Courtesy: USATF

Outdoor world record holder and Olympic gold medalist Stacy Dragila reclaimed the world indoor record in the women's pole vault Sunday at the 2003 USA Indoor Track & Field Championships, held at the Reggie Lewis Track & Athletic Center in Roxbury. One high school and two masters records also fell on the day.

It was a sweet vindication for Dragila, who nursed a foot injury during the 2002 indoor season as Russian Svetlana Feofanova - whom Dragila defeated to win the 2001 World Outdoor title - took her world indoor mark. Feofanova this year raised the indoor world record to 4.77m/15-7.75, while Dragila twice improved her own American record. On Sunday, Dragila's jump of 4.78m/15-8.25 improved gave her the record by one centimeter.

Dragila showed some of the best form of her career throughout the competition on Sunday, clearing early heights by what looked like well more than a foot. She secured her seventh U.S. indoor and 13th overall U.S. title at 4.40m/14-5.25, with Kellie Suttle second with a height of 4.35m/14-3.25.

Dragila cleared 4.60m/15-1 on her second attempt, then ordered the bar raised to 4.78m/15-8.25 as she sought to break Feofanova's record. Dragila missed narrowly on her first attempt, but with a sold-out crowd of 3,081 clapping in unison as Dragila took to the runway, she cleared the height on her second attempt with just a slight brush of the bar.

"It's great to get the world record back," Dragila said. "I'm really looking forward to the World Indoor Championships, where Svetlana and I can go head-to-head. We'll have a great competition, which will be great for the sport."

Dragila looked on pace to become the first woman ever to clear 16 feet, but it was not to be as she missed her three attempts at 4.88m/16-0.

Dragila was one of several women who made an impression Sunday. Regina Jacobs won the 24th U.S. title of her career with a win in the women's 3,000 meters (8:52.57). With her win Saturday in the 1,500m, Jacobs joined Hall-of-Famers Francie Larrieu (1977) and Jan Merrill (1976) as the only women to complete the distance double indoors. (Larrieu and Merrill doubled in the mile and 2-mile.) National 4 km cross-country champion Shayne Culpepper finished second in 8:56.26.

Despite a tender right hamstring, Michelle Collins won her first U.S. championship in the 200 meters with a time of 22.84 to beat high schooler Allyson Felix, who had the meet of her life. The Los Angeles Baptist High School student broke the national high school record with her time of 23.14 in the final, improving on 2002 Verizon Youth Athlete of the Year Sanya Richard's previous prep mark of 23.22, which Felix tied in the semifinals.

Kevin Toth and John Godina were the survivors of a battle of attrition in the men's shot put. The 2003 world leader indoors, Toth posted a mark of 21.30 meters/69-10.75 on his first throw, which was enough to win the competition. Toth fouled on his five remaining attempts, and Godina's best mark of 20.86m/68-5.5 placed him second. The world's #1-ranked thrower from 2002, Adam Nelson, struggled with four fouls and finished third with a throw of 20.63m/67-8.25.

Like the men's shot put, the men's long jump pitted the world's top three jumpers against each other. Miguel Pate, the 2002 U.S. indoor champion who surpassed 28 feet indoors and finished the year ranked #2 globally, came away with another title with a jump of 8.25m/27-1. Third-ranked Dwight Phillips was second at 8.21m/26-11.25, and top-ranked Savante Stringfellow was third (8.03m/26-4.25).

In the men's 200m, co-American record holders John Capel and Shawn Crawford went 1-2, with Capel winning in 20.69 to Crawford's 20.77.

In a virtual replay of most domestic women's high jump competitions over the last two years, Tisha Waller and Amy Acuff went 1-2 Sunday. Waller won her sixth career U.S. indoor title with a U.S.-leading clearance of 1.97 m/6-5.5. Acuff was second at 1.94m/6-4.25.

The men's high jump was the most tightly contested event of the day, with 1996 Olympic gold medalist Charles Austin and former NCAA champions Tora Harris and Charles Clinger all clearing 2.30m/7-6.5. Austin, the 1997 World Indoor champion, won the event on misses. Harris, a Princeton graduate, beat out Clinger for second place in a jump-off.

Nicole Teter successfully defended her 2002 U.S. indoor championship in the women's 800, leading wire-to-wire en route to posting a U.S.- leading time of 2:00.09. Sasha Spenser placed second in 2:03.20.

David Krummenacker survived two scares in to win the men's 800m. The world's third-ranked half-miler was tripped up briefly 200 meters into the race, but stayed on his feet. Then, coming down the final straight, he found himself in the unusual position of trailing Khadevis Robinson slightly. But Krummacker pulled off the win in 1:50.59 with Robinson .10 second back.

In other finals, Brookline native and former NCAA 5,000m champion Jonathon Riley thrilled the local crowd with a win in the men's 3,000m (7:49.79). Bolota Asmerom was second in 7:51.85. Tim Seaman won his sixth consecutive men's 5,000m race walk championship with a time of 19:21.56 with John Nunn second in 19:26.43. Kiamesha Otey of the University of Virginia won the women's long jump with a jump of 6.33m/20-9.25 with Adrien Sawyer second at 6.23m/20-5.25. Kristin Heaston took her first national title in the women's shot put with a mark of 18.03m/59-2, over second-place Seilala Sua (17.83m/58-6). The New York Athletic Club won the men's distance medley relay in 9:50.90 while Reebok Boston won the women's race in 11:38.46.

The top two finishers in each event at the USA Indoor Championships qualify to compete for Team USA at the 2003 World Indoor Track & Field Championships March 14-16 in Birmingham, England, as long as they have achieved the IAAF's "A" qualifying standard.

MARVELOUS MASTERS: Masters superstar Phil Raschker shattered the world masters record for 55-59-year-old women, running 27.81 in the women's masters 200 meters. Forty-one-year-old Lesia Batiste was the overall winner of race in 26.00.

Tony Young smashed the masters American record in the men's 40-to-44-year-old age group by more than a second, running 3:22.51 to lead second-place Brian Pope, who also was under the previous record at 8:23.70.

For complete results from the 2003 USA Indoor Track & Field Championships, visit the USATF Web site, www.usatf.org. Athlete quotes also will be posted online.