Sprinters Take Center Stage Greene, Jones Prevail In 100 Meters; Injury Forces Devers To Sidelines

The new wave of American sprinters came to the forefront Friday at the USA Championships, with Marion Jones and Maurice Greene streaking to victories in the 100-meter dashes.

Jones, 21, the women’s sensation here, ran her third straight strong race, winning in 10.97 seconds, after two-time Olympic gold medalist Gail Devers withdrew.

Jones, who electrified the spectators at Indiana University Track and Field Stadium with the year’s two fastest times in Thursday night’s prelims and semifinals, clocking 10.98 and 10.92, won her first national title in a race run into a headwind.

The men’s 100 final also was a dazzler, as Greene, 22, won in 9.90, making him the third-fastest American ever, behind only Leroy Burrell and Carl Lewis. Greene’s time was the second-fastest in the world this year, just behind the 9.89 by Ato Boldon of Trinidad & Tobago.

Jones was a two-time scholastic athlete of the year while competing in track and field in high school at Thousand Oaks, Calif., and the point guard of North Carolina’s 1995 NCAA basketball champions.

While her sudden emergence was somewhat of a surprise because she had not devoted much time to track in the past two years due to basketball and injuries, she did not consider her victory unexpected.

“I’ve been training hard for 13 weeks,” she said. “In my mind, I’m the world’s fastest woman.”

Devers, the 1993 world champion, withdrew, claiming a sore right calf muscle.

If the International Amateur Athletic Federation decides to add “wild card” entries for the World Championships in Greece in August, Devers could possibly participate, along with other world champions and Olympic gold medalists such as Michael Johnson and Dan O’Brien.

Greene, who never previously had won a major title, showed his strong form Thursday by running 9.96 - one of five to break the 10-second barrier during the prelims.

In the final, he edged 22-year-old Tim Montgomery, second at 9.92. Mike Marsh nipped Jon Drummond for third. Both were timed in 10.03.

Burrell, the American record-holder at 9.85, finished sixth at 10.09.

“Hopefully, I’ll also be the fastest at Athens,” Greene said. “I’m not surprised. I put in the work and I knew if I executed, the time would come.”

Lewis was the last American to win a world 100 title, in 1991, and the last to win the Olympic gold medal, in 1988.

Kenny Harrison, 1996 Olympic gold medalist in the triple jump, won his fourth national title and second in a row, soaring 55 feet, 8-1/4 inches into a headwind on his final attempt. Allen Johnson, the Olympic champion in the 110 hurdles, also repeated as national champion, clocking 13.25.

Mike Mykytok took the men’s 10,000 in a photo finish at 28:43.93, edging Rueben Reina, who had the same time. Lynn Jennings won her ninth outdoor title, taking the women’s 10,000 at 32:26.41.

American record-holder Dawn Ellerbe set a meet record of 206 feet, 7 inches in winning the women’s hammer throw. Niambi Dennis was a surprise winner of the women’s triple jump, leaping 44-8-3/4.

Lynda Lipson used her final attempt to win the women’s javelin title, throwing 192-0. Stacy Dragila, the American recordholder and the world indoor champion in the women’s pole vault, won at 14-1-1/4.

Jearl Miles-Clark, the 1993 world outdoor champion in the women’s 400 and 1997 world indoor gold medalist, ran the year’s fastest time, 50.48, in winning her semifinal.

Stephon Flenoy, given an opportunity to compete in the championships after the world governing body waived its “contamination” rule, flubbed it. He was last in his preliminary heat of the 400-meter hurdles.

Also failing to reach the semis in the 400 hurdles was world record-holder and 1992 Olympic champion Kevin Young. He was fifth in his heat in 50.32 and had the 17th-best time in the heats. Only 16 advanced.