clarinews@clarinet.com (JOE ILLUZZI, UPI Sports Writer) (02/03/90)
NEW YORK (UPI) -- Marcus O'Sullivan received all the incentive he needed to win the Wanamaker Mile when he heard Eamonn Coghlan was entered. The indoor season had been lackluster approaching Friday night's Panasonic Millrose Games. Then Coghlan added some drama Tuesday by dropping out of the 3,000 meters and challenging O'Sullivan in the mile, the event Coghlan has ruled the last decade. That announcement kindled O'Sullivan's competitive juices and helped carry him to a third straight Millrose title. ``I found it tough to get up for running this winter,'' O'Sullivan said after outracing Jens-Peter Herold over the final three laps to win the mile. ``I was discussing this with my wife just before I was going out to train. Before going out, (Millrose meet director) Howard Schmertz called and told me Eamonn was going to be in the race. When I went out for my run, I got revived and inspired about racing against Eamonn again.'' Coghlan, 37, the record seven-time Wanamaker winner, raced well, but did not have enough speed to compete with O'Sullivan and Herold. Coghlan claimed fifth in 4:01.83. ``Miling for Eamonn Coghlan is not an age factor,'' O'Sullivan said. ``He missed '88 and '89, so that's more of a negative effect than an age effect.'' O'Sullivan, the two-time world indoor 1,500-meter champion, ran fluidly, but Herold, the Olympic bronze medalist from East Germany, stayed right behind him. O'Sullivan, however, outsprinted Herold to claim his fourth Millrose title in five years. The Irishman won in 3:59.35 and Herold clocked 3:59.59. Former Arkansas star Joe Falcon was third in 3:59.73. ``My long term goal is win seven Wanamaker miles,'' O'Sullivan said. ``If Eamonn had won, he would have had eight, I would have had three. That can be a tough gap to make up.'' Coghlan, the world record-holder, ran third for more than half the race. He tried to move around Herold, but found himself boxed in and shoved the East German. Herold maintained his stride and moved in on O'Sullivan. The two waged a a tough battle over the final 600 meters, but O'Sullivan was too strong for Herold. In earlier events, Greg Foster won his seventh Millrose hurdles title and Joetta Clark upset the world's top two 800-meter runners. Foster, the two-time world outdoor champion, clocked 7.01 seconds over 55 meters to defeat a field that included U.S. indoor champion Tonie Campbell and world record-holder Renaldo Nehemiah. Nehemiah fell over the first hurdle and did not finish. Clark, the daughter of famed New Jersey school principal Joe Clark, powered to a fourth Millrose title in the 800 while soundly defeating Sigrun Wodars and Christine Wachtel of East Germany. The East Germans finished 1-2 at the 1988 Olympics. Other winners included Tyrone Kemp, who broke Antonio McKay's four-year winning streak in the 400 meters; Butch Reynolds, who outleaned Danny Harris in the 600 yards; LaVonna Martin, an upset victor over Jackie Joyner-Kersee in the women's hurdles; Michelle Finn in the women's 55-meter dash; Leroy Burrell in the men's 55; Romanian world record-holder Doina Melinte in the women's mile; and Doug Padilla, who captured his sixth Millrose 3,000 in meet-record time. Foster shrugged off a typical slow start and easily won the hurdles after three different runners turned in false starts. Jack Pierce finished second in 7.13 and Campbell third in 7.16. Roger Kingdom, the two-time Olympic champion, failed to make the final in his first meet of the season. Tony Dees, who finished fourth in the hurdles final, ran a blistering 6.98 in the heats. Clark never let the East Germans in the 800 and won in 2:02.16. Wachtel clocked 2:02.78 and Wodars 2:03.37. In the women's hurdles, Joyner-Kersee broke poorly from the blocks and could not erase the deficit. Martin timed 7.41 and Joyner-Kersee 7.47. Burrell, who clocked the world's fastest 100 meters in 1989, won a tight men's 55 in 6.11. Burrell, who trains under Carl Lewis at the University of Houston, is developing into the country's top young sprinter. -- This, and all articles in this news hierarchy are Copyright 1990 by the wire service or information provider and licenced to Clarinet Communications Corp. for distribution. Except for free samples, only paid subscribers may access these articles. Any unauthorized access, reproduction or transmission is strictly prohibited. We will reward the first provider of information that helps us stop violators of this copyright. Send reports to reward@clarinet.com.