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Acuff takes women's high jump title

BOSTON -- Amy Acuff is trying to end a great career on a high note. Make that a series of high notes.

Acuff, who will retire after the World Outdoor Championships in Berlin, won the women's high jump at the USA Indoor Track & Field Championships for the fifth time Saturday.

The four-time Olympian and the winner of six US Outdoor Championships, soared 6 feet, 2.75 inches on her last jump to best Deirdre Mullen of the Nike TC by 2 inches on the first day of the meet at the Reggie Lewis Center.

"I'm glad I came back for one more year," said Acuff, 33, of Port Arthur, Tex. "I feel I still have the goods to get off a good jump."

Other veterans of past championships showed they also still have the goods to compete with the young folk.

The men's 1,500 meters lost some of its star power when American record-holder Bernard Lagat had to pull out due to injury, but the field still included three past U.S. indoor champions -- Rob Myers (2004, 2008), Alan Webb (2007) and Chris Lukezic (2006).

Webb took an early lead and held it until the bell lap, when he was passed by Myers, who then held off a desperate charge from Webb at the wire to win in 3:45.73, 0.09 ahead of Webb.

"When I get up to speed, I'm hard to pass," said Myers, who admitted the title meant a little more with Webb in the race. "Alan was coming at the end. I knew it, and I held on.

"I thought I had him," Webb said. "When he passed me, I was too relaxed."

Amy Begley of the Nike TC edged Sara Hall of the Asics TC in the women's 3,000 meters in 8:53.27.

"I was grinding them down a little more each lap," Begley said. "That's what you have to do against milers."

David Torrence won his first US title, holding off Brandon Bethke to win the men's 3,000 meters in 7:53.67.

"I prepared for it, I trained for it, I was healthy and fit," said an excited Torrence. "I told myself 'this is your race. This is your day.' When the bell lap rang, it was do or die. 'Go get it,' I said. 'It's yours.'"

Three-time US indoor champ Jonathon Riley, a local favorite from Brookline, Mass., was third.

Olympian Jill Camarena captured the women's shot put with a throw of 61 feet, and Randall Flimmons jumped 25-6.75 to win the men's long jump by less than an inch over Matthew Turner.

Shakeema Welsch won the women's triple jump with a leap of 45-2.25.

Two-time Olympian Tim Seaman won the 5,000-meter walk in, what else, a walk in 19:59. It was his record 11th US indoor title and 35th title overall.

Defending champion Khadevis Robinson, 32, of the Nike TC led the qualifiers for Sunday's final of the men's 800 meters.

" I've been doing so well the past five years that I started planning for the guys who are in the top ten in the world," he said. "So the guys here, when you compete on this level, you can't overlook anyone. I have to try different things in races and see what works. Today I sat back and kicked in at the end. For me, I'm either and A or an F. There is no in between."

Jason Scott captured his first US indoor pole vault title with a vault of 18-4.5 inches.

No meet or American records were set Saturday.

Sunday's second day of competition will include the finals of the men's and women's 60-meter sprints, the men's and women's 60-meter hurdles, and the women's 1,500 meters.