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WALNUT, Calif. -- Two national youth records in the 4x800 meters relay
fell Wednesday to highlight second-day action at the 41st USATF National
Junior Olympic Track & Field Championships at Hilmer Lodge Stadium on
the campus of Mt. San Antonio College. The Texas Stars smashed the
intermediate boys' standard with a 7:41.30, and the United Stars lowered
their own national best with an 8:50.72 in the young women's event.
The USATF National Junior Olympic Track & Field Championships is the
largest and most visible youth athlete developmental program in the
world. The Junior Olympics feature the following age divisions: 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
2007 USATF Junior Olympic Program.
Eric Gosset, Jodale Burkley, Howard Shepard and Kourtney Payne teamed up
to knock almost 13 seconds off the previous intermediate boys' record,
set in 2005 by the Ohio Flyers TC. The United Stars squad of Syeeda Gee,
Ije Iheoma, Chanelle Price and Bonita Taylor chopped more than three
seconds off the record set by the club in 2001.
Two returning champions cruised to easy wins in the multi-events as
Victoria Dunlap of the Continental T-Belles in Nashville, Tenn.,
repeated her gold medal effort in the young women's heptathlon, scoring
4,929 points, while Shanay Briscoe captured top honors in the
intermediate girls' heptathlon with 4,779 points.
Briscoe, who competes for the Northwest Flyers in Cypress, Texas, won
the youth girls' pentathlon last year.
Roberto Vergara of Edinburg, Texas, added young men's race walk gold to
the intermediate boys' title he won last year, covering the 3000 meters
in 13:21.31, more than half a minute ahead of his brother, Ricardo, who
took the silver. Michael Villalobos of the SoCal Mustangs in Montebello,
Calif., clocked 20:09.94 to win the intermediate boys' gold.
In the young women's 3000 race walk, last year's intermediate bronze
medalist Silvanna Francescutti of the El Paso Comets won with a time of
16:21.25. The intermediate girls' gold went to Chelsea Palacio of the
Umoja TC in San Jose, Calif., at 17:30.69.
The California Rising Stars had a banner day in the midget multis,
sweeping the golds in the pentathlon. Jordie Munford of Rancho Cucamonga
won the girls' gold with 2,939 points, and teammate Victor Bolden of
Etiwanda took the boys' top honors with 2,585 points.
Together Elite Juniors raced to a pair of wins in the 4x800, with the
youth girls quartet of Dawnielle Baucham, Dynasty Gammage, Kristina
Kirkland and Deena Pierce clocking 9:35.87 for gold. In the intermediate
girls' race, Melissa Mello, Tara Blanchard, Tia Leake and Angelica
Weaver won in 9:22.44.
Iowa United TC won the young men's 4x800 in a speedy 7:40.50 with a
foursome of Jordan Cornilsen, Blake Irwin, Tyler Anderson and Aaron
Stockstell. The Tri-City Blazers topped the podium in the youth boys'
race with a time of 8:45.30 set by Claytin Lewis, Tyrek Smith, Kwayon
Taylor-Green and Denzel Brown.
Midget relay crowns went to California Rising Stars in the girls' 4x800
and New Image Youth TC in the boys' race. Victoria Bolden, Brooke
Hardge, Tyler Hardge and Brandie Munford finished at 10:04.77, while the
team of Isaiah Bernard, Jordan Gutierrez, Isaiah Marshall and Terrell
Newby stopped the clock at 9:40.07.
Daniel Gooris of the Albuquerque Track Club, who was seventh last year,
moved up to the champion spot in the young men's decathlon, scoring
6,850 points. Andrew Gay of Milwaukie, Ore., was the victor in the
intermediate boys' decathlon with 6,300 points.
Competition resumes Thursday at 8 a.m. with the young men's 5000 meters.
The meet is being webcast at usatfyouth.sportnet.com. For more
information and complete results, visit USATF.org.
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