LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Five-time Olympic medalist Veronica Campbell-Brown of Jamaica set a meet record in the 200 meters at the 83rd annual Kansas Relays, winning in 22.32 seconds Saturday.
“The meet record was on my mind before I warmed up because it has been here for a long time,” said Campbell-Brown, the two-time defending Olympic champion in the 200. “And I felt like things were going great and I should go for it.”
Campbell-Brown dominated her competition with a quick start and a strong finish to break the mark of 22.59 set by Aleen Bailey in 2001 and beat Natalie Knight by more than a second.
Moments later, Campbell-Brown watched husband Omar Brown win the men’s 200 in 20.84. Campbell-Brown also competed in the 1,600 relay, with her team finishing fourth.
“I knew Veronica would win (the 200),” said Omar Brown, who also was part of the winning the 1,600 relay. “And I knew I’d have to put in a good race to win. I’m happy that both of us got the victory.”
Campbell-Brown won three medals, including two golds, at the 2004 Olympics in Athens. Four years later at Beijing, she became only the second woman in Olympic history to defend her title in the 200.
Campbell-Brown wasn’t alone in setting a meet record Saturday.
American Ivory Williams set a record of 9.95 in winning the men’s 100 and was named Kansas Relays MVP.
Williams rushed out to a quick start and never looked back to beat a field that included two-time Olympian Churandy Martina of Netherlands. He was runner-up to Usain Bolt in the 200 in the 2008 Olympics before being disqualified for a lane violation. Martina finished fourth at the Kansas Relays.
“Yeah, this puts me on the map,” Williams said. “I know a lot of people know I can run out there. I just need to stay focused and run my race.”
The International All Stars’ time of 3:35.65 in the women’s 1,600 relay also set a record.
Peter van der Westhuizen of South Africa won the mile in 4 minutes, 6.84 seconds, beating Iowa Central’s Anthony Lieghio by nearly four seconds.
Last year, Van der Westhuizen battled Alan Webb throughout the race before Webb pulled ahead down the stretch with both runners finishing in under four minutes.
This year, van der Westhuizen never developed last year’s aggressive pace.
“I had a lot of fun last year and great fun this year,” van der Westhuizen said. “Hopefully next year we can come back and give something special for everyone. I went for it; I just didn’t feel that great today.”
American Dexter Faulk won the men’s 110 hurdles in 13.55 — the fourth fastest time in the U.S. this year — and Natalie Willer of the U.S. won the women’s pole vault by clearing 13 feet, 1½ inches.
Nebraska swept the 400 relays, winning on the men’s event in 40.58 and the women’s in 46.73.
Missouri’s Tucker Bounds finished first in the long jump, William Moses won the high jump and Iowa State’s Laishema Hampton won the women’s discus.
http://www.artesianews.com/2010/04/17/campbell-brown-sets-kansas-relays-record-in-200/