Casimir Loxsom breaks own American 600-meters indoor record

Published Mar. 2, 2015 4:06 a.m. ET

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Casimir Loxsom broke his own American indoor record in the 600 meters Sunday, winning the USA Indoor Track & Field Championships in 1 minute, 15.33 seconds.

''The title means a lot more than the time to me,'' Loxsom said. ''I've never won a U.S. title before. I always seem to find a way to second place out of a potential victory.''

On Friday night at the Reggie Lewis Center, Loxsom stopped by to hand out medals at the New England Indoor Championships, the high school meet where he set a meet record in 2009 in winning a title for Wilbur Cross High School of New Haven, Connecticut.

''Five or six years ago, that was me here doing that,'' Loxsom said.

In the women's pole vault, NCAA indoor record-holder Demi Payne, a rising star from Stephen F. Austin, overcame a shaky warmup to win at 14 feet, 11 inches, defeating defending champion Mary Saxer. Jenn Suhr, the 2012 Olympic champion and world indoor record-holder who came into the competition with a heel injury, withdrew after failing to make her first two attempts.

''It was pretty intimidating,'' Payne said. ''They're the best of the best. I knew it was going to be a dogfight.'' Saxer finished second, jumping 14-9.

The mother of an 18-month-old, Payne, whose NCAA record of 15-7 makes her the third-best American woman indoors in history, said she has her sights set on making the U.S team for the World Championships this summer in Beijing.

Shannon Rowbury won her second title in the meet, taking the two mile in 9:43.94. She won the mile Saturday.

Alysia Montano, who was safely out front when main rival Ajee Wilson crashed to the track after being tripped midway through the race, won the women's 600 in 1:26.59. It was her first major competition since giving both to her first child in August.

''I was hoping it would be Ajee and I going at it,'' Montano said. ''It was disappointing to hear the crash.''

Michelle Carter won her third consecutive indoor title in the shot put with a mark of 63-9 3/4, the longest in the world this year.

Chaunte Lowe, the 2012 world indoor champion in the high jump, won her third U.S. indoor title as well, jumping 6-2 to beat 39-year-old Amy Acuff, who is beginning a comeback in a quest for make her sixth Olympic team in 2016. Acuff jumped 5-11 1/2 to take second.

In the 60, Marvin Bracy and Tianna Bartoletta successfully defended their titles. Bracy, the 2014 world indoor silver medalist, won in 6.55, while Bartoletta, the 2014 world indoor bronze medalist and 2005 world champion in the long jump, finished in 7.08.

Matthew Centrowitz capped a successful indoor campaign with a victory in the men's mile in 4:01.40, and Lauren Wallace had an upset win in the women's 1,000, securing the first major victory in her career in a meet-record 2:40.42.

''It's unreal,'' said Wallace, a 26-year-old 800 specialist. ''It hasn't set in yet. The coolest part was running through the tape. I've never been able to do that before. The tape was really, really cool.''