Posted: July 24, 2004

Athletics: Johnson, Dragila to lead Team USA at Norwich Union International

INDIANAPOLIS - World and Olympic champions Allen Johnson and Stacy Dragila will lead Team USA Sunday at the 2004 Norwich Union International in Birmingham, England. Team USA will take on the host Great Britain team, along with the Commonwealth Select and European Select teams.

Johnson and Dragila have both had strong 2004 seasons, with Johnson owning five of the eight fastest times in the world this year in the 110m hurdles, including the world's fastest time this season of 13.05 seconds. Dragila has also enjoyed a stellar outdoor campaign in posting six of the world's top ten marks in the women's pole vault, including the third-best performance globally this season with her new American record of 4.83 meters/15 feet, 10 inches. The reigning world 110m champion, Johnson earned a spot on the 2004 U.S. Olympic Team with his third place finish last week in Sacramento. Dragila also will compete in Athens after successfully defending her women's Olympic Trials title last Sunday.

U.S. stars slated to compete at the Norwich Union Challenge include 2003 World Outdoor 200m gold medal John Capel and WC silver medalist Darvis Patton in the 100 meters. In addition, 2003 Norwich Union men's 400m champion Derrick Brew will return to defend his title. Three-time NCAA 100m champion Angela Williams will compete in the women's 100 meters, and in the middle distances, Team USA will feature defending Norwich Union champion and 2003 World Indoor champion David Krummenacker in the men's 800 meters and 2004 U.S. indoor champion Jen Toomey in the women's 800.

2003 World Indoor and Outdoor champion and 2004 Olympic Trials champion Dwight Phillips will lead Team USA in the men's long jump, while 2004 Olympic Trials champion Erin Gilreath competes in the women's hammer throw. Olympic Trials heptathlon champion Shelia Burrell will compete in the women's three-event challenge .

Team USA successfully defended its Norwich Union Challenge title over Great Britain and Russia last year with a commanding victory at Scoutston Stadium in Glasgow, Scotland. Team USA won the 2003 Norwich Union Challenge with a total of 137 points, with Russia the runner-up with 113 points, followed by Great Britain with 109 points.

The Team USA roster for the 2003 Norwich Challenge (subject to change) is listed below:

 
MEN
 
100m:  John Capel (Gainesville, Fla.); Marcelle Scales (Franklin, Tenn.)
200m:  Darvis Patton (Ft. Worth, Texas); J.J. Johnson (Garland, Tex.)
400m:  Derrick Brew (Raleigh, N.C.); Otis Harris (Columbia, S.C.) 
800m:  David Krummenacker (Tucson, Ariz.); Khadevis Robinson (Santa
Monica, Calif.)
1500m: Jason Lunn (Palo Alto, Calif.); Robert Myers (Rushville, Ohio) 
110m Hurdles: Allen Johnson (Irmo, S.C.); Duane Ross (Garner, N.C.) 
Long Jump: Dwight Phillips (Mesa, Ariz.); Tony Allmond (Chino, Calif.)
 4x100m Relay Pool:  Leonard Scott (Irvine, Calif.); Marcelle Scales
(Franklin, Tenn.); Mickey Grimes (Hawthorne, Calif.); Aaron Armstrong
(Houston, Tex.); Jason Smoots (Morrisville, N.C.); Monzavous Edwards
(Gainesville, Fla.); Joshua Norman (Chula Vista, Calif.); Jimmy Hackley
(Gainesville, Fla.).
4x400m Relay Pool: Bershawn Jackson (Raleigh, N.C.); Sherman Armstrong
(Los Angeles, Calif); Rickey Harris (Chantilly, Va.); Derrick Brew
(Raleigh, N.C.); Angelo Taylor (Decatur, Ga.); LaBronze Garrett (Athens,
Ga.); Jerome Davis (Los Angeles, Calif.); Adam Steele (Eden Prairie,
Minn.).
 
WOMEN
 
100m: Angela Daigle (Carson, Calif.); Angela Williams (Ontario, Calif.) 
400m: Crystal Cox (Chapel Hill, N.C.); Moushaumi Robinson (Cary, N.C.)
800m: Jennifer Toomey (Salem, Mass.); Kameisha Bennett (Dayton, Ohio)
1500m: Amy Rudolph (Providence, R.I.); Carrie Tollefson (St. Paul,
Minn.)
Hammer Throw: Erin Gilreath (Gainesville, Fla.); Anna Norgren-Mahon
(Orange, Conn.)
Pole Vault:  Stacy Dragila (Phoenix, Ariz.); Jillian Schwartz
(Jonesboro, Ark.)
Three-Event Challenge: Shelia Burrell (Chula Vista, Calif.)
4x100m Relay Pool: Angela Daigle (Carson, Calif.); Angela Williams
(Ontario, Calif.); LaShaunta'e Moore (Fayetteville, Ark.); Stephanie
Durst (Baton Rouge, La.); Consuela Moore (Chicago, Ill); Danielle
Carruthers (Stockbridge, Ga.); Wyllesheia Myricks (Miami, Fla.)
4x400m Relay Pool: Moushaumi Robinson (Cary, N.C.); Suziann Reid (Cary,
N.C.);  Debbie Dunn (Cary, N.C.); Raasin McIntosh (Austin, Tex.); Shauna
Smith (Laramie, Wyo.);  Demetria Washington (Columbus, S.C.); Kia Davis
(Clayton, N.C.); Me'Lisa Barber (Columbia, S.C.).
 

For more information, visit the USATF Web site at www.usatf.org.