Lolo Jones talks about her 26 hour trip to Doha, Qatar for the IAAF World Indoor Championships, and shares her footwear secret for those long flights.

US Indoor Track & Field Championships
Albuquerque Convention Center
Albuquerque, New Mexico
February 27 and 28, 2010

February 27, 2010

By virtue of her second place finish in the Women's 3000m this evening, Sara Hall (Mammoth Lakes, CA) earned a roster spot for the 2010 IAAF World Indoor Championships to be held March 12-14 in Doha, Qatar.  Hall lunged at the finish in an attempt to overtake the leader but was out leaned at the finish line.  Hall's time of 9.14.92 was .02sec behind the eventual winner.  Her last lap (200m) was clocked at 30.4sec, the fastest of any runner in the field.  This is Hall's second trip to the World Indoor Championships (2006 Moscow, Russia).

In other action on the track, Greg Nixon (Los Angeles, CA) dominated his heat and easily advanced to tomorrow's final in the Men's 400m.  Nixon ran 46.34sec, a second faster than the second place finisher.  Kendall Stevens (Lima, OH), running in the first of three heats, advanced to tomorrow's semifinals in the Men's 60m dash based on his time of 6.70sec.  Ryan Brown (Seattle, WA) finished 3rd in his heat in the Men's 800m but did not advance to tomorrow's final.  In the Men's 3000m, John Pierce (Mammoth Lakes, CA) ran 8:27.28 and finished in 10th place. 

In field event action, Erin Gilreath (Muncie, IN) finished 3rd in the Women's 20 lb. weight throw with a toss of 71' 11".  In the Women's High Jump, Sharon Day (San Luis Obispo, CA), cleared 6' to finish in 4th place.  In the Men's High Jump, Norris Frederick (Chula Vista, CA) finished in 8th place with a clearance of 7' 1 1/2". 

February 28, 2010

Lolo Jones (Baton Rouge, LA), seeking her 4th consecutive indoor championship, ran the fastest time in the semifinals, but a stumble over the fourth hurdle in the finals cost her the victory. Fortunately for Jones, she crossed the finish line in second place running 7.89sec earning a spot on the World Indoor Team.

Greg Nixon (Los Angeles, CA) was out leaned at the finish line and was relegated to third place with a time of 45.77sec, .01sec behind the second place finisher.  He will go to Doha as part of the 4x400m relay team.  In 2008, Nixon earned a Gold Medal as part of the winning quartet for the United States. 

In other track action, Kendall Stevens (Lima, OH) ran 6.70sec in the 2nd heat of the Men's 60m and did not advance to the final. 

In the field events, April Steiner-Bennett (Fayetteville, CA) cleared 14' 7 1/4" to finish in 4th place and Russ Winger (Chula Vista, CA) put the shot 63' 11 3/4" for 6th place. Norris Frederick (Chula Vista, CA) placed 3rd in the Men's Long Jump with a jump of 25' 10 3/4.

IAAF Russian Winter Indoor Meet
Moscow, Russia
February 7, 2010

Greg Nixon (Los Angeles, CA) concluded his European indoor campaign by winning the 400m at the IAAF Russian Winter Indoor Meet in Moscow, Russia Sunday, February 7, 2010.  Nixon ran 46.72sec in his last race before the US Indoor Championships (to be held at the end of the month in Albuquerque, New Mexico (February 27-28)).  Nixon has had an impressive indoor season with wins in all 4 races he has competed in.  Nixon won the 200m and 400m at the Lumberjack Invitational in Flagstaff, AZ, the 200m at the Gugl Indoor Meet in Linz, Austria, and the IAAF Russian Winter Indoor Meet in Moscow. 

LoLo Jones (Baton Rouge, LA) running in her 9th race over 7 days, finished in 2nd place in the 60m hurdles running 8.02sec.  Jones' 5 European indoor races concluded with 2 first place and 3 second place finishes.  Her next race will be at the US Indoor Championships to be held at the end of the month in Albuquerque, New Mexico (February 27-28).

Sparkassen Cup
Stuttgart, Germany
February 6, 2010

Laverne Jones-Ferrette (US Virgin Islands/Houston, TX) became the first woman to run under 7 seconds over 60m in 11 years when she ran 6.97sec at the Sparkassen Cup in Stuttgart, Germany.   Her time is the sixth fastest all-time and is just .05sec over the current world record.  Jones-Ferrette is now the clear favorite to win the world title at next month's World Indoor Championships in Doha, Qatar.

LoLo Jones (Baton Rouge, LA), was relegated to second place in the 60m Hurdles in a time of 7.97sec. 

Reebok Boston Indoor Games
Boston, MA
February 6, 2010

April Steiner-Bennett (Fayetteville, AR) finished in 3rd place with a pole vault clearance of 4.45m (14' 7  1/4").  Better result for the 2008 Olympian as she no-heighted previously at the Millrose Games.

Sara Hall (Mammoth Lakes, CA) finished 5th in the 3000m with a time of 8:55.17sec.  Hall will compete February 13, 2010 at the US Cross Country Championships in Spokane, WA. 

BW-Bank Meeting
Karlsruhe, Germany
January 31, 2010

Reigning World Indoor Champion, Lolo Jones (Baton Rouge, LA), came back from a 2nd place finish at the Aviva International Match in Glasgow, Scotland the day before to win the 60m Hurdles in a world leading time of 7.90sec.  After the race, Jones said: "It wasn't that bad for me today.  In my heat I took the first three hurdles superb but did not do well on the final ones. Strangely in the final it was just the other way round. My aim during this indoor season is to attack the US record and win gold at the World Indoor Championships."

It was another Jones, however, who stole the show at the first major international invitational in Europe for 2010.  Laverne Jones-Ferrette (Houston, TX), new to the ASICS Team for 2010, ran away from the field in the heats of the 60m crossing the line in 7.09sec, another world best and the fastest time recorded in the world since 2008.  Jones-Ferrette, a native of the US Virgin Islands, lowered her own National Record and is aiming to win a medal at the upcoming World Indoor Championships in Doha, Qatar (March 12-14).  "I am getting faster and faster," Jones-Ferrette said. "Let’s see what happens in Düsseldorf on Wednesday. At the World Indoors my first goal will be to reach the final, and then I want to be in contention for a medal."

In other weekend action, Sara Hall (Mammoth Lakes, CA) finished second in a thrilling finish in the Women's Mile at the Millrose Games in New York City.  Hall's time of  4:31.50 was .02 behind the winner.

Grand Opening Weekend Features ASICS Athletes, Free Product, “Fun Run” and Grand Prize Trip Give-Away

IRVINE, Calif. (October 22, 2009) – ASICS® America, a leading athletic footwear and apparel manufacturer, will open its first U.S.-based retail store on Friday, October 23, 2009 in New York City. The 1,100-square-foot store will be located at 51 West 42nd Street in the heart of Midtown Manhattan, near Bryant Park. Opening weekend festivities will feature ASICS’ professional athlete guest appearances, in-store promotions, a “fun run” through the city starting at Bryant Park, and a grand prize trip give-away.

“Despite a down economy, ASICS America is still seeing significant growth in sales,” says Rich Bourne, President and CFO, ASICS America.  “New York is an active city in the running community which ASICS has long been a part of through our support of the ING New York City Marathon. We feel this is the perfect time and place to mark our debut as a retailer in the U.S.”

As the first stand-alone ASICS retail outlet in the United States, the store will stock running specific merchandise including footwear and apparel, and will have a sleek design aesthetic with traditional ASICS white and royal blue coloring similar to it’s predecessors in London and Tokyo. A main draw for the store will be the proprietary ASICS Foot ID system, which includes a 3D scan of the foot along with gait analysis to help consumers determine the best shoe for their foot and running style.

ASICS Foot ID’s 3D scan utilizes a cross-section of lasers and cameras to measure all aspects of the foot including the arch, boney architecture of the upper, length, width, heel and ball girth. The consumer simply stands on two pads located on the scanner and information is entered into a database. The consumer then runs on a special treadmill to collect additional information about their running gait. A specifically trained ASICS staff member will interpret all of this information and provide a recommendation on which shoes will work best for that individual. The gathered information will also be shared with the ASICS Research and Development center in Japan for future research.

“The state-of-the-art ASICS Foot ID system allows the customers to experience first-hand what ASICS technology is all about,” says Gary Slayton, VP of Marketing, ASICS America.  “ASICS is known for our innovation, and we are proud to be bringing a piece of that to the floor of our first U.S.-based retail store.”

Grand opening events for the public will take place throughout the weekend of October 23, including appearances from ASICS Olympic athlete Lolo Jones, product giveaways, a “fun run” on Saturday, October 24th at 8:00AM starting in Bryant Park and a chance to win a grand prize all-expense-paid trip to an ASICS-sponsored Marathon. For additional information on these activities, visit www.asicsamerica.com/asicsstoreny.

2009 US Track & Field Championships
June 28, 2009
Eugene, OR

Team ASICS had a fantastic final day at the US Track & Field Championships with four athletes punching their tickets to Berlin, Germany for the 2009 IAAF World Championships (August 15-23, 2009).

Harris Soars to 2nd Outdoor Title
The qualifying party was started by 2004 Olympian Tora Harris (Chula Vista, CA) when he stunned the field by clearing 2.31m (7' 7") to win the competition. This is Harris' 2nd US Outdoor title and he dedicated his victory to the R & D Center in Kobe, Japan for producing custom made shoes for him which he wore for the first time in competition today. With windy conditions and a big field of 26 jumpers, Harris commented that "I was just hanging in there and staying tough. I had to make adjustments because of the conditions. It was a great day to jump despite having too much tail wind. It was a big field with 26 guys, so in that situation you need to make adjustments and settle down."

Brown to Berlin
Soon after Tora's winning jump, Ryan Brown (Seattle, WA) stepped on to the track for the final of the Men's 800m. Brown was in 7th place at the halfway mark coming through in 53.39sec but slowly moved his way to 5th place at the 600m mark in 1:19.55. Brown slowly made his move around the last turn and ran past the two runners in front of him to finish in 3rd place and win a plane ticket to Berlin. The 2-time NCAA Champion crossed the finish line in 1:46.67 to secure his spot on his first World Championship team.

1-2 Finish in the Heptathlon
As Brown was celebrating at the finish line, 2008 Olympians Diana Pickler (Manhattan, KS) and Sharon Day (San Luis Obispo, CA), along with the other heptathletes, were brought onto the track for the final event of the heptathlon, the 800m. Pickler, by virtue of the lead she had going to the last event, was guaranteed a spot on the World Championship Team as long as she finished the race. Pickler finished sixth in the 800m with a time of 2:16.99 but scored enough points overall to win the competition with a new personal best score of 6290 points. This is her first outdoor title to go along with the two indoor titles she won in 2007 and 2008. With only four competitions under her belt this year, Pickler said "I definitely felt it a lot in speed and timing. But I'm just looking at the big picture really and trying to focus on what I'm trying to accomplish in the next few months." Pickler makes her second trip to the World Championships after competing in Osaka, Japan in 2007 where she finished in 25th place. Day, however, had to run 2:19.10 or faster in order to hit the "A" standard of 6100 points to guarantee her place on her first World Championship Team. Day was in 2nd place at the halfway mark and broke away from the pack of 14 athletes with 300m to go en route to running a new personal best of 2:13.54, almost 2 seconds faster than the 2nd place finisher. "I knew what I needed (going into the 800). I wasn't running the race to just make it, I was running the best that I could," commented Day after the race. She finished second overall with a new personal best score of 6177 points and, with her 3rd place finish in the HJ on Thursday, will be going to Berlin looking to compete in two events.

In the Women's Pole Vault, 2008 Olympian April Steiner-Bennett (Springdale, AR) finished in a tie for 4th place clearing 4.45m (14' 7 ¼"). In the semi-finals of the 100m Hurdles, LoLo Jones (Baton Rouge, LA) bumped into the runner in the lane next to her, was thrown off balance, and was unable to finish the race.

ASICS Athletes headed to Berlin:
Jake Arnold Decathlon
Ryan Brown 800m
Tora Harris High Jump
Amy Acuff High Jump
Sharon Day High Jump/Heptahlon
Kara Patterson Javelin Throw
Diana Pickler Heptathlon

2009 US Track & Field Championships
June 27, 2009
Eugene, OR

2008 Olympian and Olympic Trials champion Kara Patterson (Vancouver, WA) could not have planned a better debut as an ASICS athlete. In 7th place after three rounds in the Women's Javelin with a best throw of 52.02m (170' 6"), Patterson fouled on her fourth attempt, before unleashing a throw that measured out at 63.95m (209' 10"), a new personal best by almost 8 feet and the 2nd farthest throw in American history. Patterson's winning throw was over 15 feet further than the 2nd place finisher and earned her second consecutive National title.

Patterson just concluded her Purdue Boilermaker career two weeks ago, taking second place in the women's javelin throw at the 2009 NCAA Outdoor Championships. A two-time All-American at Purdue, Patterson is one of the top athletes in school history, winning four NCAA Mideast Regional titles, three Big Ten crowns and setting the Purdue and Big Ten records with her then career-best throw of 61.56 meters (202' 00"). The throw makes her one of two American women to ever surpass the 200-foot mark, and led her to qualify for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

In the Women's Heptathlon, Diana Pickler (Manhattan, KS) and Sharon Day (San Luis Obispo, CA) are in 2nd and 3rd place after the 4 events. Pickler posted marks of 13.43sec in the 100m Hurdles, 1.81m (5' 11 ¼") in the HJ, 13.49m (44' 3 ¼") in the Shot Put, and 24.25sec in the 200m for a first day score of 3768 points. Day's 3739 points came from 13.82sec in the 100m Hurdles, 1.90m (6' 2 ¾") in the High Jump, 12.75m in the Shot Put, and 24.66sec in the 200m. The last three events, the Long Jump, Javelin Throw, and 800m, are scheduled for tomorrow.

In her first race back since injuring her hamstring at the Drake Relays in April, LoLo Jones (Baton Rouge, LA) advanced to tomorrow's semi-final after finishing 3rd in her heat in the 100m Hurdles. Jones crossed the finish line in 12.89sec.

In the 400m Hurdles final, Latosha Wallace (San Marcos, TX) finished in 7th place with time of 57.47sec.

In the final of the Men's pole vault, Rory Quiller (Vestal, NY) cleared 5.40m (17' 8½") finishing tied for 13th place.