Posted: June 24, 2006

Athletics: Henning breaks AJR on Day 3 of the 2006 Finish Line USA Junior Champs

INDIANAPOLIS - 2005 USA youth hammer throw champion Walter Henning broke an American junior record in the first event of the day Friday at the 2006 Finish Line USA Junior Track & Field Championships.

The Championships take place June 21-25 at the IU Michael A. Carroll Track & Soccer Stadium on the campus of IUPUI in downtown Indianapolis. The top two finishers in each event will compete at the 2006 IAAF World Junior Championships in Beijing, China, provided that they have met the qualifying standard.

Already the American record holder in the hammer throw, Walter Henning dominated the field in the junior men's hammer throw and bettered his previous record with his winning throw of 71.62 meters, 235 feet 0 inches. The previous record was 71.58m/234-10 which Henning set this past May. Two-time USATF Junior Olympic champion John Freeman was relegated to second with his heave of 60.92m/199-10 and Princeton freshman Alexander Pessala was third with 60.60m/198-10. Henning has qualified for the 2006 IAAF World Junior Championships.

Emily Pendelton, the 2006 Nike Outdoor Nationals champion, won the junior women's discus with a toss of 51.97 meters/170 feet 6 inches. Cal State Northridge freshman Jere Summers, who finished second yesterday in the junior women's shot put, again finished second with 48.72/159-10. Pendleton and Summers have qualified for the 2006 IAAF World Junior Championships.

2006 World Youth silver medalist Scott Roth took home the crown in the junior men's pole vault with his winning height of 5.20 meters/17 feet 0.75 inches. Phillip Hanson was second, clearing 5.15/16-10.25 and Spencer McCorkel was third with 5.05m/16-6.75. Roth and Hanson have qualified for the 2006 IAAF World Junior Championships. Holy Names High School junior Ke'Nyia Richardson bounded her way to a win in the junior women's triple jump with a hop, skip, and a jump of 12.85 meters/42 feet 2 inches. 2005 USA Junior Olympic long jump and triple jump champion Ashika Charan was the runner-up with 12.75m/41-10 and Shana Watson, who took third in yesterday's long jump competition, was third with 12.63m/41-5.25. Richardson and Charan have qualified for the 2006 IAAF World Junior Championships.

Cahokia High School senior Kali Jackson grabbed the title in the junior men's triple jump with his winning bound of 15.77 meters/51 feet 9 inches. University of Louisville freshman Andre Black, who took third in yesterday's long jump competition, was the runner-up with 15.68m/51 feet-5.5 and 2006 Nike Outdoor Nationals runner-up Gary Jones was third with 15.31m/50-2.75. Jackson and Black have qualified for the 2006 IAAF World Junior Championships.

Patience Coleman came back after a third place showing at the Nike Outdoor Nationals last weekend to win the title in the junior women's high jump with a clearance of 1.81 meters/5 feet-11.25 inches. The runner-up was UCLA freshman Lauren Correa at 1.73m/5-8 and Oklahoma freshman Katherine Johnson was third with the same height.

Castilleja junior Tori Anthony vaulted her way to a win in the junior women's pole vault with a height of 4.00 meters/13 feet-1.5 inches while McKinney High School senior Britany Parker was second at 3.95m/12-11.5. Anthony and Parker have qualified for the 2006 IAAF World Junior Championships.

The top three competitors in the junior women's 3,000 meter steeple chase went under the meet record with the win going to Reno High School sophomore Marie Lawrence in 10 minutes 15.26 seconds. Just behind her was runner-up Brigham Young freshman Amy Fowler in 10:18.88 and third-place finisher Katelyn Bowen, a freshman at Weber State in 10:24.15. The previous record of 10:34.72 was set in 2004 by Selina Sekulic. Lawrence has qualified for the 2006 IAAF World Junior Championships.

2006 NCAA Champion and 2005 Junior Pan Am champion Rebekah Noble, a freshman at the University of Oregon, won the junior women's 800 meters in 2 minutes, 5.05 seconds. Noble was sitting in fifth heading into the final 200 meters when she let loose and won in a sprint to the finish against runner-up Shannon Leinart, a freshman at the University of Flordia, who finished in 2:05.80. Noble and Leinart have qualified for the 2006 IAAF World Junior Championships.

North Carolina Central freshman Brandon Jones took home the title in the junior men's 800 meters, sprinting the two laps in 1 minute 50.22 seconds. The defending champion Karjuan Williams was the runner-up in 1:50.26. Jones and Williams have both qualified for the 2006 IAAF World Junior Championships.

Brigham Young University freshman Christopher Carter, who took third at the 2006 NCAA Championships, won the junior men's 400 meter hurdles in 50.56 seconds. University of Albany freshman Joe Greene took second in 50.70 and 2005-06 Gatorade National Boys Track & Field Athlete of the Year David Klech was third in 50.86. Carter and Greene have qualified for the 2006 IAAF World Junior Championships.

2005 Pan Am Junior gold medalist in the 4x400m Nicole Leach, a freshman at UCLA, hurdled her way to a meet record in the junior women's 400 meter hurdles with her winning time of 55.63 seconds, almost three seconds ahead of second place. 2005 USATF Youth Athlete of the Year Ebony Collins was second in 58.31. Leach and Knight have qualified for the 2006 IAAF World junior Championships.

Yesterday's 100-meter runner-up Gabrielle Mayo won the junior women's 200 meters, setting a meet record of 22.88 seconds. 2005 IAAF World Youth 100m champion and 200m runner-up Bianca Knight was just behind her in second at 22.94. Mayo and Knight have both qualified for the 2006 IAAF World Junior Championships.

University of Florida freshman Willie Perry stole the show in the junior men's 200 meters, winning in 20.70 seconds. The runner-up was Christopher Dykes, a freshman at Texas A&M, in 20.87. Calvin Smith, Jr., son of two-time World 200m champion Calvin Smith, was third in 21.35. Perry and Dykes have qualified for the 2006 IAAF World Junior Championships.

Athlete Quotes

Junior Women's Discus Throw winner - Emily Pendleton
"This feels awesome; I am really excited about this. I am also really excited to go to Beijing."

Junior Men's Hammer Throw winner - Walter Henning
"It was good. I was expecting to throw more than a 1 ½ PR. Everything was great, including the officiating. The only thing wrong was the technical aspect of my throws."

Junior Men's Pole Vault winner - Scott Roth
"I was kind of in a rut, I was not jumping well. This might be my best meet of the season. I was happy, even though I did not make the record. I was ready for good solid competition and a good performance, and I got it."

Junior Women's Triple Jump winner - Ke'Nyia Richardson
"I was not jumping well early on and it kind of scared me. But, I came back on my last jump and I was relieved. I've done better, and I can do better, luckily it was good enough to win today."

Junior Women's Steeplechase winner - Marie Lawrence
"I am really happy, I didn't know if I was going to do as well after the fall."

Junior Women's 800m winner - Rebekah Noble
"The plan was to take the lead with 200 to go. It was perfect. It was just like any other race I've been running. It felt great coming off of NCAAs."

Junior Men's 800m winner - Brandon Jones
"It feels pretty good. I executed what I have been practicing. "

Junior Men's 400mH winner - Chris Carter
"I felt alright, it was good enough. I am my biggest critic. I ran well, the other guys ran well. I just didn't do what I wanted, it wasn't what my coach wanted."

Junior Women's 400mH winner - Nicole Leach
"It felt good, much better than yesterday. I did what I was supposed to do, got the win and came out with the meet record."

Junior Women's 200m winner - Gabrielle Mayo
"I got out as soon as I hit the straight, and brought it home. I ran my race and came out on top. I peaked at the right time."

Junior Men's Triple Jump winner - Kali Jackson
"It feels good, because I thought I was going to get second. I knew I was going to Beijing. My performance was alright, but I think that I could have jumped farther."

Junior Men's 200m winner - Willie Perry
"It felt pretty good, I got out early. There is a big difference between juniors and colligiates. Running in college this last year has helped my confidence. I am planning to go to Beijing and double in the 100 and 200."

Junior Women's High Jump winner - Patience Coleman
"I am feeling so good and I was nervous at the beginning. My training basically stayed the same and I stayed focus. Any of my weaknesses were obsolete today."

Junior women's pole vault winner - Tori Anthony
"I wasn't expecting to have to compete twice (with the rain delay). I just treated it like prelims and everything was good. I'm very excited to go to China (for the World Junior Championships)."

For more information and complete results, visit www.usatf.org.

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