On a relatively hot and humid early-spring day by Louisiana standards, Guyana's middle distance champion Marian Burnett used the conditions to churn out another national track record.
This time Burnett romped to a new mark at 1500m at the two-day Louisiana State University (LSU) Relays in Baton Rouge, last Saturday. The half-miler, who used the longer event as part of her conditioning regimen, stopped the Bernie Moore stadium clock at 4 minutes 23.22 seconds (4:23.22) for a win in a distance she rarely runs, and did not contest since May, 2005.
At that time, she won the event on the same track, but was just half a second short of Lorrie-Ann Adams' record of 4:27.77. Burnett's new mark adds to her outdoor national record at 800m (1:59.47) done at the U.S. Open in May 2004. Her collection also has indoors national best at 800m; 1500m; mile; 3000m and 5000m.
In the mid-afternoon race, Burnett opened up a 40-plus metre gap to beat her training partner, Grenada's national champion Neisha Bernard-Thomas (4:29.10), who also recorded a personal best (PB) at the distance. Running as ‘Tiger Olympians', the two former LSU collegiate champions went ahead of the other competitors in a field of nine runners, and finished with lengths to spare.
A distant third place was occupied by Amy Harris of UL Monroe. She was followed by the LSU pair of Katie Dawson (4:43.31) and Jennifer Radecker (4:50.90), then another pair from George Mason – Amy Yocum (4:51.45) and Alicia York (4:56.14). The rear was brought up by Jakia Williams (5:01.77) of UAB.
This is the diminutive athlete's first outdoor competition for this season. Burnett said she will use the triumph as a stimulus to her training under the watchful eyes of her coach Mark Elliott – Assistant Head Coach at collegiate track and field powerhouse, Louisiana State University.
She conceded that she is looking forward to a hectic schedule this year, including the World Championships in Osaka and the Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro.