Dendy leaps to 2016 best in long jump at U.S. champs

[March 12, 2016]  (Reuters) - Marquis Dendy leapt 8.41 meters to record the best long jump of the year at the U.S. indoor championships in Portland, Oregon on Friday, while Ryan Hill won a high quality 3,000 meters.

Dendy, the national outdoor champion, hit the winning mark and a lifetime best on his fifth attempt to qualify for next week's IAAF world indoor championships at the same Oregon Convention Center facility.

"The runway is really, really fast so I had to make a lot of adjustments. I was getting frustrated," said Dendy, who is trying to make amends for failing to place in the 2015 world outdoor championships.

In a competitive 3,000m, Hill pushed to the front with 300m to go to win in seven minutes, 38.60 seconds and edge out Kenyan-born Paul Chelimo (7:39.00).

American record holder Galen Rupp, less than a month after winning the U.S. Olympic marathon trials, finished eighth.

The top two finishers in each event qualify for the March 17-20 world championships.

Shannon Rowbury easily claimed the women's 3,000m in 8:55.65 and fellow Olympian Michelle Carter delivered the best indoor shot put of 2016, throwing 19.49 meters.

Sam Kendricks won the pole vault (5.90m) and Erik Kynard the high jump (2.29m).

In qualifying, Mike Rodgers (6.56) and Marvin Bracy (6.57) posted the top men's 60m marks and Barbara Pierre paced the women in 7.13

U.S. rugby player Carlin Isles squeezed into Saturday's semi-finals of the 60m, finishing 12th of 16 qualifiers in 6.68 seconds.

Former college sprinter Isles, a strong bet to make the U.S rugby sevens team at this summer's Olympics, is also hoping to win a spot on the athletics team for the 100 meters in Rio.

(Reporting by Gene Cherry in Salvo, North Carolina; Editing by Peter Rutherford)

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