Sonja Friend-Uhl, Antwon Dussett star in USA nats exhibitions

Sonja wasn't pushed in the mile at Portland.

Sonja wasn’t pushed in the mile at Portland.

Running far ahead, W40 Sonja Friend-Uhl and M40 Antwon Dussett swept the masters exhibition events Saturday at USA indoor nationals in Portland — a week before IAAF worlds. First Sonja won the mile in 4:56.89 — about 13 seconds ahead of runner-up Jennifer St. Jean. (W45 record-holder Kris Paaso was entered but didn’t run.) Then Antwon turned on the speed at 50 and clocked 22.66 to win his 200 by 1.73 seconds. See the 200 video here, and see the mile video here. Lots of other masters-age athletes did well at USA nationals, and W30 high jumper Chaunte Lowe took third (on misses) a week after ABQ masters nationals (where she went higher, in fact — 1.94 to 1.93.). M40 Bernard Lagat was fourth in the 3000 at 7:41.25. At 37, A.G. Kruger was second in the weight throw with 23.24 (76-3). Reese Hoffa, at 38, was runner-up in the shot at 20.07 (65-10.25), and fellow Olympian John Nunn, also 38, won the 3K racewalk (in 11:37.09) several weeks after taking the 50K Olympic Trials. That’s some range!

Antwon won easily, but the race caller (a Brit) briefly mistook him for another entrant.

Antwon won easily, but the race caller (a Brit) briefly mistook him for another.

Masters exhibition results from Portland open nationals:

Women 1 Mile Run Masters
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Name Year Team Finals
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1 Sonja Friend-Uhl Atlanta TC 4:56.89 1500m 4:36.32
2 Jennifer St.Jean Westchester TC 5:12.38
3 Chris Gentile Jane’s Elite 5:25.68
4 Alice Kassens Athena TC 5:27.79
5 Tania Fisher Jane’s Elite 5:30.51

Men 200 Meter Dash Masters
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Name Year Team Finals
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1 Antwon Dussett Southwest Sprint 22.66
2 Gavin Thorne SoCal TC 24.39
3 Johnny Speed Unattached 24.44
4 Peter Haack Unattached 24.49

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March 13, 2016

3 Responses

  1. Ken Stone - March 13, 2016

    Sonja reminds us she turns 45 in 10 days:
    http://www.usatf.tv/gprofile.php?mgroup_id=45365&do=videos&video_id=168584

  2. Peter L. Taylor - March 14, 2016

    Thanks for posting this, Ken. I should point out that on the telecast, Sonja Friend-Uhl was called Marisa Sutera-Strange the whole way. In the 200, as you noted, Antwon Dussett’s name changed near the finish (he became Gavin Thorne).

    Last year, in that exhibition 300 at the Armory, LaTrica Dendy, running at the front of a field of four women, was misidentified as Maurelhena Walles by the same announcer (LaTrica did not hold on for the win).

    As a fellow announcer, I can sympathize with the problem of announcing runners you don’t really know, but having three major mistakes in three races is a bit much. Or was he too far away in each case to identify the runners?

    The much more important issue, of course, is that Sonja and Antwon, both major stars in our sport, “represented” our athletes very well. I wish that Antwon could have broken the American mark in the 200, as he was definitely flying.

  3. Matt B. - March 14, 2016

    She can certainly get the indoor 45 WRs along with a bunch of AR’s

    1500 i 4:28.13
    Mile i 4:54.82

    Outdoor Mile 45-49: 4:48.42

    800 AR 2:13.67 is very likely as well.

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