Americans go 5-1 at USA vs. The World
4th largest crowd in history
04/29/2007
Team USA relays mixed it up with a United Nations of relay teams Saturday at USA vs. The World at the Penn Relays, and for the second year they came away with a 5-1 record.

Now in its eighth year, USA vs. The World saw the Americans take on teams from Jamaica, Kenya, Russia, Great Britain, China, Canada, Zimbabwe and the Bahamas, among others.

Sweet sprints

The men's and women's 4x100 relays provided their customary amount of entertainment value and drama.

In the Visa women's 4x100, world indoor champion Lisa Barbara got USA Red off to a sizzling start, and she handed off to world champion 200m runner Allyson Felix with a slight lead over USA Blue, which had been led off by USA indoor champion Hasani Roseby. The two American squads seemed to be even after Felix and former NCAA champion Marshevet Hooker finished the second leg, with Jamaica in third. Still relatively even after Muna Lee's third leg for the Red and Carmelita Jeter for Blue, USA Blue bobbled its handoff from Jeter to Rachelle Smith, leaving world champion Lauryn Williams to run away with victory for USA Red in 42.87. The Jamaican team of Brigitte Foster, Nadine Palmer, Peta-Gaye Dowdie, Aleen Bailey finished second in 43.55.

The Hershey men's 4x100 relay was equally exciting. The world's top 100-200 sprinter, Tyson Gay, led off strongly, leading Jamaica's Michael Frater. After legs by World Outdoor 200m silver medalist Wallace Spearmon and 2003 World Outdoor 200m silver medalist Darvis Patton, Olympic 200m gold medalist Shawn Crawford blew the race open on the anchor leg, winning for USA Red in 38.35. The Jamaican team of Frater, Dwight Thomas, Ainsley Waugh and Lerone Clark was second in 38.89 and the USA Blue team of DaBryan Blanton, Bernard Williams, Leroy Dixon, Rodney Martin was third in 38.97.

Magical "Mile" relays

The Tyson men's 4x400m relay was a see-saw battle that saw the U.S. edged out in the final meters for the second straight year. USA Red led by an eyelash over the Bahamas after World Championships silver medalist Andrew Rock's first leg. At the break, 500 meters in, Chris Brown of the Bahamas led Derrick Brew of USA Red and Jamaica, but USA Blue's Spearmon moved into third past Jamaica by the time the third leg began.

LaShawn Merritt of Team USA overtook Andrae Williams of the Bahamas at the top of the homestretch on the third leg and opened a lead, with world indoor record holder Kerron Clement moving into second for USA Blue. The anchor leg was thrilling as Olympic gold-medal anchor Darold Williamson (3:59.18) held off world champion 400m hurdler Bershawn Jackson of USA Blue (3:00.04) and Michael Blackwood of Jamaica (3:00.44).

Allyson Felix displayed impressive range on the day, providing the critical leg in the AT&T women's 4x400m relay. After a relatively close first leg that saw USA Red holding the lead, Allyson Felix put Team USA Red commandingly in the lead, unofficially splitting sub-50 for her 400m effort. You could see nothing but Red from then on as Team USA remained undefeated in this race in the eight-year history of USA vs. The World. Mary Wineberg, Felix, Moushaumi Robinson and Debbi Dunn together ran 3:24.70, with each athlete besides Felix running roughly 52-second splits, to win emphatically over Jamaica in second (3:29.84) and Russia in third (3:30.43).

Unchained Medleys

The Nike men's distance medley relay was a tactical affair, starting with a slow opening 1200 meters that went through 800m in 2:05. At the end of the leg, U.S. indoor 800m champion Nick Symmonds led by a whisker over Geoffrey Rono of Kenya. The race remained basically even through the 400 and 800 meter legs and was tight heading into the final lap. 2006 USA indoor 1,500m champion Chris Lukezic led throughout the final 1,600m leg, up until the final steps when he was passed by Kenya's Bernard Kiptum of the World All-Stars. Kiptum teamed with Solomon Birir (KEN), Gary Kikaya (Congo) and Courtney Jaworski (USA) to win in 9:29.44, with USA Blue (Symmonds, Jamel Ashley, Sam Burley, Lukezic) second in 9:29.73 and Canada third in 9:30.20.

The AT&T women's sprint medley relay played out somewhat anti-climactically. The first 200-meter leg saw the World All-Stars, led off by 2000 Olympic 4x100 relay Chandra Sturrup of Bahamas, and Jamaica, led off by Nadine Palmer, leading well. But the handoff from Palmer to world #1 100m runner Sherone Simpson never materialized, with Palmer falling to the track. The Jamaicans in the crowd quickly fell silent, leaving Christine Amertil of the All-Stars in the lead through the second 200-meter leg. USA Red was in second after USA Blue's Miki Barber had to leap over Palmer as she began the second leg.

USA Blue led the Red team through the first three legs, behind the strength of Ginnie Powell (200m), Amandi Rhett (200m) and Dominque Darden (400m). But the U.S. Red team of Rachelle Smith, Miki Barber (200m) and Monica Hargrove (400m) was close behind. When three-time U.S. champion Hazel Clark easily gave Red the win in 3:38.89, with USA Blue, anchored by two-time U.S. 1,500m champion Treniere Clement, second in 4:42.30.

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