mary Sauer and Becky Holliday tied for third at 4.35m/14-3.25. Because Dragila is the defending world champion and receives an automatic bye to the World Outdoor Championships from the IAAF, Holliday also will be on Team USA in Paris.

The men's 110m hurdles literally came down to the wire between three-time world champion Allen Johnson, Olympic silver medalist Terrence Trammell, and #3 world ranked Larry Wade. Running into a 2.4 meters-per-second headwind, Johnson nipped his training partner, Trammell, with a time of 13.37 to win his sixth U.S. title. Trammell, running his first meet since injuring his hamstring at the World Indoor Championships in March, was second in 13.38. Wade finished third in 13.43.

The national champion from 1999-2001, Michelle Rohl won the women's 20 km race walk with an American record on the track, 1 hour 34 minutes, 31.06 seconds. Joanne Dow, who owned the previous record with her 1:34:46.52 in winning last year, was second in 1:34:57.79. Teresa Vaill was third in 1:36:38.38.

Tyree Washington lived up to expectations in the men's 400 meters, where the 2003 World Indoor champion ran 44.33 seconds, winning his first career U.S. outdoor title. It was the fastest time in the world this year and the fastest time by any man since Washington ran 44.28 on May 12, 2001. Calvin Harrison was second in 44.62 for his best-ever finish at the USA championships, and 1998 and '99 U.S. champion Jerome Young was third in 44.79.

Raasin McIntosh of Texas, upset at the NCAA Championships last weekend, erased a big lead over the last hurdle held by four- time defending champion Sandra Glover in the women's 400m hurdles to win in 54.62. Joanna Hayes also surpassed Glover, placing second in 54.76 with Glover third in 55.12.

The women's 400 also went according to plan, with NCAA champion and world junior record holder Sanya Richards, a freshman at the University of Texas and the 2002 U.S. junior champion, controlling the race with a 51.01 win. Demetria Washington was second in 51.54, with De'Hashia Trotter third in 51.78.

Kevin Toth continued his 2003 reign as the world's top shot putter, winning his first U.S. outdoor title with a best throw of 21.22m/69-7.5, on his first attempt. Three-time defending world champion John Godina placed second with 21.04m/69-0.5, and Reese Hoffa continued to enjoy the best season of his career with a third-place finish (20.64m/67-8.75). World Championships silver medalist Adam Nelson, recovering from back spasms, placed fourth with just one legal throw of 20.61m/67-7.5. With Godina as the defending world champion, with an IAAF bye for Paris, Nelson also will compete at the World Championships.

The men's steeplechase provided yet another exciting distance race as Daniel Lincoln, Robert Gary and Steve Slattery engaged in a three-man race. Lincoln broke the race out with 1000 meters to go, with Gary and Slattery seemingly in a back-and-forth battle for second. But all three men came over the last hurdle together, and Slattery nabbed the win in 8:23.58. NCAA steeplechase and 10,000m champion Lincoln of the University of Arkansas was second in 8:24.10, with Gary third in 8:24.82.

Tom Pappas, the World Indoor gold medalist in the heptathlon, had a career day in the men's decathlon with a personal-best total of 4,691 points after five events. Only 1996 Olympic gold medalist and former world record holder Dan O'Brien has scored more points on the first day. Bryan Clay was in second with 4,446 points, and Paul Terek was third with 4,336. Competition in the decathlon continues Sunday.

Pappas tallied three personal-best performances in individual events on Saturday. His biggest mark came in the long jump with a personal-best of 7.96m/26-1.5 in his first attempt, learning 1,050 points. He also threw 16.28m/53-5 (869 points) in the shot put and ran 48.22 seconds (899) in the 400. Pappas opened competition with a time of 10.78 in the 100 (910) before long jumping, and he high jumped 2.17m/7-1.5 (963).

Breaux Greer continued his successful comeback from rotator cuff surgery last year, winning his fourth consecutive title the men's javelin with a throw of 79.37m/260-5. Tom Minnitti was second with 77.21/253-4, and Joshua Johnson was third with 76.16/249-10.

2002 USA Indoor champion Grace Upshaw won her first outdoor title in the women's long jump with a personal best of 6.64m/21- 9.5. Jenny Adams, the 2001 U.S. champ, was second with 6.45m/21- 2 after taking 2002 off from jumping. Tameisha King placed third with 6.43m/21-1.25.

In the women's steeplechase, Briana Shook aggressively took the lead from the gun and ran to a solo victory in a personal-best time of 9:44.71. Kathryn Anderson closed the gap somewhat in the final laps, placing second in 9:47.17. Lisa Nye, the 2001 U.S. champion, was third in 9:49.14.

World junior record holder Allyson Felix graduated on Friday from Los Angeles Baptist High School, and on Saturday she graduated to the semifinals of the women's 200 by winner her heat in 23.19 seconds, the fastest qualifying time of the first round despite running into a 4.8 meters-per-second headwind. She arrived in Stanford at 3 a.m. Saturday morning, driving to the meet with her father after graduation in L.A. Friday evening. Next-best among qualifiers was LaTasha Jenkins (23.35), while also winning their heats were Torri Edwards (23.49) and Consuela Moore (24.10). Kelli White (23.54) and Inger Miller (23.73) also easily advanced.

In the first round of the men's 200, Shawn Crawford (20.83), Ramon Clay (20.51), John Capel (20.67), Joshua Johnson (20.79) and Leo Bookman (21.06) won their heats. Among others advancing were 100m champion Bernard Williams (20.76) and 1999 world champion Greene (21.10), both of whom were second in their heats. Greene's fifth heat, won by Bookman, had the biggest headwind recorded on the day, 5.3 meters-per-second.

Bershawn Jackson led all qualifiers in the men's 400m hurdles semifinal, running 48.77 to win the second heat, with Eric Thomas second in 49.02. Joey Woody won the first semifinal in 49.10, followed by defending U.S. champion James Carter.

In the women's 100m hurdles first round, three-time world champion Gail Devers led all qualifiers with her time of 13.00. Olympic bronze medalist Melissa Morrison won her heat in 13.03, with Damu Cherry taking the third heat in 13.15.

The top three finishers in each event at the USA Outdoor Championships qualify for Team USA at the 2003 IAAF World Outdoor Track & Field Championships, August 23-31 in Paris, provided they have met IAAF standards.