Sunday, Jun. 28, 2009

East St. Louis grad Dawn Harper reaches semifinals in women's 100-meter hurdles

East St. Louis High School graduate Dawn Harper and Lolo Jones advanced to the semifinals of the women's 100-meter hurdles, setting up a possible rematch from the Beijing Games. Jones entered that summer night's race in the Bird's Nest as the fastest hurdler in the world, and blazed out to a big lead.

Then Jones caught the ninth of 10 hurdles and couldn't recover as Harper sped past her for the gold.

Jones is trying to forget the memory of Beijing and concentrate on this season.

But she's been hampered by a torn hamstring, logging a lot of laps in the pool to keep her fitness up as she recovers.

The hamstring appeared much better Saturday, the Olympic trials champion running a smooth, conservative race.

Damu Cherry had the fastest time, finishing in a wind-aided 12.49 seconds. It's the fastest time in the world this season in any condition.

Harper ran the third-fastest time with a 12.68 while Jones was eighth at 12.89.

* Southern Illinois University Edwardsville track and field and softball player Alicia DeShasier, of Carrollton, finished fourth in the women's javelin.

Just one year removed from finishing seventh at the U.S. Olympic Trials at Hayward Field, DeShasier notched a personel-best on her fifth throw during the final round with a toss of 180 feet, eight inches.

"It was great to be back," DeShasier said. "It was pretty electric and I had lot of fun. I really like throwing here. I felt good about my throws, and I am very pleased to have a personal-best at a meet like this one."

DeShasier holds the school record in the javelin throw at SIUE with a toss of 164 feet, nine inches (50.23m), as well as being a 2006 first team All-American in softball for the Cougars.