Posted: June 26, 2004

Athletics: Owens sets American junior record to begin USA Junior Championships

COLLEGE STATION – Nick Owens set an American junior record in the men’s hammer throw before a two-hour weather delay to open the first day of competition at the 2004 USA Junior Outdoor Track & Field Championships in College Station, Texas.

Sporting his colorful, knee-high, blue and white socks, the 2004 ACC male freshman athlete of the year threw 71.43 meters/ 234 feet, 4 inches bettering the American junior record set June 23, 2003 by Michael Freeman of Manhattan College. “I really wasn’t expecting it (breaking the junior record.) I knew I had it in me, but it really just depended on if I did the things I needed to do,” said Owens at sophomore at the University of North Carolina.

Owens, the 2003 Pan Am Junior Championships men’s hammer throw runner-up, was excited about his performance, despite not getting a chance to warm-up in his kilt (based on his family background) which normally brings him good luck. “Track and field is all about expression and I like to express myself without going overboard, of course,” Owens continued.

“Today I was on and I’m thrilled to make the World Junior Championships team to compete against the top international competition in Italy. This is a dream and the goal I wanted to accomplish since last year.” Earlier this year the Shelton, Wash., native won both the 2004 ACC indoor and outdoor men’s hammer throw titles edged the 2003 Indiana high school state hammer throw champion Cory Martin of the University of Auburn (67.20m/220-06).

California-Berkley bound Melissa Faubus (Bakersfield, Calif.) tossed 50.41m/165-5 to win the women’s discus throw, followed by Kansas State University’s Lindsay Grigoriev with a mark of 49.58m/162-08 qualifying to compete at the World Junior champs.

In the women’s 400m preliminary heats, 2003 Pan Am Junior championships 4x400m relay gold medalist Natasha Hastings clocked the fastest time of 53.49 seconds in the round followed by Georgia Tech’s Ashlee Kidd (53.71), and the University of Miami’s Ginou Etienne (53.72). The men’s 400m first round was canceled due to the weather. The final will be run on Saturday at 7:29 p.m.

After three events, Jangy Addy from the University of Tennessee leads the junior men’s decathlon with 2,526 points followed by Adam Fretwell (Houston, Texas) with 2,390.

More than 700 of the country’s finest athletes ages 19 and under are competing for the right to represent Team USA at the 2004 IAAF World Junior Championships July 13-18 in Grosseto, Italy.

For more information on the 2004 USA Junior Championships and the Verizon Youth Series, including results and a complete list of the athletes entered in the event, visit the redesigned USATF website at www.usatf.org.

Additions to Saturday’s schedule because of weather delay:

7:30 a.m. – Men’s 10,000m race walk
8:30 a.m. – Men’s 10,000m
9:05 a.m. – Women’s 5,000m
10:00 a.m. – Men’s Pole Vault
10:00 a.m. – Men’s Javelin Throw
10:00 a.m. – Men’s Long Jump

2004 USA Junior Championships Athlete Quotes

June 25, 2004 Day One

Women’s Discus
Melissa Faubus, winner: (18, Bakersfield, Calif., University of California-Berkeley signee): “I was shooting for the mid-160s. I would have like 170, but I was happy with my throw.

Men’s Hammer Throw
Nick Owens, winner (19, Shelton, Wash., University of North Carolina, freshman): “I really wasn’t expecting it (to break the junior record). I knew I had it in me, but it really just depended on if I did the things I needed to do. Today, I just happened to do them.
“Today I was on and I’m thrilled to make the World Junior Championships team to compete against the top international competition in Italy. This is a dream and the goal I wanted to accomplish since last year.”
“Track and field is all about expression and I like to express myself without going overboard, of course.”