No keeping up with Jones

LOLO JONES Visa Championship win

With her winning time of 7.88 in the women's 60-meter hurdle finals yesterday, Lolo Jones captured the women's Visa Championship with 1,194 points.

When Adam Nelson put the shot 22.4 meters (73 feet, 6 inches) at the Tyson Invitational last weekend, he won the men's Visa Championship with 1,265 points.

The Visa Championship honors the best performance of the US indoor track and field season, comparing efforts using the IAAF scoring tables. The men's and women's winner are each awarded $25,000.

High drama

Jennifer Stuczynski won the women's pole vault with a height of 4.70 meters (15 feet 5 inches), defending her indoor title. But she fell shy of Stacy Dragila's meet record of 4.78 meters. "I felt pretty nervous going into this meet," said Stuczynski. "The expectations were a lot different and the field was very competitive. It's always disappointing not to be able to break a record, but it's a huge accomplishment to win a championship and qualify for worlds."

Welsch: Well done

Shakeema Welsch took home the national title in the triple jump with a leap of 13.94 meters (45 feet, 9 inches), defeating defending champion Shani Marks by 3 inches. The title marked a triumphant return for the recently married Welsch, who had been absent from the American track scene while living abroad with her German husband, a jumper. With her husband now part of corporate America, Welsch has been able to train back in the United States and prepare for the Olympics. "I knew that I would have some tough competition," said Welsch, who placed second at the Olympic Trials in 2004. "I've been out of the scene for quite some time, so I just wanted to come out and get a good jump out."

Leonard Scott, the defending world champion in the 60-meter dash, pulled his right hamstring during his semifinal heat. Looking ahead to the outdoor season and Beijing, Scott finished last season ranked eighth in the 100 among US sprinters.

Hello, Spain

Besides national titles (and $2,500-$1,500-$500 payouts to the medalists), there was more at stake at The Reggie. The top two finishers in each event who've met the standard qualified for the biennial world championships next month in Valencia, Spain, where the victors will collect $40,000, with even a bronze worth $10,000. The US team placed second behind Russia at the 2006 event in Moscow, winning 13 medals, seven gold. Pole vaulter Brad Walker and shot putter Reese Hoffa are the only returning medalists . . . Best battle of the day was the 800-meter final between Khadevis Robinson and defending champion Nicholask Symmonds, which Robinson (1:46.95) won by .01 seconds with a deft lean at the tape. "I had to dig from the heart because the legs were gone," said Robinson, who won his first US outdoor title over Johnny Gray by a step in 1999. "I didn't know who had it." "Close as it gets, right?" said Symmonds with a shrug. "I need to start lifting more. I need bigger pecs. Fortunately there's another race in two weeks [the global meet]. That's the one that matters." . . . Tim Seaman, who'd won the men's 5,000-meter race walk a record 10 straight times, finally had to concede the crown this year while recovering from hip surgery. Matthew Broyles won the event in 20:30.00, the slowest winning time in the event's history . . . Eight champs retained their crowns - Jones in the hurdles, shot putters Christian Cantwell and Jillian Camarena (her fourth straight), high jumper Amy Acuff, weight thrower Amber Campbell, long jumper Trevell Quinley, triple jumper Aarik Wilson, and 3,000-meter runner Matt Tegenkamp.