DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - With 600 meters left in the 10,000 meters at the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, Galen Rupp knew it was finally time to speed things up.
He blew past Edward Moran to win his second straight national title on Thursday night with a time of 28 minutes, 59.29 seconds.
Rupp was the prohibitive favorite to repeat, and he showed why down the stretch. He beat Moran by just under four seconds and Patrick Smyth finished third.
"It's like Al Davis said. In this, just win baby," Rupp said. "I put a little distance on (Moran) pretty quickly. So when that happened, I was like all right, I got to make a move here. Let's go for the kill."
The men's and women's 10,000 races took center stage with junior national events dominating the schedule. Amy Begley beat hometown favorite Lisa Koll in the women's 10,000, winning in 32 minutes, 6.45 seconds.
Begley, the top-ranked American in the 10,000 and the defending national champion, let Koll take the top spot as the race progressed. She hung right behind the NCAA champion and former Iowa State star, before overtaking her just before the bell lap to cruise to a five-second win.
"Defending my title again is really fun," Begley said. "Maybe I can make it four in a row. I'm halfway done, so that would be really nice."
Koll, who had the unquestioned support at a stadium that's about 95 miles from her native Fort Dodge, was second in 32.11.72.
That's a result the emerging distance star will certainly take.
"Tried to stay relaxed, so that I could hopefully try to come down for that finish, but she had more than me," Koll said. "I knew she was going to be feeling good and I was still feeling good. But I just didn't have the gear that she had."
Sanya Richards-Ross ran the 400 for the first time this season after straining her quadriceps at the Penn Relays. Richards-Ross, the defending world outdoor champion, qualified with a time of 51.91.
Erica McLain won the women's triple jump - the only field event final of the day - by leaping 46 feet, 6 1/4 inches.
The men's 100 was already thinned by the absence of Tyson Gay, the American record holder who's out with a hamstring injury. Shawn Crawford, the fourth-place Olympic finisher in 2004, was a late scratch, leaving Walter Dix and Wallace Spearmon as the sprinters to watch for the finals.
Crawford's agent, Kim Holland, told The Associated Press by e-mail that Crawford's coach, Bob Kersee, decided it would be best for Crawford to train through the national meet.
Travis Padgett ran the best time in the opening round with a 10.23. Dix clocked in at 10.27 and Spearmon came in at 10.33.
The men's and women's 100 final will headline Friday's schedule. LaShaunte'a Moore led qualifying in the women's 100 at 11.26, with Allyson Felix at 11.32.
"Some people have nicks and aches and injuries and this isn't the year to really try and come out here and run if you have those problems. This is kind of a year to get healthy," Spearmon said.
Richards-Ross showed why she's been No. 1 in the world for five years in a row, clocking in at 51.91 to win her heat in front a supportive Drake Stadium crowd watching her run on the famed blue oval for the first time.
Debbie Dunn posted the fastest first round at 51.74.
"The good thing is I feel strong, and that's what my training has indicated. So, just got to get my speed going," said Richards-Ross, who skipped the indoor season after getting married to New York Giants cornerback Aaron Ross.
Hazel Clark's quest for a sixth outdoor title in 800 hit a bit of a bump in the opening round. Clark slowed up at the end of her heat, thinking she had second place locked down, but that brief slip-up allowed Treniere Moser and Latavia Thomas to sneak past her.
Clark still easily qualified for the semifinals.
"I got caught off guard, and that's like a no-no," Clark said. "It was a glitch. I feel asleep. I got too relaxed. I guarantee it won't happen (Friday). I'm going all out."
Dealing with the heat and humidity figures to be one of the major challenges for the athletes as the meet progresses. It hit the low 80s on a mostly sunny and muggy Thursday, and the forecasts predict it'll only get warmer.
"Very hot. I'm from Miami, and there's some humidity here," Bershawn Jackson said after an opening-round 49.58 in the 400 hurdles.