Contact: Jill M. Geer
Director of Communications
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
http://www.usatf.org
317-261-0500
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, June 21, 2002
Race walkers, Richards highlight Day 1 of USA Juniors
PALO ALTO, CALIF. – Athletes from two opposing event groups – race walkers
and sprinters – turned in some of the most impressive performances in the
first day of competition at the 2002 USA Junior National Championships, held
at Cobb Track and Angell Field on the Stanford University campus.
The top two finishers in each event at USA Junior Nationals, part of the
Verizon Youth Series, are eligible for selection to Team USA for the World
Junior Championships July 16-21 in Kingston, Jamaica. Final selection to the
team is at the discretion of USATF and its committees.
Race walkers from the University of Wisconsin-Parkside turned in some of the
most significant performances of the meet. In the men’s 10,000m race walk,
Benjamin Shorey won his second straight U.S. junior title in record form,
shattering Tim Seaman’s American Junior record (43:03.37 in 1991) with his
time of 42:50.20.
Robyn Stevens became just the third athlete in meet history to win her event
four consecutive years. The Wisconsin-Parkside freshman broke her own women’
s 10,000m race walk meet record by more than 50 seconds with a time of 50
minutes, 29.32 seconds.
The women’s 200m pitted two of the most heralded U.S. juniors against each
other, and the competition was worthy of premeet expectations. Sanya
Richards of St. Thomas Aquinas HS (Fla.) outdueled Allyson Felix of L.A.
Baptist, running 23.31 to edge Felix’s 23.34. Running shoulder-to-shoulder
in adjacent lanes, the two crossed the finish line virtually even, with
Felix falling to the track after the finish line. The two led six women
under the World Outdoor qualifying time of 24.44.
The win was especially meaningful for Richards, a native of Jamaica who
obtained U.S. citizenship just weeks prior to the meet. She now will return
to her native country for World Juniors.
Felix’s brother, Wes Felix of the University of Southern California, avenged
his sister’s defeat by comfortably winning the men’s 200m in 21.57.
John-Paul Smolenski of Purdue broke the meet record in the men’s hammer
throw with a mark of 65.50m/215-3.
In other finals Friday, Laura Gerrhaughty of North Carolina won the women’s
hammer throw with a mark of 58.73m/192-8; Jarrad Matthews of Texas A&M took
the men’s hammer with 66.58m/218-5; and Ashley Robbins won the women’s high
jump (1.82m/5-11.5). Marvin Lucas of Southern Miss jumped 7.58m/24-10.5 to
win the men’s long jump; high schooler Tommy Skipper of the Willamette
Striders took the men’s pole vault (5.35m/17-6.5); Michael Robertson of ISB
won the men’s discus (61.61m/202-1); and Erica McLain of the Texas Express
won the women’s long jump (5.88m/19-3.50).
The top qualifiers in Friday’s preliminary rounds were Kathryn Anderson of
Brigham Young in the women’s 1,500m (4:29.02), Adam Perkins of Liberty HS
(Mo.) in the men’s 1,500m (3:52.83); Monique Henderson of UCLA in the women’
s 400m (53.10), Darold Williamson of Baylor in the men’s 400m (46.44),
Tiffany Ross of South Carolina in the 100m hurdles (13.49); Evelyn Dwyer in
the women’s 800m (2:09.51); Richard Smith of South Lakes HS in the men’s
800m (1:50.90); Bershawn Jackson in the men’s 400m hurdles (50.33); LaShinda
Demus of South Carolina in the women’s 400m hurdles (56.97).
The men’s 10,000m final and women’s 5,000m final are scheduled for 9:45 p.m.
and 10:20 p.m., respectively, on Friday.
For full, real-time results from the USA Junior Championships and athlete
quotes, visit the USATF Web site, www.usatf.org.
The meet continues on Saturday, and tickets are still available. For ticket
information, call 1-800-STANFORD.
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