Contact: Jill M. Geer
Director of Communications, USATF
http://www.usatf.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Saturday, August 25, 2001
Experienced Women's Team Set For World University Games
BEIJING - Two Olympians and eight Team athletes from the 2001 World
Outdoor Track & Field Championships will lead the U.S. women at the World
University Games track and field competition August 27-September 1 at the
National Olympic Sports Center in Beijing. The Games run August 22-Sept. 1
and are held throughout China's capital city.
NCAA champions, Olympians and World Championships competitors highlight
the Team USA's track and field delegation, which is by far the largest team
of the U.S. contingent in Beijing. Eighty-five of the United States' 183
total athletes will compete in track and field at the Games. Forty-two men
and forty-three men will represent Team USA at the track.
Erin Aldrich (high jump) and Mikele Barber (4x400m relay pool alternate) were
members of the Team USA delegation at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, and
bring their international experience to Beijing. Aldrich and Barber also
competed at the 2001 World Championships in Edmonton, along with fellow World
University Games competitors Me'Lisa Barber (4x400m relay pool), Tracy O'Hara
(pole vault), Yuliana Perez (triple jump), Melissa Price (hammer throw),
Brenda Taylor (400m hurdles) and Demetria Washington (400m, 4x400m relay).
Among the Americans with the strongest medal chances in women's competition
are:
· Erin Aldrich, high jump: 2000 and 1998 NCAA outdoor champion for Texas,
1999 and '98 NCAA indoor champion, 2000 Olympian, personal best of 1.97m/6-5.5
· Mikele (Miki) Barber, 400m: 2000 NCAA outdoor champion, 2000 NCAA indoor
runner-up, 6-time All-American in 400 and 200 for South Carolina, member of
2000 Olympic 4x400m relay pool; personal best of 50.63.
· Danielle Caruthers, 100m hurdles: 2001 NCAA runner-up for Indiana,
personal best of 12.96
· Sara Day, 10,000m: 2001 NCAA runner-up for Wake Forest, personal best of
33:20.23
· Mary Jayne Harrelson, 1,500m: 2001 NCAA outdoor champion for Appalachian
State, 2001 NCAA outdoor runner-up; personal best of 4:07.37
· Kim Kreiner, javelin: 2001 U.S. outdoor champion, Kent State, personal
best of 57.22m/187-9
· GiGi Miller, heptathlon: 2001 U.S. runner-up, University of Arkansas,
personal best of 5925 points
· Tracy O'Hara, pole vault: 2000 NCAA indoor and outdoor champion; 2001
NCAA indoor and outdoor runner-up for UCLA; fourth at 2001 U.S.
championships, personal best of 4.45m/14-7.25
· Yuliana Perez, triple jump: 2001 U.S. runner-up and World Champs
participant; 2001 JUCO national champion for Pima CC, personal best of
14.19/46-6.75
· Melissa Price, hammer throw: 2001 U.S. 3rd place and World Champs
finalist, 2000 NCAA runner-up for Nebraska, personal best of 66.25/217-4
· Brenda Taylor, 400m hurdles: 2001 NCAA champion; 2001 NCAA woman of the
year for track and field for Harvard, 2001 World Champs participant, personal
best of 55.46.
· Demetria Washington, 400m: 2001 NCAA indoor champion, NCAA outdoor
runner-up for South Carolina, 6-time All-American at 400m and 200m for South
Carolina, fourth at U.S. championships, personal best of 51.26 set in
semifinals of 2001 World Championships.
· 4x400m relay: Mikele Barber (NCAA Outdoor champ '00); Me'Lisa Barber (6th
NCAA Outdoor '01); Demetria Washington (NCAA Indoor champ '01; 2nd, NCAA
Outdoor '01, '00); Carolyn Jackson (5th NCAA Outdoor '00); Maushauni Robinson
(3rd, NCAA Outdoor '01)
Team captains are Aldrich, Mikele Barber and Harrelson.
The Team USA staff is head coach Craig Poole (Brigham Young University),
assistant coach Angela Goodman (Michigan State), assistant coach Qingyi Zheng
(UNLV), head manager Rich Torrellas (USA Track & Field), assistant manager
Sandy Snow (USA Track & Field).
Team USA holds the record for the women's 4x100m relay at the World
University Games, 42.40 set in 1989 by the team of Michelle Finn, Anita
Howard, Lamonda Miller and Esther Jones.
For complete Team USA track and field coverage, visit www.usatf.org. For
coverage of all World University Games Team USA sports and events, visit
www.usoc.org. For results of the World University Games, visit
http://info.u21.org.cn
Team USA men's track and field entries by event, 2001 World University Games
(subject to change)
100m: Tania Woods (San Francisco), Teneeshia Jones (Mississippi)
200m: Jimyria Hicks (Oklahoma), Myra Jaune Combs (LSU)
400m: Demetria Washington (South Carolina), Mikele Barber (South Carolina)
800m: Tamieke Grizzle (Florida), Sasha Spencer (Georgetown)
1,500m: Mary Jayne Harrelson (Appalachian State), Janelle Deatherage
(Wisconsin)
5,000m: Melissa Gulli (Texas A&M), Sally Glynn (Stanford)
10,000m: Sara Day (Wake Forest), Janelle Kraus (Wake Forest)
Half-Marathon: Marina Kruppa (Georgetown)
100m hurdles: Danielle Caruthers (Indiana), Ellakisha Williamson (South
Carolina)
400m hurdles: Brenda Taylor (Harvard), Lashinda Demus
High Jump: Erin Aldrich (Texas), Carri Lynn Long (Purdue)
Pole Vault: Tracy O'Hara (UCLA), Rebecca Holliday (Clackamas CC)
Long Jump: Elisha Williams (Mississippi State), Akeba McKinney (Santa Monica)
Triple Jump: Yuliana Perez (Pima CC), GiGi Miller (Arkansas)
Shot Put: Kristin Heaston (Cal Berkeley), Lisa Griebel (Iowa State)
Discus: Krista Keir (Ohio State), Aubrey Schmitt (Minnesota)
Hammer Throw: Melissa Price (Nebraska), Maureen Griffin (Idaho State)
Javelin: Kim Kreiner (Kent State), Serene Ross (Purdue)
Heptathlon: GiGi Miller (Arkansas), Kimberly Schiemenz (Northern Colorado)
10k Race Walk: Sara Stevenson (Olivet Nazarene)
4x100m Relay (subject to change): Tania Woods (San Francisco), Jimyria Hicks
(Oklahoma), Teneeshia Jones (Mississippi), Tonya Carter (Florida State)
4x400m Relay (subject to change): Mikele Barber (South Carolina), Me'Lisa
Barber (South Carolina), Carolyn Jackson (Arizona), Moushauni Robinson
(Texas), Demetria Washington (South Carolina)
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