EUGENE, Ore. — A mix-up with a water jump barrier cast controversy over the women’s steeplechase at the U.S. track and field championships.
Olympian and University of Colorado senior Jennifer Barringer easily won the 3,000-meter steeplechase title Sunday, two days after qualifying for the event was marred by the barrier being set too high.
Barringer, the American record holder, ran the event in nine minutes, 29.38 seconds, well ahead of second-place finisher Anna Willard and Bridget Franek, who finished third.
In the preliminary round Friday night at Hayward Field, Nicole Bush took a spill after hurdling the water barrier and fractured her right foot.
Bush, who had just finished her senior year at Michigan State, tumbled into the water on the third lap. Amazingly, she still finished the race. It was later determined the barrier was set as many as 6 inches too high, perhaps at the men’s level. The barrier is at 36 inches for the men and 30 inches for the women.
In other events Sunday, Shawn Crawford blew away the field in the 200-meter final in a wind-aided time of 19.73 seconds.
Allyson Felix joined Crawford as America’s other 200-meter champion. A heavy favorite to win her fifth national title, Felix didn’t disappoint, finishing in 22.02 (also wind-aided) to edge Muna Lee. Marshevet Hooker finished third.
Crawford will be among the headliners on a U.S. world championship team that will also include newly crowned national champions Christian Cantwell (shot put), Jenn Stuczynski (pole vault), Bershawn Jackson (400 hurdles) Dawn Harper (100 hurdles) and Lopez Lomong (1,500 meters).
Mahorn gets first WNBA win
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — Shavonte Zellous scored 18 points to lead the Detroit Shock to an 86-72 victory over the Sacramento Monarchs, giving Rick Mahorn his first win as a head coach.
Mahorn was 0-3 since replacing Bill Laimbeer on June 15.
• Marie Ferdinand-Harris scored a season-high 15 points to lift the Los Angeles Sparks to an 82-55 victory against the Seattle Storm.
• Anete Jekabsone-Zogota has joined the Connecticut Sun after missing the first seven games while playing for Latvia in the European basketball championships.
Dynamo’s unbeaten run over
CARSON, Calif. — Todd Dunivant scored in the 24th minute as the Los Angeles Galaxy ended the Houston Dynamo’s 11-game MLS unbeaten streak with a 1-0 victory.
Goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts earned his third shutout in the Galaxy’s first league win at home over the Dynamo.
• Kenny Mansally scored to send the New England Revolution into the semifinals of the SuperLiga tournament with a 1-0 win over visiting Atlas.
• Agustin Herrera and Matias Vuoso scored 13 minutes apart in the second half to send Santos Laguna to the SuperLiga semifinals with a 3-1 victory over the host Kansas City Wizards.
The Associated Press
