The sweltering heat of southern California brought out the best yet in Jenn Stuczynski. The 25-year-old broke her American record in the pole vault at the Adidas Track Classic on Sunday, outshining Tyson Gay's sweep of the 100 and 200 meters and other strong performances by a powerhouse field. Stuczynski cleared 16 feet, 0 3/4 inches (4.90 meters) to break the mark of 16-0 she set last year in the Reebok Grand Prix in New York. Only world record holder Yelena Isinbayeva has gone higher. Jeremy Wariner, at 24 already an Olympic gold medalist and two-time world champion, said he nearly pulled out of the race with a sore hamstring. But the lanky Texan decided he felt good enough to go, and won in 44.42, second-fastest in the world this year behind fellow American LaShawn Merritt's 44.34. Allyson Felix concluded an emotional week with a disappointing fourth-place finish in the 100m. She withdrew from the 200m under orders from her coach. In a race that featured seven of the 10 fastest women last year, reigning Olympic gold medalist and world champion Veronica Campbell-Brown of Jamaica won the 100m in 11.14, edging American Lauryn Williams by .01 seconds. Marshevet Hooker was disqualified after the event's second false start. Bernard Lagat survived a crash at the start to pull away at the end and win the 1,500 in 3:35.13 seconds. The start was recalled after 85 meters when Lopez Lomong and Nate Brannen tumbled to the track. Nick Symmonds got a gash in his right knee when he was spiked trying to hurdle the Lomong's feet and pulled out of the race early. The Kenyan-born Lagat won his first world titles, in the 1,500m and 5,000m, last year in his first international competition as a member of the US team. Gay won his first 100m of the season in 10.05 seconds and the 200m in 20.08, both into slight headwinds. He edged training partner Darvis Patton in the 100m by .01 seconds, then eased up in a one-sided victory in the 200m. Neither time was spectacular, but that didn't bother Gay, who in two weeks is scheduled for a 100m showdown with Jamaican Usain Bolt in New York. – AP __
