Flanagan, Trammell lead the Race for the Visa Championship

 Flanagan Will Race The World's Best 10k, Vaulting Jenn S. To The Lead

INDIANAPOLIS - At the midway point of USATF's 2009 Indoor Visa Championship Series, 2008 Olympic 10,000m bronze medalist Shalane Flanagan leads the women's Race for the Championship with 1,212 points and two-time Olympic 110m hurdle silver medalist Terrence Trammell holds the top spot in the men's race with 1,226 points.

The standings on the women's side changed dramatically after the Reebok Boston Indoor Games. Already the owner of three American records, Flanagan added another to her total and moved into the lead in the Visa Championship Series, running the women's 5,000m in 14:47.62 and smashing Marla Runyan's AR of 15:07.33, set in 2001. Her time earned her 1,212 points, a $25,000 bonus check and the Team USA Athlete of the Meet award presented by Visa.

  Sitting in second place on the women's side is 2008 Olympic silver medalist Jenn Stuczynski, who earned 1,197 points with her American-record clearance of 4.82m/15-9.75 in the women's vault, up from the 1,159 points she earned at Millrose. Her vault makes her the #3 woman on the all-time list indoors. 2007 World Outdoors 10,000m bronze medalist Kara Goucher ran into third place with her winning time of 8:44.65 in the women's 3,000m.

A two-time World Indoor champion and the 2006 Indoor Visa Champion, Terrence Trammell continues to hold the top spot on the men's side with the 1,226 points he earned at the Millrose Games after running 7.45 in the 60mH. He is followed by 2008 U.S. Indoor champion Michael Rodgers in second, who earned 1,204 points for his win in the 60m (6.51) at the Millrose Games. Trammell and Rodgers are both undefeated in their respective events this indoor season. Additionally, 2006 U.S. Indoor champion Chris Lukezic moved into third place in the standings last week after his finish in the men's mile (3:56.04) earned him 1,181 points.

The Race for the Championship continues this weekend at the third stop of USATF's Indoor Visa championship Series, the Tyson Invitational on Friday, February 13 at the Randal Tyson Track Center in Fayetteville, Ark. Two-time Olympic silver medalist and three-time World Outdoor medalist Adam Nelson and 2007 World Outdoor champion and two-time World Indoor medalist Reese Hoffa will be on hand in the men's shot put to try and unseat Trammell as the men's leader. A heave of 21.77m/71-5.25 would earn 1227 points, and at this meet last year Adam Nelson unleashed a throw of 22.40m/73-6. On the women's side, a 22.58 in the 200m would earn 1,213 points. It was at this track last March that Bianca Knight set the Collegiate record of 22.40.

For more information on the 2009 USATF Indoor Visa Championship Series, visit www.visachampionshipseries.com.