Jasmin Stowers shocks Dawn Harper-Nelson in Drake Relays 100 hurdles

Jasmin Stowers defied cold, wet conditions to win the women`s 100m hurdles at the Drake Relays on Saturday in a 2015 world leading 12.40sec, surprising former Olympic champion Dawn Harper-Nelson.

Stowers eclipsed the previous meet record of 12.58sec set by Kristi Castlin last year, cruising over the last two hurdles to leave 2008 Olympic gold medalist Harper Nelson second in 12.71.

Castlin was third in 12.72 and 2013 world champion Brianna Rollins was fourth.

Stowers improved on the previous best time of the season, Briton Tiffany Porter`s 12.58 on April 18 in Clermont, Florida.

"I was definitely nervous," admitted Stowers, whose previous best was 12.71.

"The time I ran was crazy to me," added the 23-year-old, who said her sights are now set on the World Championships in Beijing -- which will highlight the 2015 season in August -- as well as next year`s Rio Olympics.

American Will Claye won the men`s triple jump with a wind-aided leap of 16.84m, another 2015 world best.

He finished ahead of fellow American Christian Taylor (16.81) and France`s 2013 world champion Teddy Tamgho, who produced a jump of 16.27m in his first international competition in 18 months.

Since winning the world title in Moscow, Tamgho had endured a broken leg suffered in training, and served a one-year ban imposed in March of last year after he missed three dope test assignments.

He had made a modest return to competition last month with a jump of 16.78m at a meeting near Paris.

France`s 2012 Olympic gold medalist Renaud Lavillenie also settled for third place in a men`s pole vault competition that was moved indoors because of the light rain.

American Sam Kendricks won the pole vault, his clearance of 5.82m matched by runner-up Shawn Barber of Canada with Lavillenie clearing 5.62m.

American Francena McCorory won the women`s 400m in a world leading 50.13, improving on the 50.17 of the Bahamas` Shaunae Miller.

The 2014 world indoor champion broke the Drake Relays record of 50.64, established in 1987, with Sanya Richards-Ross settling for second in 51.09 in her first outdoor race of the season.

The men`s mile went to Leo Manzano in a world leading 4:00.05.