Contact: Jill M. Geer
Director of Communications, USATF
http://www.usatf.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Saturday, August 25, 2001
Team USA men's squad looks strong for World University Games
BEIJING - Some of the United States' top athletes will compete 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. Those with recent
international experience include 2000 Olympian Michael Stember (1,500m) and
2001 World Championships participants Russ Buller (pole vault), Brian Clay
(decathlon), Anthony Famiglietti (steeplechase), Miguel Pate (LJ), Derrick
Peterson (800m) and Andrew Pierce (4x400m relay).
Among the Americans with the strongest medal chances in men's competition are:
· Russ Buller, pole vault: 2000 NCAA indoor and outdoor champion for
Louisiana State, 2001 World Championships competitor, personal best of
5.81m/19-0.75
· Anthony Famiglietti, steeplechase: 2001 U.S. runner-up and World
Championships participant, personal best of 8:21.00
· Jay Harvard, hammer throw: 2001 U.S. runner-up, personal best of
73.17/240-0
· Aubrey Herring, 110m hurdles: 2001 NCAA Indoor 60m hurdles champion and
Outdoor runner-up for Indiana State, personal best of 13.42
· Bayano Kamani, 400m hurdles: 2001 NCAA champion and 2000 NCAA runner-up
for Baylor, personal best of 48.43
· Matt Lane, 5,000m: 4th at 2000 U.S. Olympic Trials, 2001 NCAA Outdoor and
2000 NCAA Indoor runner-up for William & Mary, personal best of 13:25.38
· Miguel Pate, long jump: 2001 U.S. runner-up, fourth at 2001 World
Championships, fifth at 2001 NCAA Outdoor for Alabama, personal best of
8.26m/27-1.25
· Derrick Peterson, 800m: 1999 WUGs bronze medalist, 2000 NCAA indoor
champion, 1999 NCAA indoor champ for Missouri; 2001 U.S. runner-up and World
Championships participant
· Andrew Pierce, 400m, 4x400m relay: 2001 NCAA indoor runner-up for Ohio
State, 2001 U.S. indoor runner-up, ran leg in rounds of 4x400m for Team USA
at 2001 World Championships, personal best of 44.87
· Jonathan Riley, 5,000m: 2001 NCAA Outdoor champion, 8th at 1999 World
University Games for Stanford, personal best of 13:36.69
· Michael Stember, 1,500m: 2000 Olympian, 9-time track All-American, 4th at
1999 World University Games for Stanford University, personal best of 3:35.11
· Jess Strutzel, 800m: 2000 NCAA Indoor Champion for UCLA, 3rd at 2001 U.S.
Outdoors, personal best of 1:45.81
· 4x400m relay: Andrew Pierce, Thomas Gerding (6th NCAA outdoor '01), Geno
White (3rd NCAA indoor '01), Brandon Couts (1st NCAA indoor '00)
The Team USA staff is head coach Ralph Lindeman (Air Force Academy),
assistant coach Bart Williams (Contra Costa College), Assistant Coach Peter
Zinno (New York Institute of Technology), head manager James Li (Washington
State) and assistant manager Robert Budke (Lopez High School-Arroyo Grande,
Calif).
American athletes hold five World University Games men's records in track and
field: 100m (10.07, Lee McRae, 1987); 3,000m steeplechase (8:21.26, John
Gregorek, 1981); 4x400m relay (3:00.40, Ryan Hayden, Leonard Byrd, Andre
Morris, Anthuan Maybank, 1995); triple jump (17.86m/58-7.25, Charlie
Simpkins, 1985); and shot put (21.11m/68-5, Andy Bloom, 1999).
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: Marcus Brunson (Arizona State), Gerald Williams (Mt. SAC)
200m: Josephus Howard (South Carolina), Kaaron Conwright (Cal Poly-SLO)
400m: Andrew Pierce (Ohio State), Thomas Gerding (Minnesota)
800m: Derrick Peterson (Missouri), Jess Strutzel (UCLA)
1,500m: Michael Stember (Stanford)
3,000m Steeplechase: Anthony Famiglietti (Tennessee), Steve Slattery
(Colorado)
5,000m: Matt Lane (Williams & Mary), Jonathan Riley (Stanford)
10,000m: Matt Downin (Wisconsin), Brandon Leslie (Adams State)
Half-Marathon: David Bazzi (Washington), Brian Sell (St. Francis)
110m hurdles: Aubrey Herring (Indiana State), Ron Bramlett (Arizona)
400m hurdles: Bayano Kamani (Baylor), Frederick Sharpe (Auburn)
High Jump: Tora Harris (Princeton), Shawn Guice (Purdue)
Pole Vault: Russ Buller (LSU), Brian Hunter (Texas)
Long Jump: Miguel Pate (Alabama), Kenta Bell (Northwestern State)
Triple Jump: Kenta Bell (Northwestern State), Tim Rusan (St. Augustine's)
Shot Put: Reese Hoffa (Georgia), Jamie Beyer (Iowa State)
Discus: Nick Petrucci (Northern Arizona), Jarred Rome (St. Augustine's)
Hammer Throw: Jay Harvard (Georgia), James Parker (Utah State)
Javelin: Ron White (Florida), Christopher Clever (Harvard)
Decathlon: Brian Clay (Azusa Pacific), Stephen Moore (Abilene Christian)
20k Race Walk: Sean Albert (Southwestern), Al Heppner (San Diego State)
4x100m Relay (subject to change): Marcus Brunson (Arizona State), Gerald
Williams (Mt. SAC), Josh Norman (Fresno CC), Kaaron Conwright (Cal Poly-SLO)
4x400m Relay (subject to change): Andrew Pierce (Ohio State), Thomas Gerding
(Minnesota), Geno White (Florida), Brandon Couts (Baylor)
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