Team USA kicks off competition at World Youth Championships
Contact: Glen McMicken (36) 30-398-6654 (cell)
+6 hours ahead of Eastern Time
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, July 11, 2001
INDIANAPOLIS - When the United States team starts competition tomorrow at the
2nd IAAF World Youth Championships, the obstacles they face on the track will
seem minor after the torturous travel they endured just to get to this
Eastern Hungarian city.
Due to engine problems on their KLM flight from Atlanta to Amsterdam, the
first half of the U.S. team originally scheduled to arrive Tuesday did not
arrive until this evening. The flight made an emergency landing at Gander,
Newfoundland for repairs before heading back to New York, where the team was
delayed for a day. The squad arrived in Budapest at noon today, and headed
for Debrecen by train.
At the first World Youth Championships in Poland in 1999, the U.S. won seven
medals, including gold for high school 400 record holder Monique Henderson.
Henderson went on to qualify for the Olympic team in the 4x400 in 2000.
Thursday's events kick off at 10 a.m. with the men's octathlon, where
America's Donovan Kilmartin is one of the pre-meet favorites. U.S. hopes are
also high in the men's 100 and women's 400. Here's a look at the U.S. entries
for the first day of the Championships:
Men's 100: Willie Hordge (Houston, Texas) and Jonathan Wade (Shreveport,
Louisiana). This is a key event for U.S. medal hopes, with Hordge and Wade
among the world youth leaders in 2001. Hordge has a wind-legal best of 10.48
and has dipped into the mid 10.30s with an aiding breeze. He showed fitness
last weekend by winning the USATF Youth Athletics nationals with a 10.51 into
a 1.5 meters-per-second wind. The Texas speedster anchored his Houston Forest
Brook 4x100 team to a 39.95 clocking at the Texas state high school
championships in early May, and won 200 gold in a rare outing at the Youth
nationals, crossing the line at 21.04 into a 0.4 wind. Wade won the sprint
double at the Louisiana state high school championships and has a legal best
of 10.47 this year. He romped to a windy (2.7) 10.45 in the prelims at Youth
nationals, and is one of the top prep football players in the nation.
Men's 400: Joshua Walker (Ellenwood, Georgia) and Matthew Erickson (Caldwell,
Idaho). Walker has a best of 47.97, and is joined on the U.S. team by twin
brother Jonathan (400H). Erickson is a rarity in that he has already
completed a year of university at age 17. Competing for the University of
Idaho, he was a finalist in the 400 at the Big West Conference championships.
He has a best of 47.98.
Men's 800: Courtney Jaworski (University Place, Washington) and Richard Allen
(Colorado Springs, Colorado). Jaworski set a personal best of 1:50.65 in
winning the USATF Youth nationals last weekend, and was the Washington state
high school champ at 1:51.26. He may be one of the top middle distance medal
hopes for the U.S. at any level this year. Allen has a best of 1:54.32 from
2000.
Men's 3000: Mark Walter (League City, Texas) and David Olson (Colorado
Springs, Colorado). Walter is a Texas high schooler who is used to the heat
and humidity, and his curious double at the USATF Youth nationals showed he
is fit. He ran 1:56.90 in the heats of the 800, and followed up with a
15:45.57 win at 5000 meters. He has a best of 8:47.7 and is capable of
challenging for a spot in the final. Olson was third in the 1500 at the Youth
nationals in 4:04.47 and has a 3k best of 8:55.00.
Men's 400H: Jonathan Walker (Ellenwood, Georgia) and Sergio Daniel (Atlanta,
Georgia). Walker was second at the Youth nationals in 53.62, just ahead of
Daniel, who crossed the line at 53.95. Walker, whose twin brother, Joshua, is
entered in the 400, has a 2001 best of 53.0H, while Daniel sports a PR of
53.89.
Men's High Jump: Ceith Creekmur (Naperville, Illinois). Creekmur, whose first
name is pronounced "Keith", was second at the Illinos state high school
championships and has a best of 2.06/6-9. He was fifth at the Youth nationals
with a 2.00/6-6.75 clearance.
Men's Long Jump: I-Perfection Harris (Staten Island, New York) and Brian
Calhoun (Oak Creek, Wisconsin). The exquisitely named Harris is one of the
top-ranked prep football players in the U.S. and has a best of 7.36/24-1.75.
He was fifth at the Youth nationals with a 7.02/23-0.5. Calhoun placed sixth
at that meet with a 6.91/22-8. He was fourth at the Wisconsin state high
school championships.
Men's Octathlon: Donovan Kilmartin (Meridian, Idaho) and Eric Black (Baldwin
City, Kansas). One of the best all-around youth athletes in the world,
Kilmartin has the makings of an Olympic-caliber decathlete. Sharing a home
state with former world record holder and Olympic champ Dan O'Brien, the
lanky Kilmartin won four events at his state high school championships and
turned in a decathlon best of 7318 with high school implements. At last
weekend's Youth nationals he won the pole vault (4.75/15-7), was second in
the high jump (2.05/6-8.75), fourth in the long jump (7.16/23-6) and clocked
14.94 in the prelims of the 110H. Black won the Kansas state 800 title and
was second in the decathlon at the Youth nationals last week.
Women's 100: Allyson Felix (Santa Clarita, California) and Tissilli Rogers
(Atlanta, Georgia). Felix won the California state high school 100 gold in
11.61 and has a best of 11.53 this year. Equally talented at 200m, Felix
clocked 23.31 and was second in her state meet before winning the Youth
nationals (intermediate division) in 23.82. Rogers was the Georgia state
champ at 11.64 and was second in the 200 at that meet.
Women's 400: Stephanie Smith (Macon, Georgia) and Jerrika Chapple (Lancaster,
Texas). This is a marquee event for the U.S. squad, with both entrants
entertaining medal hopes. Smith won the national Junior title at 52.38 in
June and won an 11.85/53.41 double at the Youth nationals. She won double
sprint gold at the Georgia state meet, clocking 23.65/53.09. Chapple won the
Texas state championship at 53.63 and anchored her Lancaster team to a
3:43.22 win in the 4x400 with a sub-52 split. She has a best of 53.10.
Women's 800: Evelyn Dwyer (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) and Crystal Anyanwu
(Beltsville, Maryland). Both Dwyer and Anyanwu showed their fitness at the
Youth nationals, with Dwyer winning the Young Women's race by almost two
seconds in 2:11.67. Anyanwu clocked 2:14.31 in the intermediate division, a
season best. Dwyer has a PR of 2:11.00 and is a strong racer, while Anyanwu
turned in a 2:13.07 in 2000 and continues to improve.
Women's 100H: Ashley Lodree (Richmond, California) and Jacquelyn Johnson
(Yuma, Arizona). Lodree was second at Youth nationals in a PR 14.04, and has
a windy 13.90 to her credit. She was fourth at the California state high
school meet. Better known as a heptathlete, Johnson is also a fine hurdler
with a best of 13.88. She won four events at the Arizona state meet: the 100H
, high jump, long jump and triple jump.
Women's 400H: Courtney Clark (Norristown, Pennsylvania). Clark is rounding
into top shape, as evidenced by her near-PR 61.97 clocking at the Youth
nationals. She placed ninth at this year's Penn Relays.
Women's Pole Vault: Julene Bailey (Nampa, Idaho) and Elizabeth Boyle
(Oakbrook, Illinois). They may have to jump on borrowed poles, but this
American duo has talent to spare and could be in the medal hunt when their
personal poles arrive after a twisty-turny journey by truck through Europe.
Idaho state champion Bailey set a Youth nationals intermediate record with
her 3.80/12-5.5 clearance last weekend, and boasts a PR of 3.86/12-8. Boyle
has a best of 3.81/12-6 and won the Illinois state championship.
Women's Triple Jump: LaToya LeGree (Stone Mountain, Georgia) and Michelle
Sanford (Irvine, California). LeGree won the Youth nationals young women's
division at 12.39w/40-7.75 and was the Georgia state champion. Sanford was
the intermediate division winner at Youth nationals and was second in the
long jump and triple jump at the California state meet. Her father, James
Sanford, was an outstanding sprinter in the late 1970s and early 1980s,
clocking a legal 10.02 in addition to a windy 9.88. The elder Sanford was
also world-class in the 200 and 400.
Women's Shot Put: Michelle Carter (Ovilla, Texas) and Lindsey Neuberger
(Virginia Beach, Virginia). Medal hopes are high in this event, despite crazy
scheduling that sees the shot and discus going on almost simultaneously.
Carter has the bloodlines to be a great one, as she is the daughter of 1984
Olympic silver medalist Michael Carter. Papa Carter still holds one of the
most impressive track and field records with his 24.78/81-3.5 toss of the
5.44kg shot put in 1979. The younger Carter has a best of 15.14/49-8.25 and
won the Youth nationals with a 14.99/49-2.25 effort. She also won the
shot/discus double at the Texas state meet before repeating that feat at
Youth nationals. Neuberger has topped 15 meters with her PR 15.05/49-4.5, and
was the Virgina shot/discus champion this year.
Women's Discus: Amarachi Ukabam (Blackjack, Missouri) and Michelle Carter
(Ovilla, Texas). Ukabam is among the best in the U.S. prep ranks in the
discus, boasting a PR of 50.32/165-1. She won the Youth nationals and was the
Missouri state champion. Carter was Texas state champ and has a PR of
46.03/151-0. She won the event in the intermediate division at the Youth
nationals.
Women's Hammer: Kristen Michalski (West Warwick, Rhode Island). Michalski
appears to be a good bet to make the finals, and may near the medal stand.
She has a best of 55.90/183-5 and easily won the Youth nationals last week.
An impressive physical specimen at 6-2/223, Michalski won the Rhode Island
indoor 20-pound weight throw title this year.
***YOUTH ATHLETICS NOTES***
By the numbers: Some 166 countries and more than 1,300 athletes are expected
to compete at the four-day World Youth Championships in Debrecen, Hungary.
As might be expected, some of the largest fields may be found in the short
sprints (M100 - 109 athletes; W100 - 76 athletes; M200 - 83 athletes; W200 -
61 athletes) and relay (M - 124 teams; W - 108 teams). The least "populated"
event? It's the women's 3000 meters, with only 11 athletes meeting the
rigorous qualifying standard (9:40).
Some unique events that U.S. track and field fans may not be as familiar with
include the men's multi-event, the Octathlon, and the Championships lone
relay, the Sprint Medley. The eight events in the Octathlon are: Day 1 -
100m; Long Jump; Shot Put (5kg); and 400 Meters. Day 2 -110 Meter Hurdles
(36"); High Jump; Javelin Throw (700gr); and 1,000m. The Sprint Medley is
run in this order: 100m, 200m, 300m and 400m.
It's a Zoo! The mixed zone has often been called a zoo, but the World Youth
Championships will really have one! Athletes will walk approximately 800
meters from the warmup track to the stadium through a small petting zoo.
Debrecen is called "a town dressed in sunshine" and that was the theme for
Wednesday's Opening Ceremonies, which featured four sun puppets
(approximately 20-feet tall) and hundreds of folk dancers, along with an
appearance by popular Debrecen band, Desperado.
Veteran English-language announcer Scott Davis, who also serves as the meet
director for the Mt. Sac Relays, was impressed with Debrecen's preparations.
"I'm very impressed with the stadium. They've done a great job. The Local
Organizing Committee has certainly worked very hard to make this event come
together." Davis is one of three announcers working the meet. Calls will be
made in Hungarian, English and French.
