CONTACT: Melissa Beasley
Communications Coordinator
USA Track & Field
(317) 753-3998 (cell)
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
www.usatf.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, July 12, 2002
Team USA opens at Bahamas Pre-World Meet
NASSAU – Team USA won 10 gold medals as they began preparations for the 2002
IAAF World Junior Track & Field Championships, July 16-21 in Kingston,
Jamaica. Competing against junior athletes from Australia, Cuba and the
Bahamas at the Texaco Top Athletes Pre-World Meet at Thomas A. Robinson
Stadium in Nassau, Bahamas, Team USA led all the countries in the medal
count through day 1, including two gold each for Laura Gerraughty (UNC) and
Lauryn Williams (Miami).
“I am extremely pleased with our performance today,” said women’s head coach
Monica Gary (Purdue). Our athletes have done a tremendous job in the two
days that we’ve been together. To come in and win the number of medals that
we did on Thursday with just one day of practice. We are very optimistic
about our training and preparations for the World Junior Championships."
Gerraughty, a member of the 2000 USA World Junior Team in Santiago, Chile,
won the women’s shot put (17.54 meters/57 feet, 6.5 inches) and hammer throw
(61.02m/200-2), while Williams, making her Team USA debut, won the 100m dash
(11.54) and ran lead off for the gold medal winning 4x100m relay team.
Team USA swept the women’s 1500m with Sara Bei (Stanford) leading the way in
4:42.81. She was followed closely by Laura Zeigle (South Jordan, Utah) in
4:43.77 and Lindsey Zinn (Purdue) in 4:45.55.
The night ended with fast times in the 4x100m relays for both the women and
the men. Team USA ‘A’ won in 43.76, the fourth fastest U.S. Junior 4x100m
relay time, with Williams (Miami), Allyson Felix (LA Baptist (CA) HS),
Marshavet Hooker (Southwest (TX) HS) and Sanya Richards (St. Thomas Aquinas
(FL) HS), while Team USA ‘B’ finished fourth in 46.81. Ashlee Williams
(Bishop Dunne (TX) HS), Brooklyn Hann (Kansas), Shalonda Solomon (Long Beach
Poly (CA) HS) and Sheena Gordon (McDowell (PA) HS) ran for Team USA ‘B’. In
the men’s race, Team USA ‘A’ and Team USA ‘B’ both broke the 40 second mark
and finished 1-2 in the race. USA ‘A’ was comprised of of Bershawn Jackson
(Central (FL) HS), Rashard Allen (CSU-Northridge), Ivory Williams (Central
(TX) HS) and Willie Hordge (Forest Brook (TX) HS) and edged USA ‘B’ with a
winning time of 39.41. USA ‘B’ lead off with Ashton Collins (Clark (LA) HS),
who handed off to Wes Felix (Southern California), Rubin Williams (Valley
Christian (CA) HS) and Jeremy Wariner (Lamar (TX) HS) and finished just
behind USA ‘A’ in 39.68.
Off the track, Plano, Texas native Erica McLain (East HS) won the women’s
long jump with a mark of 6.10m/20-0.25, while Lindsey Johnson (BYU) won the
women’s javelin with a mark of 50.89m/167-0.
In the other men’s finals, Kenneth Ferguson (Mumford (MI) HS) won gold and
bronze in his Team USA debut. Ferguson began the day at the 110m hurdles,
finishing in 14.31, just off the winning time of 13.93 by U.S. teammate
Antwon Hicks (Mississippi). Ferguson finished off his day with a win in the
400m dash in 46.59. Off the track, Sean Shields (Arizona) won the men’s shot
put with a mark of 20.65m/67-9. Shields will compete in the men’s discus on
Friday.
The Texaco Top Athletes Pre-World Meet provides U.S. athletes an opportunity
to compete together before traveling to the 2002 IAAF World Junior
Championships. Friday will be the final day of competition for Team USA, who
will travel to Kingston over the weekend for the World Junior Championships.
For more information on the 2002 IAAF World Junior Track & Field
Championships, including results from the Pre-World Meet in Nassau, which
will be available on Saturday, visit the USATF Web site at www.usatf.org.
