Spearmon after 200 IWR

BY NATE ALLEN

Northwest Arkansas Times

Posted on Tuesday, February 12, 2008

If you are what you eat, then it’s food for thought what Wallace Spearmon could accomplish in Friday night’s 200-meter dash at the Tyson Invitational track meet.

At its Randal Tyson Indoor Track, the University of Arkansas hosts the twoday Tyson Invitational with collegians competing Friday afternoon and Saturday afternoon, and some of the world’s best professionals and collegiate elite competing in a men’s and women’s 14-event program from 8 p.m. to 9: 55 p.m. Friday.

Spearmon, a Fayetteville High graduate and former Razorback, and a three-time NCAA 200-meter champion before he turned professional with Nike after his sophomore year in 2005 to medal on two U. S. World Cham- pionship teams, says he’s ready for a run at the American record and then some.

Spearmon’s 20. 10 in he 200 is faster than any American has run indoors.

“I’m going to try and break my own American record,” Spearmon said at a Monday press conference that included representatives from meet sponsor Tyson Foods. “And if I can do it just perfect, I’m going to try to break this world record (19. 92 ) held by Frankie Fredericks (of Namibia ).”

That was really pleasing food for thought for the attending Tyson folks. Especially after Spearmon fed them a protein plug.

“I’m training harder than I ever have before,” Spearmon said. “And actually am eating right for the first time. I’m working on a nutrition pack. A lot of you who know me know I didn’t always do that. You can actually see the difference.”

Of course the allegedly undernourished Wallace Spearmon wasn’t bad.

He was still a junk-food eating college student when he set that American record 20. 10 while winning the NCAA Indoor 200 for Arkansas in 2005 at the Randal Tyson Track.

So now that Spearmon eats right, is the sky the limit Friday night ?

Well, maybe not. This is an Olympic year so all training is geared to peak for the Olympics. Spearmon hasn’t even competed indoors yet in 2008.

“This will be my only indoor meet,” Spearmon said. “It’s Fayetteville, I just have to run. I want to come out here and at least put on a show. Just practicing every day gets boring after a while. I figure - even though I’m not in the full swing of competition - that if I can come out here and break the world record everything will fall into place.”

Friday night’s world-class, 200-meter field that includes collegian Rubin Williams of Tennessee, Jordan Vaden of Adidas, Bershawn Jackson, one of Spearmon’s Nike teammates, and Greg Nixon of Asics should feed Spearmon’s need for speed.

“Rubin Williams has the fastest time in the world so far,” Spearmon said. “And Jordan Vaden, I kind of edged him out in 2006 to win USAs.”

As for that "nutrition pack"Spearmon mentioned, it was in evidence Monday.

Tyson is a U. S Olympic team sponsor. Apparently it’s not a sponsor content to just lend its name.

The poultry, beef and pork giant is actively involved in the team’s nutrition, including the team’s "nutrition travel kit"that Tyson spokesman Dave Hogberg described and was on display Monday.

Among its items, the kit contains two packages of chicken rib meat that requires no refrigeration until after it is opened, Triscuits, cashews, multi-grain omega 3 pasta, dry nonfat milk, instant rice, packaged couscous, muesli cereal, peanut butter, dried cranberries and an electric hot pot that can boil water faster than a microwave.

“It’s a kit that insures the athlete has nutritious meal options - including Tyson protein - no matter where they compete,” Hogberg said. “It comes more into focus going to different countries with the availability of different foods and how important it is for them to have a consistent diet that meets the four fundamental platforms from a nutrition standpoint that they try to build in Olympic training.”

Noting the Olympics are in Beijing, Lady Razorback coach Lance Harter espoused the travel kit in ter ms more graphically practical than the corporate “bureaucratese.”

“I know a coach who has been to a meet in China,” Harter said. “He said at one of the training tables they just threw down a mound of rice and sauce. That wasn’t so bad until he saw the mound move.”

So having already expressed gratitude Monday for the company that’s done so much for UA track, including donating money for the track bearing the late Randal Tyson name and annually sponsoring this international major indoor meet that’s been the forum for Spearmon to be a part of the American indoor record 4 x 400 relay in 2006, Spearmon may be more grateful than ever next summer if he’s on the U. S. team in Beijing.

Better to have handy food that moves him than food that moves.

I think he will do it!

If this is his only indoor race, I dont think he will.

No way but maybe this is what you need to do to get a good lane draw there.

Maybe his only indoor 200?..

Razorback Invitational - 1/25/2008 to 1/26/2008
Randal Tyson Track Complex
Univ.of Arkansas – Fayetteville, AR

Event 21 Men 60 Meter Dash
================================================== =====================
Name Year School Finals Points
================================================== =====================
Finals
1 Richard Thompson LSU 6.62
2 Whitney Prevost Baylor 6.68
3 Gerald Phiri Texas A&M 6.71
4 J-Mee Samuels Arkansas 6.74
5 Jacob Norman Baylor 6.78
6 Trey Harts Baylor 6.80
7 Richard Adu-Bobie Texas A&M 6.83
8 Tremaine Smith Houston 6.85

Event 41 Men 60 Meter Dash Consolation
================================================== =====================
Name Year School Finals Points
================================================== =====================
Finals
1 Christopher Johnson Unattached 6.64
2 Wallace Spearmon Nike 6.70
3 Dallas Robinson HPC Sport 6.71
4 Dominque Stafford Texas A&M 6.83 6.823
5 Seth Amoo Elite Performance 6.83 8.828
6 Ryan Bailey JP Striders 6.84
7 Mychael Stewart Arkansas 6.86
8 Brandon Lowe Texas A&M 6.90

With D-Rob on his heels

USATF News

Visa Championship Series pushes ahead at
Tyson Invitational

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - Many of America’s most accomplished track and field stars, including several former University of Arkansas athletes, will compete Friday night at the 2007 Tyson Invitational at the Randal Tyson Indoor Track Center on the UA campus in Fayetteville.

The fourth stop of the 2008 USA Track & Field Visa Championship Series, the Tyson Invitational will be televised on February 17 from 5-7 p.m. Eastern Time on ESPN.

After the second scoring meet of the 2008 Visa Championships Series, 2005 world champion shot putter Adam Nelson leads the men’s Race for the Visa Championship with 1,245 points. 60m hurdler Antwon Hicks is second with 1,202 points. Hurdler Damu Cherry leads the women with 1,172 points, with Arkansas alum Christin Wurth-Thomas second with 1,166 points. Wurth will contest the mile in Fayetteville.

Spearmon leads sprints

Two-time World Outdoor individual medalist Wallace Spearmon, a former Razorback and a resident of Fayetteville, is entered in both the 60 meters and the 200m. The men’s 60m race will see him square off against 2006 World Indoor champion Leonard Scott, 2007 U.S. Outdoor 100m runner-up Trindon Holliday and Arkansas standout J-Mee Samuels.

In Spearmon’s signature event, the Tyson men’s 200m, he will be challenged by Tennessee’s Rubin Williams, who owns the current world leader. Also keep an eye out for 2005 World Outdoor 400m hurdle champion Bershawn Jackson and 2007 U.S. Indoor 400m champion Greg Nixon.

On the women’s side, world-ranked #1 in the women’s 400m by Track & Field NewsSanya Richards will step down in distance and run the Visa women’s 60m, challenging a trio of talented Americans in the race. 2007 World Outdoor 100m bronze medalist and Millrose Games champion Carmelita Jeter will be the likely favorite in a field that includes 2007 Pan Am Games gold medalist and Reebok Boston Indoor Games champion Miki Barber. Also in the field are 2006 NCAA Indoor champion Marshevet Hooker and 2007 U.S. Indoor champion Hasani Roseby.

Two University of Texas stars, 2006 Gatorade National Girls Track & Field Athlete of the Year Bianca Knight and 2006 NCAA 4x100m champion Alexandria Anderson, will take on 2007 NCAA Indoor and Outdoor 400m champion Natasha Hastings in the women’s 200m.

In the men’s 60m hurdles, 2006 NCAA Outdoor champion Aries Merritt will take on 1996 Olympic gold medalist four-time World Outdoor champion Allen Johnson and 2005 U.S. Indoor champion Joel Brown.

Field eventers in the spotlight

The Visa men’s shot put features four of the top six throwers in the world as 2008 Visa Championships Series leader Adam Nelson, a two-time Olympic silver medalist and four-time World Outdoor medalist who ended 2007 ranked #2 in the world, headlines the event. At the 2008 Millrose Games, Nelson set a Madison Square Garden record in winning the Visa men’s shot put with his world-leading throw of 22.07 meters/72 feet 5 inches. Reigning World Indoor and Outdoor champion Reese Hoffa, 2004 World Indoor champion and 2007 Visa champion Christian Cantwell and 2007 U.S. Outdoor runner-up Dan Taylor, ranked #1, #3 and #6 respectively in the world, round out the field.

The Outdoor American record holder and a two-time U.S. Indoor champion, Jenn Stuczynski is the favorite in the women’s pole vault. She will face tough opposition from 2004 Olympian Jillian Schwartz, who set a personal best of 4.63 meters/ 15 feet 2.25 inches in beating Stuczynski at the Millrose Games. Also watch for 2007 Pan Am Games silver medalist April Steiner, an Arkansas alum and fan favorite.

On the track, look for Steve Scherer, who just ran a personal best 3:56, in the men’s mile and Sam Burley in the men’s 800m. Ireland’s Alistair Cragg, a former Arkansas standout, will run the men’s 5,000m and two-time U.S. Indoor 1,500m champion Jen Toomey will take on Jamaica’s Kenia Sinclair in the women’s 800m.

The USA Track & Field Visa Championship Series will continue February 23-24 with the AT&T USA Indoor Track & Field Championships in Boston. For more information, including TV broadcast schedules, visit www.visachampionshipseries.com.