Oliver, Cantwell, Spearmon & Suhr dominate as USA Outdoor Championships conclude

DES MOINES - David Oliver, Christian Cantwell, Wallace Spearmon and Jenn Suhr each dominated their respective events on the final day of the 2010 USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships at Drake Stadium on the campus of Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa.

The USA Outdoor Championships are the third stop of the 2010 USATF Outdoor Visa Championship Series, which concludes July 3 with the Nike Prefontaine Classic at historic Hayward Field on the campus of the University of Oregon in Eugene.

Oliver wins easily in Nike Men's 110 Meter Hurdles

2008 Olympic Games bronze medalist David Oliver captured his second USA Outdoor Nike Men's 110 Meter Hurdles title in a dominating performance against a strong field.

Oliver grabbed the lead early and ran clean over the hurdles throughout in capturing his first national outdoor crown since winning the 2008 Olympic Trials. Oliver's time of 12.93 is the fastest winning time at the championships since 1996, when Allen Johnson was the victor in 12.92. Oliver's performance ties him with Renaldo Nehemiah as the #7 performer all-time.

Ryan Wilson was the runner-up in 13.17 seconds, with Ronnie Ash third in 13.19 and 2008 Olympic Games and two-time World Outdoor Championships bronze medalist David Payne fourth in 13.28.

Cantwell dominant again in Visa Men's Shot Put

Reigning World Outdoor champion Christian Cantwell showed little mercy on a very talented field in winning the Visa Men's Shot Put with a best throw of 21.65m/71-0.5.

Cantwell, who also owns U.S. Outdoor titles from 2005 and 2009, posted five of the six top throws in the event and three of those tosses were better than the second-place throw of 21.33m/69-11.75 by 2007 World Outdoor champion Reese Hoffa.

Cantwell entered this season ranked #1 in the world by Track & Field News, and thus far in 2010 he's continued his dominance. Cantwell, who won his third career World Indoor title in March, posted the longest throw in the world this year with his toss of 22.35 meters/73 feet 4 inches earlier this month in St. Charles, Mo.

Two-time Olympic silver medalist and 2005 World Outdoor champion Adam Nelson finished third with a best of 20.84m/68-4.5, with Cory Martin fourth at 20.62m/67-8 and Ryan Whiting fifth with 20.61m/67-7.5.

Spearmon dominates Nike Men's 200 Meters

2005 World Outdoor Championships silver medalist and two-time World Outdoor Championships bronze medalist Wallace Spearmon dominated a strong field in the Nike Men's 200 Meters with his time of 19.77w (+2.9 mps). For Spearmon, it's his second U.S. Outdoor 200m title to go along with his triumph from 2006.

2008 Olympic Games bronze medalist Walter Dix was the runner-up in 20.14, with 2009 USA Outdoor Champs fifth-place finisher Xavier Carter finishing third in 20.29.

Suhr posts world leader in winning Gill Women's Pole Vault

2008 Olympic Games silver medalist Jenn Suhr captured her fifth consecutive USA Outdoor Gill Women's Pole Vault crown with a world-leading clearance this season of 4.89m/16-0.5.

2008 Olympic trials sixth-place finisher Becky Holliday was the runner-up with a clearance of 4.60m/15-1, with Mary Saxer third with a best of 4.50m/14-9 and Lacy Janson fourth (4.40m/14-5.25).

Phillips wins long jump title

2004 Olympic Games gold medalist and three-time World Outdoor Champion Dwight Phillips took the lead for good on his second attempt in the men's long jump at 8.23m/27-0 and increased it twice more in winning his fourth career national title in this event.

Phillips' winning leap came on his final attempt when he soared to 8.37m/27-5.5. 2008 Olympic Trials runner-up Trevell Quinley finished second with his sixth-round leap of 8.20m/26-11 and the University of Nebraska's Chris Phipps finished third with a best of 8.12m/26-7.75.

Personal best lifts Moore to Visa Women's 200m title

2004 Olympic Trials fifth-place finisher Consuella Moore, who stepped away from the sport for three years, captured her first USA Outdoor title with her win in the Visa Women's 200 Meters in 22.40 seconds.

Shalonda Solomon was the runner-up in 22.47 seconds, with Porscha Lucas finishing third in 22.57.

It's Symmonds again in the men's 800m

2009 World Outdoor Championships sixth-place finisher Nick Symmonds captured his third consecutive national title in his usual fashion.

Symmonds was in fifth place with 200 meters to go and had worked his way to first place with 60 meters remaining in the race. From that point on he continued to gradually increase his lead prior to finishing first in 1:45.98.

2008 Olympic Trials sixth-place finisher Duane Solomon was the runner-up in 1:47.16, with Jacob Hernandez third in 1:47.23 and Tyler Mulder fourth in 1:47.27.

Johnson wins Nike Women's 800 Meters

2007 USA and NCAA Outdoor champion Alysia Johnson, and 2008 Olympic Trials fifth-place finisher Maggie Vessey staged an inspired battle down the stretch of the Nike Women's 800 Meters.

Johnson, who set the Drake Stadium record in the prelims of 1:59.43, crossed the finish line first this afternoon in 1:59.87. Vessey finished second in 2:00.43, with 2010 NCAA Outdoor champion Phoebe Wright of the University of Tennessee third in 2:00.47.

Lomong edges Manzano in Visa Men's 1,500m

A terrific battle down the final straightaway thrilled the crowd in the Visa Men's 1,500 Meters as 2008 Olympic Games U.S. delegation flag bearer Lopez Lomong barely edged 2008 Olympian and 2009 World Outdoor Championships finalist Leo Manzano for the title.

Lomong and Manzano were stride-for-stride with 200 meters remaining in the race and it stayed that way until the 60-meter mark when Lomong edged ahead by a slight margin. Lomong won the U.S. title for the second consecutive year in 3:50.83, with Manzano finishing as the runner-up in 3:50.91. Will Leer came in third in 3:51.63, with David Torrence fourth in 3:51.80.

Brown wins first U.S. hurdles crown

2010 NCAA Outdoor Championships runner-up Ti'erra Brown of the University of Miami captured her first USA Outdoor title with her win in the 400m hurdles in 54.85. Finishing as the runner-up was Nicole Leach in 55.83, with former Penn State standout Fawn Dorr third in 55.99 and Jennifer Grossarth fourth in 56.17.

Huling wins first U.S. steeple title

Dan Huling has been the best U.S. men's 3,000m steeplechaser all year and he proved it once again this afternoon in running away from the field and capturing his first U.S. title in 8:27.87, which bettered the previous Drake Stadium record of 8:28.26 by Kyle Alcorn in 2008.

Huling, who posted the fastest time by an American this year of 8:21.68 in New York on June 12, finished as the runner-up at last year's championships, and placed third in 2006. Last year's fifth-place finisher Ben Bruce was the runner-up in 8:30.87, with 2003 champion Steve Slattery finishing third in 8:33.23. 2008 Olympian and 2009 national champion Josh McAdams placed fourth in 8:34.43.

Aguilera wins women's 3,000m steeplechase crown

Lisa Aguilera won her second career U.S. women's steeplechase title and first since 2006 in convincing fashion when she crossed the finish line in 9:53.59.

Finishing as the runner-up was 2008 Olympic Trials fourth-place finisher Nicole Bush, who finished in 9:56.08, with Lindsay Allen third in 9:59.19 and Indiana University's Sarah Pease fourth in 10:07.34.

Competitive men's high jump goes to Williams

Two-time NCAA Outdoor champion and 2010 USA Indoor winner Jesse Williams won a hard-fought battle with 2004 Olympian Tora Harris in winning the second USA Outdoor title of his career.

Williams and Harris each cleared 2.26m/7-5, with Williams being declared the winner on fewer misses. 2004 Olympic Games fourth-place finisher Jamie Nieto finished third, with the University of Nebraska's Paul Hamilton fourth. Both cleared 2.23m/7-3.75.

Furey wins first javelin title

2009 USA Outdoor Championships third-place finisher and World Outdoor Championships finalist Sean Furey won his first national javelin throw title with his clutch final throw of 79.86m/262-0.

2008 Olympian Mike Hazle finished as the runner-up for the fourth year in a row with his best toss of 78.91m/258-10 and NCAA champ Craig Kinsley of Brown University placed third after his final round throw of 78.10m/256-3. 2009 national champion and NCAA winner Chris Hill finished fourth with his best of 76.44m/250-9.

Breisch captures second U.S. discus title

Two-time Olympic Trials fourth-place finisher Becky Breisch captured her second U.S. women's discus title and first since 2005 with her fourth-round toss of 63.34m/207-9.

Gia Lewis-Smallwood, who finished sixth at last year's championships, was the runner-up with a best throw of 62.18m/204-0, with reigning Olympic gold medalist Stephanie Brown Trafton finishing third with a throw of 59.98m/196-9.

Nunn, Michta win 20 km Race Walk titles

2004 Olympian John Nunn and two-time IAAF World Cup team member Maria Michta were the respective men's and women's winners of the 20 km race walk titles this morning on the streets of Des Moines.

Nunn won his first U.S. 20 km national crown on his 12th attempt and he did it in style with his time of 1:29:22. Nunn, who had finished as the runner-up in this event on three previous occasions, won convincingly over two-time Olympian and five-time USA 20 km champion Tim Seaman, who finished as the runner-up in 1:33:11. Patrick Stroupe finished third in 1:34:54 and Ben Shorey was fourth in 1:36:10.

The tenth-place finisher at the 2003 World Youth Championships in Sherbrooke, Canada, and U.S. Junior 10 km walk record holder, Maria Michta easily won the women's race with her time of 1:39:47 in winning her first U.S. 20 km title. Earlier this year in Albuquerque, N.M., she won her first U.S. 3,000m RW crown as well.

2008 Olympian Joanne Dow was the runner-up in 1:43:19, with Lauren Forgues finishing third in 1:44.38 and Erin Gray fourth in 1:45:20.

Batman, Lowe win Visa Championship titles and $25,000

Bershawn "Batman" Jackson and Chaunte Lowe were named the respective 2010 USA Track & Field Outdoor Visa Champions for their outstanding performances at the USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Des Moines, and each received $25,000 from Visa.

The top American male finisher and top American female finisher in each event of the Visa Championship Series will have their performances assigned a point total based on the IAAF Scoring Tables of Athletics. The athlete whose performance has the highest point total at the end of the Visa Championship Series will be named the Visa Champion.

Although the top performance can come at any of the Visa Championship Series meets, an athlete must compete at the USA Outdoor T&F Championships to be named Visa Champion.

Jackson captures men's VCS crown

Bershawn "Batman" Jackson and the University of South Carolina's Johnny Dutch staged a spirited battle down the stretch of the Hershey Men's 400m Hurdles final on Saturday. Jackson barely got to the final hurdle ahead of Dutch and from there he gradually lengthened his lead all the way to the finish.

Jackson's winning time of 47.32 seconds is the fastest time in the world this year and the best performance anywhere since the 2008 Olympic Games. It also shattered the previous stadium record of 48.28 set by Iowa State's Danny Harris in 1986.

Jackson tallied 1,256 points in winning the men's VCS crown, with 110m hurdles champion David Oliver the runner-up finishing just one point behind Jackson. USA Outdoor 200m champion Wallace Spearmon finished third with 1,246 points.

Lowe wins women's VCS title

2005 World Outdoor Championships silver medalist Chaunte Lowe on Saturday set an American record in winning the women's high jump with a clearance of 2.05m/6-8.75 on her final attempt. Lowe remained on the high jump pit for nearly a minute in tears after setting the record.

Lowe's performance bettered her own AR of 2.04m/6-8.5 set on May 30 at Cottbus, Germany. She is tied with four others as the eighth-best performer all-time in this event, and this is the fourth U.S. Outdoor title of her career ('06, '08, '09, '10). She bettered her own Drake Stadium record of 1.96m/6-5 set earlier this year.

Lowe won the women's title with 1,248 points, with heptathlon champion Hyleas Fountain the runner-up with 1,240 points and pole vault national champ Jenn Suhr third with 1,221 points.

For more information on the 2010 USA Outdoor Championships and the USATF Visa Championship Series, visit: www.visachampionshipseries.com.