Defying his age, 38-year-old Bernard Lagat won the 5,000-meter run for a fifth time at the U.S. outdoor track and field championships in Des Moines, Iowa.
Lagat, a UA volunteer assistant who lives in Tucson, and former Wildcats Georgeanne Moline and Zack Lloyd all earned berths Sunday to the world championships Aug. 10-18 in Moscow.
Moline took second in the 400 hurdles; Lloyd was third in the shot put. They'll join three others with UA ties at worlds: Brigetta Barrett (high jump) and Julie Labonté and Alyssa Hasslen (both shot put).
Lagat finished the 5,000 race in 14 minutes 56.16 seconds, the slowest winning time at the U.S. championships since 1952, but it still landed him a spot in Moscow.
He earned silver medals at the world championships in 2009 (13:17.33) and 2011 (13:23.64).
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Moline ran her second-fastest time in the 400 hurdles (53.88), but was edged at the line by Dalilah Muhammad (53.83). Moline, who holds the No. 3 time in the world at 53.72, also was second at the NCAA and Pac-12 championships.
"Overall, she's happy she made the (U.S.) team, but she wants to win because she knows she can win," said UA coach Fred Harvey, who added Moline needs to work on her stride on the ninth hurdle.
Lloyd, the 2008 Pac-10 shot put champion, had a toss of 69-2 1/2 feet Sunday.
"This is his first World Championship team and I'm excited for him," Harvey said. "He's still representing the Wildcats."
Also Sunday, Tyson Gay put to rest any questions about his surgically repaired hip as he completed a sprint double, winning the 200 meters in 19.74 seconds.
It's the fastest time in the world this season. Gay also beat Justin Gatlin in the 100 on Friday in a season-leading time of 9.75.
"I'm pretty tired," Gay said. "I'm just glad I'm leaving the race healthy."
With his strong performance, Gay delivered an emphatic message to the rest of the world, and more specifically Usain Bolt: The Gay of old is back. Not the version hobbled by nagging injuries over the years, but the one who won the 100 and 200 titles at the 2007 worlds.
"I'm just happy to be healthy," Gay said. "It feels good, man."
It should be quite a show when he meets up with Bolt at the world championships in Moscow this summer.
"I'm just focused on myself right now," Gay said. "It's no secret Usain Bolt is obviously the greatest of all time. He's definitely going to be prepared."
In the women's 200, Kimberlyn Duncan upset Olympic champion Allyson Felix. Duncan finished in 21.80, with Felix 0.05 seconds behind.
Felix said she got a late start on training and hasn't found her form just yet.
"I'm lacking a little bit of speed right now," Felix said. "Overall, my conditioning could be a little better."
Gay built a lead after the curve and then fended off Isiah Young, who finished in 19.86. Curtis Mitchell, the training partner of Gay, was third to grab the last spot in the 200.
Other winners included Alysia Montano (800), Jennifer Simpson (5,000), Duane Solomon (men's 800), Ryan Wilson (110 hurdles), Erik Kynard (high jump), Riley Dolezal (javelin), Evan Jager (3,000 steeplechase), George Kitchens (long jump), Ryan Whiting (shot put) and Gia Lewis-Smallwood (discus).
Jenn Suhr won the pole vault, setting up a showdown with outdoor record holder Yelena Isinbayeva of Russia in Moscow.
Includes material from a news release
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