WALNUT, California, 19 April 2005 — Embattled sprinter Marion Jones’ exit from the Mt SAC Relays was noticeably faster than her performance on the track. The 29-year-old American struggled on Sunday in her first race since crashing out of the 2004 Athens Olympics.

Running in the 400 meters, Jones lumbered across the finish line in 55.03 seconds, more than three seconds adrift of winner Novlene Williams who clocked 51.49.

Jones typically uses Mt SAC as a stage to launch her outdoor campaign and test her early season progress. But if Sunday’s result is any indication then the former darling of US athletics is in for a tough season.

She left the Mt SAC track immediately on Sunday and did not attend a scheduled post-race news conference despite assurances from her team and meet officials that she would.

Jones finished the race then sat under a tree on the warm up track with partner Tim Montgomery before getting up and walking across the warm-up field to a waiting red van.

Lashinda Demus finished second behind Williams in 51.79, while 2003 world 400m hurdles champion Jana Pittman, of Australia, was third in 52.33.Jones’ time was well off her personal best of 49.59 in the 400m which she set in Mt. SAC in 2000.

Maurice Greene led his HSI club team to victory in the 4x100m, clocking a 38.73.

Montgomery said he has been spending the past few weeks training for the 2005 outdoor season at Norfolk State University in Virginia.

He said his next race will be the 100m at the Fort-de-France, Martinique, on April 30 where he will square off against Greene.

Allyson Felix, 19, also anchored her relay team to victory in the women’s 4x100. Felix’s USA High Perf Red team clocked 43.21, easily beating the Rice ‘A’ team which finished in 44.81.Wallace Spearmon blitzed the men’s 200m field, clocking a 19.97 and beating runner-up Tyree Washington (20.48)

Canada’s Perdita Felician captured the women’s 100m hurdles, flashing across the finish line in 12.73secs. Virginia Powell was second in 12.75 while third went to Nichole Denby in 12.79.

Aaron Armstrong won the men’s 100m in a wind-aided 10.00 and Kenya’s Benjamin Kipkarui took the men’s mile with a time of three minutes, 56.08 seconds.

Breaux Greer dominated the men’s javelin with a winning toss of 87.65m, beating runner-up Eric Brown by more than 15 meters.