American Record: Kim Batten, 52.61
2007 U.S. Champion: Tiffany Williams, 53.28
2004 Olympic Trials Champion: Sheena Johnson, 52.95
Top 5 Seed Times
1.) Tiffany Ross-Williams, 53.28
2.) Sheena (Johnson) Tosta, 53.29
3.) Lashinda Demus, 53.99
4.) Christine Spence, 54.21
5.) Nicole Leach, 54.32
Tiffany Ross-Williams, the defending U.S. champion, has the fastest seed time in the field, but is only .01 seconds ahead of Sheena Tosta, the former Sheena Johnson, who won two NCAA titles at UCLA and the 2004 Olympic Trials.
Ross-Williams placed seventh at last summer’s World Championships in Japan, while Tosta was one spot out of the medals in Athens. Tosta still holds the U.S. Championships record in the event with her 2004 winning time of 52.95.
Another top challenger is 2005 and 2006 U.S. champion Lashinda Demus. Demus, ranked No. 1 in the world in 2006, won the silver at the 2005 World Championships.
UCLA’s Nicole Leach will likely be in the thick of the chase for a top-three spot, as well. She was third behind Ross-Williams and Tosta at last year’s U.S. Championships and was a semifinalist in Osaka.
Also lurking as a darkhorse is 39-year-old Sandra Glover. Glover, who was fourth at the U.S. Championships last year, only has the sixth-best seed time in the field but has the experience of winning four U.S. titles and two World Championships medals and running in the 2000 Olympics.