EUGENE, Ore. — If only they were all this easy.

LaShawn Merritt and Sanya Richards made their 400-meter races look like strolls around the track yesterday, each cruising to titles at the U.S. championships.

With no Jeremy Wariner in the field, Merritt was missing his only real rival and quickly pulled away from the field. The Olympic gold medalist, who beat Wariner in Beijing, won in 44.50 seconds, tying his world-best time for 2009.

Now that's a birthday present.

Merritt turned 23 yesterday, but doesn't plan to celebrate until returning home to Virginia.

"I'm getting old, getting old," he said, laughing.

With no one to really push Merritt, the battle was for second, where Gil Roberts held off Kerron Clement. Olympic bronze medalist David Neville finished fifth.

"I don't take anything for granted," he said. "I know my competitor is going to bring their 'A' game, and I'm going to bring mine, too."

This was Richards' fifth national championship and second in a row.

But as has happened at times in her career, she's struggled when she gets on the very biggest of stages. Last year, she finished third in Beijing after entering the event as the runner to beat.

She's hoping to reverse that trend at the world championships in Berlin later this summer.

Richards, wearing hot pink shoes and matching top, only got stronger as the race went along. She finished in 50.05 seconds. Debbie Dunn took second and Jessica Beard was third.

"I don't think it was one of my best races of the season," Richards said. "I just wanted to run smart and make sure I brought it home to win. I'm ready to move on and focus on Berlin."

Dwight Phillips drew the biggest ovation of the night from the crowd when he leapt 28 feet, 1 1/2 inches in the long jump on his second attempt.

That jump was good enough to win gold and banish some personal demons at Hayward Field.

The 2004 Olympic gold medalist endured an injury-riddled 2008 and missed out on a trip to Beijing in this stadium.

"It's always frustrating when, most of my career I've made every team I've tried out for," he said. "Not to make the Olympic team was very disappointing."

Lashinda Demus (400 hurdles), Brad Walker (pole vault), Shannon Rowbury (1,500), Kara Patterson (javelin), A.G. Kruger (hammer), Josh McAdams (steeplechase), Tim Seaman (20K walk) and David Payne (110 hurdles) also won titles yesterday.