Tianna Madison sets record in 60m

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FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. -- Tianna Madison won the women's 60-meter final in the USA Track & Field Classic on Saturday night with a world-best time of 7.02 seconds, beating Olympic medalists Veronica Campbell-Brown and Allyson Felix.

Madison, a former world long jump champion, had the second-fastest time in the world this year in the preliminary round with a 7.05.

"It always feels good to win, but that wasn't the focus," Madison said. "The focus is on getting better for nationals."

Campbell-Brown, the two-time defending Olympics gold medalist in the 200, finished second in 7.08. The Jamaican star ran at the University of Arkansas.

Murielle Ahoure was third in 7.09, and Felix followed in 7.11.

"For me in the 60, it's all about getting better," Felix said. "It's a stepping stone for tryouts and getting everything straightened out. I wanted to practice getting out under pressure in something different than practice. Everybody was here. The field was pretty good."

Jamaica's Lerone Clarke won the men's 60 in a world-best time of 6.52. Wallace Spearmon Jr., a Fayetteville native, failed to qualify for the final with a time of 6.66 seconds.

"This is home, so it brings the best out of me just being here," Spearmon said. "I wasn't really ready to race and wasn't quite in shape for it, but I wanted to run at home."

Galen Rupp broke Bernard Lagat's American record in the men's two mile with a time of 8:09.72, while Jillian Camarena-Williams broke her own American record in the women's shot put at 65 feet, 3 1/4 inches.

The world's six fastest times in the men's mile were recorded Saturday, led by Kenya's Silas Kiplagat with a time of 3:52.63. Kiplagat edged fellow Kenyan Caleb Ndiku by 0.03 seconds.

In the collegiate events, a pair of relay teams had the NCAA's fastest 1,600 times this season.

Arkansas' men ran the event in 3:03.76, just 0.2 seconds off the NCAA record. The team was comprised in part by three sprinters -- Akheem Gauntlett, Marek Niit and Neil Braddy -- who had the NCAA's three fastest times in the 400 on Friday.

LSU's women also set a NCAA best in the 1,600 this season with a time of 3:31.55.

Illinois senior Andrew Riley won the men's 60 hurdles with a time of 7.53 seconds, which is second in the NCAA this year. Defending NCAA champion Brianna Rollins of Clemson won the women's 60 hurdles in 8.00.

In the Tyson Invitational earlier Saturday, Virginia's Marcus Robinson had the NCAA's best triple jump this season with a mark of 54-6 3/4, and Texas State's Logan Cunningham had the NCAA's best pole vault this season, clearing 18-1.

Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press

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