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Gatlin, Bowie set year-best times

By WTOP Staff

MONACO (AP) — American sprinters Justin Gatlin and Tori Bowie set the fastest times this year in the 200 and 100 meters respectively at the Herculis meeting on Friday.

Gatlin, the 2004 Olympic champion in the 100, came out of the bend with the lead and pulled away in the homestretch to cross the line in 19.68 seconds despite a 0.5-meter headwind. Nickel Ashmeade finished second in 19.99, Christophe Lemaitre took third and Tyson Gay placed fourth in the 10th leg of the Diamond League circuit.

Gatlin also beat Gay in the 100 at the Athletissima meeting two weeks ago in Switzerland, where Gay was returning from a a one-year doping ban after testing positive for an anabolic steroid.

In the women’s 100, Bowie showed a tremendous burst of speed in the last 30 meters to win in 10.80. Veronica Campbell-Brown, the 2007 world champion, finished second in 10.96. Worlds runner-up Murielle Ahoure placed third, ahead of Blessing Okagbare, Allyson Felix and Olympic champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce.

At 23, Bowie is having a breakthrough season. Her fastest time last year was only 11.14.

Nijel Amos of Botswana, Silas Kiplagat of Kenya, Caterine Ibarguen of Colombia, Ajee Wilson of the United States and Genzebe Dibaba of Ethiopia also set world-leading marks.

Olympic runner-up Amos won the men’s 800 in 1 minute, 42.45 seconds. He made his move in the homestretch to overtake Olympic champion David Rudisha, who slipped to fifth in the final meters.

Kiplagat got the better of world champion Asbel Kiprop in the final straight to take the men’s 1,500 in 3:27.64. He celebrated his victory, a Diamond League record, by taking off his jersey and kneeling down to kiss his bib.

At her last attempt, world champion Ibarguen leaped 15.31 meters, also a Diamond League record, to win the triple jump. Yekaterina Koneva finished second with a 14.89-meter mark.

In the women’s 800, Wilson outpaced world champion Eunice Jepkoech Sum in the last 40 meters to finish in 1:57.67.

Dibaba ran 14:28.88 in the women’s 5,000 to beat worlds bronze medallist Almaz Ayana.

Pascal Martinot-Lagarde won the 110 hurdles in 12.95 to send a loud message ahead of the European championships in Zurich next month. Reigning European champion Sergey Shubenkov finished third behind Orlando Ortega. Olympic champion Aries Merritt, who has struggled for form this season because of a hamstring injury, placed seventh in 13.47.

Returning from a foot injury, world champion Zuzana Hejnova was making her first appearance in the women’s 400 hurdles this year and finished seventh in 55.86. Kaliese Spencer won the race in 54.09.

World champion Bohdan Bondarenko claimed the men’s high jump by clearing 2.40 meters. LaShawn Merritt, the 2008 Olympic champion, outpaced Gil Roberts to take the men’s 400 in 44.30.

Jairus Kipchoge Birech outclassed the men’s 3,000 steeplechase by running 8:03.33.

Worlds runner-up Piotr Malachowski threw 65.84 meters in the men’s discus to beat Jorge Fernandez and Gerd Kanter.

Olympic champion Barbora Spotakova dominated the women’s javelin with a 66.96-meter throw and Valerie Adams threw 20.38 meters to remain undefeated this year in the women’s shot put.

Fabiana Murer cleared 4.76 to stun Olympic pole vault champion Jennifer Suhr by five centimeters while Li Jinzhe of China was the surprise winner in the men’s long jump with a 8.09-meter leap.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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