2005 DRAKE RELAYS RELEASE #5

DES MOINES, IOWA – Jen Toomey, who is the only athlete ever to win the middle-distance double at the U.S. Indoor Championships, will compete in the women's invitational 800 during the Saturday (April 30) session of the 96th annual Drake Relays.

Toomey, 23, is coming off the best season of her young career having won the 800 (2:00.02) and 1,500 (4:09.82) at the 2004 U.S. Indoor Championships. She then placed fourth in the 800 at the 2004 World Indoor Championships in a personal best of 1:59.64 and set an American record in the 1,000-meter run of 2:34.19 in Birmingham, England.

She placed second in the 1,500 at the 2004 U.S. Olympic Trials but an adductor injury suffered in Europe kept her from achieving the Olympic “A” standard.
Toomey finished second in the 800 (2:02.11) at the 2002 U.S. Outdoor Championships, while placing third in 2001 (2:01.80) and 2003 (2:00.12).

Toomey has been ranked in the top 10 in the U.S. in the women's 800 since 2001. She was ranked No. 2 in 2003 and No. 3 in 2001 and 2002. She also was ranked No. 2 in the 1,500 in the U.S. last year and No. 7 in the 800.