Flanagan is back on track

It had been a long time since Shalane Flanagan had competed so it was understandable she had more butterflies than normal prior to last night's 3,000 meters in the Boston Indoor Games at the Reggie Lewis Track Center.

The 25-year-old Marblehead native hadn't raced since the World Championships in Helsinki in August 2005, after which she was sidelined by severe foot pain that required surgery last April to remove what turned out to be an extra bone.

Not only did she finish second last night, running a personal best of 8:33.25, but she cut nearly six seconds off the American record that was set by Regina Jacobs in 1999 (8:39.14).

"I haven't raced in a year and a half," said Flanagan, who now lives in Portland, Ore. "I knew I was fit. But you never know what can happen in a race. I knew I had the potential of breaking the American record. I'm very happy to see it fall. I just ran as hard as I could. I tried to run as smart as I could in the beginning. I came out pretty hard and I tried to say, 'Be patient.' My mantra has been patience as well as controlled aggression. Those were the two mantras constantly in my head. I tried to run conservative but aggressively at the same time."

She said the fact that Meseret Defar of Ethiopia, who won in 8:30.31, was under the weather turned out to be an asset.

"I think Defar was a little sick and so I took advantage of that today," said Flanagan. "Typically, she'd be out a little bit farther but she really helped me, I have to say. If it weren't for her, I don't think maybe the American record would've fallen so aggressively."

Flanagan said she didn't see her family near the finish line, which featured a substantial cheering section, but heard the cheers.

"It's always an extra motivation to run well in front of my hometown," she said. "I just feel so much support. I feel like I can do no wrong. No matter what happens, they are going to love me either way. So it's nice to have fans who really care how I do."

In 1989, Mark Coogan became the first Massachusetts runner to break the 4-minute mile mark in the state, accomplishing the feat in Dedham with a 3:58.81.

The former Bishop Feehan basketball star, who grew up in Attleboro, proved last night that the competitive fire still burns. The 40-year-old Coogan won the masters mile, besting a field of 10 others with a time of 4:24.71.

Coogan, whose family now resides in Exeter, N.H., said it was a thrill to run on the familiar track.

"I wanted to win," he said. "That was the goal. I didn't even look at the splits or anything. It was fun.

"When I was training hard, I ran 4:06 in here just by myself at practice. It's a great track."

Coogan said his age was a benefit.

"I think everyone was older," he said with a smile.

The biggest highlight of Coogan's running career came at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics when he finished 41st in the marathon.

The former University of Maryland All-American was a seven-time member of the US world cross-country team.

Dan Taylor surprised even himself with a victory in the men's shot put. Taylor, ranked No. 8 in the world last year, threw 70 feet 9 1/4 inches in finishing ahead of former world champions Christian Cantwell and John Godina and current world champion Reese Hoffa.

"The field out there was ridiculous," Taylor said. "It's incredible just competing with those guys, let alone beating them. But everything came together. When you are competing with the Nos. 1 and 2 in the world and the reigning world champion -- and this is the first time I've ever competed here -- to be good enough to beat them, it's a surprise."

Taylor, who is 6 feet 6 inches, 325 pounds, stands out physically in the close-knit shot put fraternity. Now, Taylor's name could become included among the elite -- he even came reasonably close to Adam Nelson's meet record of 71- 3/4 set in 2005. Cantwell (70-1) was second, Hoffa (68-4 1/2) third, Godina (63-2) fourth, and Vince Mosca (62-6 3/4) fifth.

"Everyone was encouraging," Taylor said. "We are good friends on the track and off the track. It's the best meet I've ever had. To have two throws over 70 feet is unbelievable. I felt good, it was a good day and a good atmosphere. Next week it's the Millrose Games and, hopefully, I'll throw great there."

Sarah Jamieson won the women's mile in 4:28.03 in her first indoor race. "I really enjoyed it, the crowd is so close to the track, almost on top of you," Jamieson said. "There are no indoor meets in Australia but I trained with some friends in Fayetteville indoors and this track is not as banked as that one. I am using this as a base for the outdoor season and our national meet in March." . . . Steve Hooker set an Australian indoor record in the pole vault at 19- 3/4, borrowing third-placed Jeff Hartwig's poles. "My pole is probably at San Francisco airport," Hooker said. "Pole vaulters are a tight community and you never know whose poles are not going to show up, so we are ready to help each other. I hope I can help Jeff in the future, but I am not saying I hope his poles don't show up. It was tough in warm-ups but I felt really good. I felt right on my first jump." . . . Duncan Phillips of College Station, Texas, won the boys' mile. Phillips finished in 4:09.20. Mark Amirault of Walpole was the top local entrant at 4:11.26 . . . In the girls' mile, Colleen Wetherbee of Yarmouth was eighth in 5:00.14.