Contact: Melissa Beasley
Communications Coordinator
USA Track & Field
317-261-0478 x335
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
http://www.usatf.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Saturday, July 13, 2002
Hot times on and off the track at
Bahamas Pre-Worlds Meet
NASSAU – Team USA finished the final day of competition at the Texaco Top
Athletes Pre-World Meet in Nassau, Bahamas by leading all countries with 47
overall medals, including 11 gold medals on day two. Competing in the hot
temperatures at the Thomas A. Robinson Stadium, Team USA won the men’s and
women’s 4x400m relays along with top performances on and off the track.
In the relays, the team of Allyson Felix (LA Baptist (CA) HS), Monique
Henderson (UCLA), Shalonda Solomon (Long Beach Poly (CA) HS) and Lashinda
Demus (South Carolina) ran 3:32.80, for the fourth fastest women’s time in
U.S. Junior history and the gold medal. The men’s team of Bershawn Jackson
(Central (FL) HS), Ashton Collins (Clark (LA) HS), Kenneth Ferguson (Mumford
(MI) HS) and Darold Williamson (Baylor) ran 3:04.64 to win gold.
“I think we really needed these days together, it was very similar situation
to what we are going to see in Jamaica (at World Junior Championships),”
said head men’s coach Bill Whittaker (Penn State). “Being here has prepared
us for what to expect when we get over there with the weather and the
competition.”
Team USA swept the women and men’s half mile, holding off strong pushes from
their Cuban counterparts. In the women’s 800m, Kathryn Anderson (BYU) out
kicked two Cubans to win in 2:07.79 in the final 200 meters, while Richard
Smith (South Lakes (VA) HS) and Christopher Lukezic (Auburn (WA) HS) battled
to the finish line. Smith won the gold with a time of 1:51.31, with Lukezic
winning silver in 1:51.39.
2001 World Youth teammates and fellow Idahoans Julene Bailey (Skyview (ID)
HS) and Donovan Kilmartin (Eagle (ID) HS) swept the women’s and men’s pole
vault with clearances of 3.80m/12-5.5 and 5.00m/16-4.75 respectively. The
women’s event was the first ever women’s pole vault competition at the
Thomas A. Robinson Stadium.
In the triple jump, Team USA recorded yet another swept of the gold.
Brooklyn Hann (Kansas) won with a mark of 12.67m/41-7, while Rafeeq Curry
(Miami, FL) won his competition with a mark of 15.00m/49-2.5. Curry is the
newly crowned 2002 USATF Youth Athletics Young Men’s TJ Champion from last
week in Miami.
Several athletes set personal best in Friday’s competition. Sanya Richards
(St. Thomas Aquinas (FL) HS) bettered her 200m personal best with her
winning time of 23.01, while Billie-Jo Grant (Arroyo Grande (CA) HS)
bettered her personal best in the women’s discus competition. Grant won with
a mark of 53.91m/176-10.
In the men’s discus, 2002 U.S. Junior champion Michael Robertson
(International School of Brussels, Belgium) led all with a mark of
61.39m/201-4. Teammates Sean Shields (Arizona) and Jeremy Silverman (Sandy
(OR) HS) finished second and fourth respectively.
The Texaco Top Athletes Pre-World Meet was an opportunity for Team USA to
compete in one final tune-up meet before heading to the IAAF World Junior
Track Championships in Kingston, Jamaica. Competition in Kingston begins on
Tuesday, July 16. In Nassau, Team USA competed against junior teams from
Australia, Cuba and the Bahamas. Team USA won a total of 47 medals in
Nassau – 22 gold, 13 silver and 12 bronze medals.
For all the latest news and results from Team USA at the Texaco Top Athletes
Pre-World Meet, including complete results from the two days of competition,
visit the USATF website at www.usatf.org.
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