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BALTIMORE - Chanelle Price, the 2006 Nike Outdoor National 800m
champion,led the record breaking charge as eight records were tied or
broken on Saturday at the 2006 USATF National Junior Olympic Track &
Field Championships in Hughes Stadium at Morgan State University in
Baltimore, Md.
The Championships are a national competition with entry based upon
qualifying standards for each event. The Junior Olympics feature the
following age division: Bantam (10 and under), Midget (11-12), Youth
(13-14), Intermediate (15-16) and Young Men/Women (17-18). Entry for
this championship is based on athlete performances at preliminary,
Association, and Regional levels of the 2006 USATF Junior Olympic
Program.
Chanelle Price of Easton, Pa., who took third at the 2006 Finish Line
USA Junior Track & Field Championships,crushed the Junior Olympic and
National Youth record in the Intermediate Girls 800 meters, blazing
through the finish in 2 minutes 6.64 seconds. The previous record of
2:08.47 was set in 2005 by Brittany Hall. Blaire and Brooke Dinsdale,
twins from Cedar Valley Track Club who were part of the winning 4x800m
Wednesday, were second and third crossing the line in 2:08.75 and
2:10.51 respectively.
2006 USA Junior champion Gabrielle Mayo of Raleigh, N.C., won the Young
Women's 200 meters in a Junior Olympic and Youth National record of
23.27 seconds. The previous record of 23.32 was set in 2000 by 2004
Olympic gold medalist Monique Henderson. 2006 U.S. World Junior team
member Porscha Lucas of Plano, Texas was second in 23.50.
Howard Shepard of Dallas, Texas, won the Intermediate Boys 800 meters in
a Junior Olympic and National Youth record of 1 minute 52.25 seconds.
The previous Junior Olympic record of 1:52.78 was set in 2002 by
Christopher Woods while the previous National Youth record, also set by
Woods in 2002, was 1:52.84.
Gabriella Midles of Camas, Wash., broke the Junior Olympic and National
Youth record in the Young Women's hammer throw with her winning heave of
49.60 meters/162 feet 8 inches. The previous record of 49.37m/ was set
in 2005 by Emily Bernhardt.
In the 4x100m first round, Dallas Gold Track Club's Young Women's team
of Porscha Lucas, Brittany Carr, Melissa Barnes, and Sandy Wooten set a
Junior Olympic record of 44.95 seconds. The previous record of 45.26 was
set in 1997 by the West Valley Eagles team of Regine Carather, Malika
Edmonson, Miesha Withers, and Eboni Grayson.
Jordan Stray of Centralia, Wash., who took third in last year's
Intermediate Boys hammer throw, won the Young Men's division with his
record-breaking throw of 64.07 meters/210 feet 2 inches. The previous
Junior Olympic record of 58.30m/191-3 was set in 2005 by Buck Sullivan.
Malcolm Brown of Tulsa, Okla., tied the Junior Olympic and National
Youth record in the Midget Boys 200 meters with his winning time of
23.94. The record was set in 1990 by Jason Johnson.
English Gardner of Willingboro, N.J., who took third at last year's
Junior Olympics, tied 2005 World Youth 100m champion Bianca Knight's
2003 National Youth record in the Youth Girls 200 meters with her
winning time of 23.81 seconds. Whitney Fountain of Bronx, N.Y. was
second in 24.41.
Steven Weeks of Arvado, Colo., ran away from the field to win the Young
Men's 5,000 meters in 15 minutes 23.38 seconds. Chris Bowie of Bethesda,
Md., was second in 15:49.89.
Shanay Briscoe picked up her third title this week when she won the
Youth Girls shot put with a throw of 13.82m/45-4.25. Briscoe has also
won the pentathlon and the high jump and will be competing in the 200m
hurdles final on Sunday.
Other winners include 2006 USA Youth champion Andie Cozzarelli of
Raleigh, N.C., who won the Intermediate Girls 3,000 meters, crossing the
line in 10:36.59. Terry Prentice of Pomona, Calif., won the Young Men's
long jump with a leap of 7.35 meters/24 feet 1.5 inches. 2006 USA Youth
400m champion Robin Reynolds had an impressive day, winning the Midget
Girls 200 and 800 meters in 24.88 and 2:14.58 respectively. 2006 USA
Junior champion Patience Coleman won the Young Women's high jump with a
clearance of 1.75m/5-8.75. Mystasia Alexander of the Los Angeles Jets
won the Bantam Girls javelin with a throw of 29.07m/95-4.
In Friday's Intermediate Girls discus, Natalie Baird of Sterling, Va.,
set a Junior Olympic record with her winning throw of 46.40 meters/ 152
feet 2 inches. The previous record of 44.80m/146-11 was set in 1996 by
Chaniqua Ross. Runner-up Jaqueline Leffler also bettered the previous
record with her toss of 46.16m/151-5.
For more information on the 2006 USATF National Junior Olympic Track &
Field Championships, including results, photos and complete coverage of
this year's event, please visit the USATF website at www.usatf.org.
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