Girls
by Ricky Quintana
RALEIGH, June 6, 2003 --- The adidas Outdoor Track and Field Championships
take place at North Carolina State University's Paul Derr Track,
June 13-14. The event, held under the auspices of the National Scholastic
Sports Foundation, serves as the unofficial high school championships.
Here's an event-by-event look at the girls competition.
100m: Cleo Tyson( Huntsville, TX), Kristin Lacy(Skyline,
Dallas, TX ), Gloria Asumnu (Elsik, Alief, TX ), Jessica Onyepunuka(
Peoria, AZ ), Mary Ann Erigha (Chamblee, GA ), Tiaerra Mc Laurin,
(Northwestern, Rock Hill, SC), Jenna Harris( Franklin Township,
NJ), Stephanie Smith( Northeast, Macon, GA ), Janice Davis (Natchez,
MS), Judith Onyepunuka (Peoria, AZ), Shana Cox ( Holy Trinity, Hicksville,
NY ), Bianca Knight, ( Pearl,MS), Virgil Hodge (Washington Irving,
New York, NY), Christina Grove (Middleton, OH) and Tianna
Madison(Elyria, OH) are the leading entries.
Tyson posted a windy 11.40 at the 4A Texas state meet and comes
in with the fastest time under all conditions. Sophomore Lacy, posted
a 11.44 the following day in the 5A Texas State meet and has the
fastest legal time of all the entrants. Lacy reminds one of a young
Marion Jones in stature and presence. Asumnu, a Tulane signee,
took second to Lacy by a mere 0.05 posting a 11.49 at the
Texas 5A State Meet. Former 2001 World Youth Games member and South
Carolina signee, Stephanie Smith, will be stepping down in distance
after her sensational national leading 400m time of 52.14 at the
Golden South Classic in Orlando, FL on May 31st. Her best of 11.74
came in placing second to Georgia 5A 100m State Champion Courtney
Champion of Suwannee , GA at the Taco Bell Invitational in Columbia,
SC. Fellow World Youth Games team member, Mississippi State
100m Champ and Stanford signee, Janice Davis had the 2nd fastest
60m time indoors and comes in with a best of 11.75. McLaurin, a
soph, is a transfer from Wolfson in Jacksonville, FL and finished
4th at the USATF Junior Olympic 100m in the intermediate division.
Jessica Onyepunuka , 5A Arizona State 100m Champ and 2002 USATF
Junior Olympic 100m IM Division Champ, Hordge , has a best of 11.89,
Madison, 3rd at NIKE Indoor Championships(NIC), and Harris posted
season bests of 11.74 and 23.87 to win the New Jersey Meet of Champions,
round out a tough field.
Last summer Onyepunuka got the best of Tyson and McClaurin at the
USATF junior Olympics 100m IM dash final. Tyson has improved a whopping
0.7 seconds since that race is the slight favorite. Lacy has won
the big ones, Texas Relays and the Texas 5A State Champs.
This race is too close to call. Lacy, Tyson, and Onyepunuka have
been selected as US representatives for this summer's IAAF World
Youth Games. The event, the third annual, will pit 17 and under
years from all over the world in a four day track and field competition.
This year's event will be held in Sherbrooke, Canada. The Adidas
Outdoor Championship(AOC) meet record is 11.39 set last year by
American Junior Record 400m Holder and Track and Field News Female
Athlete of the Year, Sanya Richards, of St. Thomas Aquinas, Ft.
Lauderdale, FL and is in jeopardy with such close knit field. Richards
won 0.19 and the top three are separated by 0.09 .
200m: Cleo Tyson( Huntsville, TX), Stephanie Smith(
Northeast, Macon, GA), Shana Cox (Holy Trinity, Hicksville, NY),
Mary Ann Erigha ( Chamblee, GA ), Alexandra Anderson ( Morgan Park,
Chicago, IL ), Juanita Broaddus ( William Penn, Philadelphia, PA),
Courtney Champion(Collins Hill, Suwannee, GA), Virgil Hodge ( Washington
Irving, New York, NY), Jessica Onyepenuka, Peoria, AZ), Cynetheia
Rooks, Northampton West, Gaston, NC), Janice Davis( Natchez, MS),
Francena McCrory ( Bethel, Hampton, VA ), Jenna Harris ( Franklin,
Somerset, NJ), Bianca Knight, Pearl, MS ), Tiaerra McLaurin, Northwestern,
Rock Hill, SC ), Tiarra Jordan (Flushing, MI ), Chanelle Curry(
Skyline, Dalls, TX), Christina Grove(Middleton,OH) and Judith Onyepunuka,
Peoria, AZ ) are the leading entries.
Tyson, a junior , had a sizzling Texas 4A State meet winning the
100m and then the 200m, 23.39, in her best times. Both times were
set in windy conditions, but her 200m time was just 0.3 over the
allowable 2.0mps needed for record purposes. Broaddus, a Barton
CC, KS recruit, is a two time NIC Champ at 200m and finished second
last year in the 100m. Her coach, the venerable Tim Hickey, retired
after the regular season after 29 years. His record for that stint
was an outstanding 546-5 in duel meets. This will be his last meet.
At NIC, sisters, Judith and Jessica Onyepunuka took 2nd and 4th.
Jessica took 4th at AOC last year. Cox, a Penn State signee, had
the second best 200m indoors, holds the 200m indoor junior class
record and had the best time in the 300m during indoor season. She
placed 2nd here last year. Champion, also a junior, was 3rd fastest
indoors and ran her best of 23.90 in the heats of the Georgia State
meet. Davis is a Stanford signee, and Erigha, a Notre Dame
signee. Davis placed 5th at last year’s AOC. Harris posted
season bests of 11.74 and 23.87 to win the New Jersey Meet of Champions.
Knight, an eighth grader, won the Mississippi State 4A title in
24.54. She also gave a scare to Broaddus in the 100m at the Golden
South Classic with her 11.86. Broaddus was timed in 11.82. The freshman
record is held by four time NCAA 100m Champion, Angela Williams
(Chino, CA), 11.24(1995) and the 14 year old record is held by Alexis
Joyce(Washington, Denver, CO), 11.52A(1998).
Last summer at the USATF Junior Olympics IM division 200m Final,
Jessica Onyepunuka defeated Tyson and Champion. Champion and Anderson
have been named to this year's World Youth team. The meet record
was set by Marion Jones in 1991 which is the longest standing record
in meet history. With such a strong field, the meet record is in
jeopardy.
400m: Stephanie Smith ( Northeast Magnet, Macon,
GA ), Shana Cox( Holy Trinity, Hicksville, NY), Jerrika Chapple(
Lancaster, TX ),Brandi Cross(Missouri City, TX ), Natasha Hastings
( AP Randolph, New York, NY ), Okechi Ogbuokiri ( Willingboro, NJ
), Fareign Giles( Tallwood, Virginia Beach, VA ), Cynetheia Rooks
( Northampton West, Gaston, NC) and Jennifer Hunt(Skyline, Dalls,
TX) are the leading entries.
Smith ran the national leading time, 52.14, at The Golden
South Classic on May 31st to hold off a late run by Cox , the defending
AOC Champ. Chapple, a 2001 World Youth Games member and Texas
signee, held the best time prior to Smith’s performance in
winning the Texas 4A State title in 52.77. She sliced 0.58 off her
2002 best. Hastings, a junior, had a great indoor season setting
the national record for the 500m,1:11.84. An injury late in the
indoor season slowed the start of her outdoor season, but she seems
to be back in form as she is just slightly off last year’s
best of 53.42. She has been named to this year's World Youth team.
Ogbuokiri, was 3rd last year, had the 2nd fastest 400m time indoors
and at the New Jersey Meet of Champions set a season best of 54.19.
Giles was 2nd in the 400m at NIC. Hunt was 3rd at the Texas 5A Champs
in a time of 55.03. Giles placed 2nd in the 200m and 3rd in the
400m at the Virginia State 3A Meet.
The meet record, 52.56, was set by Montclair, NJ’s
Mikele Barber in 1998. This could be the third meet record erased
from the books.
800m: Katya Kostetskaya (Jonesboro, AR), Mackenzie
Pierce ( Forsyth Country Day, Lewisville, NC), Heidi Magill ( Mountain
View, Orem, UT),Trisa Nickoley( Shawnee Heights, Tecumseh, KS ),Shannon
Leinert( Eureka, MO), Leslie Trehearne ( Western Branch, Chesapeake,
VA), Georgia Kloss ( Pace Academy, GA), Andria Smallwood ( Ballou,
Washington, DC) , Caitlin Klass, ( Hatboro-Horsham, PA), Kimarra
Mc Donald ( Merion Mercy Academy, PA ), Dacia Barr ( Lake Travis,
Austin, TX ), Selena Sappleton ( AP Randolph, New York, NY ), and
Devon Williams ( St. Ursula, Parkville, MD ) are the leading entries.
Kostetskaya, the multi talented sophomore Russian exchange student
produced the nation’s leading time, 2:06.44, at the Arkansas
Meet of Champions, in rainy conditions. She also ran the 100mH in
14.89 in the same meet. At her state meet, the week before, she
recorded the following performances: 100mH(1st place), 14.57, 100m
dash, 12.23( 2nd place), 300mH( 1st place), 44.20, 800m( 1st Place),
2:15.33 and long jumped(2nd place), 19-00.75 to score 46 points.
Her school, Jonesboro, scored 53 and won the 5A State title. She
also won the 5A State Cross Country title as a freshman and was
a “successful ballroom dancer” in Russia before that.
Her mother, Olga Dvirna, set the third fastest, 3:54.23, non Chinese
1500m meter runner of all time in 1982 and was also the European
Champion in the 1500m that same year. Her father is Aleksandr Kostetskiy,
who was a 1:45.17/3:38.59 performer in the Soviet Union in 1984.
She is coached by a former world and 1978 European 400m hurdles
Gold medalist, Tatyana Zelentsova, who is married to the brother
of former world class pole vaulter, Earl Bell. After AOC’s,
Katya will fly to Russia for the World Youth Games trials to compete
for a birth on the Russian team which will compete in Sherbrooke,
Canada in July.
Pierce, also a soph, hails from a small town which is 100 miles
from Raleigh,NC, the site of the AOC Championships. Virtually unchallenged
all year, she set the then-national leading time of 2:06.67 on May
1st. She finished 7th at AOC last year in 2:12.24. She is
coached by former Wake Forest Coach, Noel Ruebel.
Magill, a junior, ended her soph season without competing in any
postseason meets after running a sensational 2:06.34 at the Arcadia
Invitational. Entering this season, she had hopes of running sub
2:05. She set her season’s best of 2:07.88 at Arcadia after
a running a sub 30 first 200m. Afterwards, she said she needed to
pace herself better and looked to the remainder of the season saying
“they’ll be other races.”
Nickoley, led her team to the 5A Kansas State Championship with
wins in the 400m(57.08), 800m (2:08,41, a meet record) 1600m(5:21.04)
and 4x400m team(4:00.86) where she ran a 56 leg. She was 3rd at
last year’s AOC. She has been selected to the World Youth
team.
Smallwood, a freshman, will move up in distance after winning four
events to lead her team to it’s sixth straight Washington
DC Public School Championships. The quick freshman posted marks
of 12.23 for 100m, 24.54 for 200m, 54.83 for 400m, and 44.73 for
300H. Her best in the 800m is 2:10.22.She placed 2nd at NIC’s
in the 800m in March.
The race is loaded with 8 runners under 2:10.30, the NCAA automatic
qualifying standard and includes: Klass, 5th at NIC and a 2:10.68
performer outdoors, Sappleton, a 2:11 performer and 2003 World Youth
Games member, Williams, a 2:11.73 performer, Barr, 1600m(5:01.14)
and 800m(2:13.82) 4A Texas State Champ, Kloss, 1600m(4:58.87) and
800m( 2:10.25) Georgia 2A State Champ,Trehearne, Virginia 3A State
800m(2:10.06)Champ, and McDonald, 3A Pennsylvania State 800m(2:10.86)
runner-up.
The meet record is 2:04.55 set by Tameika Grizzle in 1996. With
three runners so close, they could go under 2:05 and possibly a
record.
Mile: Ari Lambie ( Bromfield, Harvard, MA ), Megan
Kaltenbach (Smoky Hill, Aurora, CO ),Sarah Bowman, Fauquier ( Warrenton,
VA ), Nicole Blood(Saratoga, NY), Elizabeth Maloy ( Holy Names,
Albany, NY), Megan Owen ( Killingly, Danielsen, CT ), Liz Lange(
Pius X, Lincoln, NE ), Katie Harrington ( Carmel, IN), Maggie Infield(
Beaumont, Cleveland Heights, OH) and Lindsay Donaldson ( Lincoln-Sudbury,
MA) are the leading entries.
Last year’s battle pitted Kaltenbach and Molly Huddle. After
a fast solo two mile effort, 10:01.08, Huddle didn’t have
enough left in the tank to challenge Kaltenbach’s great finish.
A rested Huddle, still would have had trouble with Kaltenbach whose scorching
last 400m left her just 0.58 off on Erin Donohue’s 2001
meet record, 4:42.96. This year, Kaltenbach has had mixed performances.
During the cross country season, an upper respiratory infection
interrupted her training. The highly sought after recruit visited
all the top distance programs in the nation fitting recruiting visits
into her already jammed schedule. At the Great American Cross Country
Festival, she suffered from a cold and finished far back. After
that race, she visited her eventual college choice, University of
North Carolina Chapel Hill. At Footlocker Nationals, a favored
Kaltenbach was with the leaders early and struggled home 20th. During
the indoor season, she was near the lead in the NIC mile until the
final two laps and finished 3rd. Early in the outdoor season she
traveled to California after her annual spring break trip to Cancun,
Mexico. She ran cautiously and posted an easy looking win at the
Arcadia Invitational. Afterwards she spoke of extending her season
as in the past she ran best towards the end. She also mentioned
possibly making an attempt on the 3k US junior record at the USATF
Junior Championships in Palo Alto, CA a week after AOC’s.
She had one more bout with an infection late in the track season,
but still went out and won the 1600m and 800m Colorado state titles
which capped off a 4 year unbeaten streak in cross country and track
in Colorado. She also led her team to the state record, 9:01.83,
in the 4x800m to raise her number of state titles to 14.
Lambie’s route was similar to Kaltenbach’s during cross
country. After a seemingly easy win over super freshman, Nicole
Blood, at Footlocker Northeast Regionals, Lambie entered Footlocker
Nationals as one of the strong favorites. An inopportune cold left
her supine during Friday’s course walk through and on Saturday,
Lambie did her best , but faded to finish 22nd. She rebounded in
indoor track to take 2nd place to Blood in a thrilling race in the
Millrose Mile before a national television audience. She won the
1k at her in a US leading time of 2:45.46. Outdoors she ran
the 12th fastest time ever, 4:42.21, to beat down Bowman at the
Penn Relays. At her sectional meet, she posted an evenly paced 4:44.03.
She also has a 3200m best of 10:11.9 which set the Massachusetts
state record this track season. Heading into this weekend's Massachusetts
State meet, she was unsure of her strategy with the AOC looming
a week later and the possibility of her team winning the 4x800m
title. But she went through the half mile so fast that she bore
down all the way to win in 4:37.23, US#4 all time. Moments later,
she brought her 4x800 relay team from 50 meters behind with a 2:06.1
anchor split. Lambie will attend distance power Stanford next year.
Soph Bowman, last year’s freshman AOC mile champ and this
year’s surprise NIC mile champ, has continued to impress outdoors
as she has posted three sub 4:50 times this season. Her speed
is the best of the top three as she boasts a low 57 best in the
open 400m. She also high jumps and has a best of 5-05. Remarkably,
she competes regularly in two or more events per meet and records
exceptional marks.
One forgets that Blood is only a freshman, considering that she
has led perennial national #1 cross country Saratoga since the 7th
grade. Her resume right now is as good as any senior and includes
the following: a win at the prestigious Great American Festival,
a 9th place and All-American finish at Footlocker Nationals, a win
at the Millrose Mile, and a win in the two mile at NIC. She defeated
Lambie at Millrose with a fast last few laps. In the Penn Relays
DMR, she burned a 4:50.6 1600m split to catch Bronxville's Catha
Mullen, a 4:50 1600m runner, and moved her team from 6th to 2nd.
She finished 4th in the AOC mile last year and recorded a win over
last year’s second best miler, Molly Huddle at the Louck Games.
Owen finished 3rd behind Lambie and Bowman at Penn Relays in a
personal best of 4:50.58. During cross country, she finished 8th
at Footlocker Nationals to cap off a great year. Owen won both the
1600m, 4:57.92 and the 800m, 2:16.75 to win the Conneticutt Class
MM state meet. Prior to that she ran a spectacular double of 4:51.81
and 2:13.36. Owen will join Kaltenbach at the University of North
Carolina, Chapel Hill next year.
Lange, a junior, broke the Nebraska state 1600m record with her
4:58.09. She also won the 800m there in 2:17.12. She has a best
of 4:50.8c.
Infield took second to Bohnsack at the Roosevelt Memorial with
a time of 4:56.80. She registered her best of 4:51.06 for 1600m
at Districts. She also ran 2:13.28 in the prelims and 2:13.96 in
the finals to win the 800m.
The rest of the field may be the fastest ever and includes: Harrington,
2nd at NIC and a Footlocker National Cross Country finalist, Maloy,
4th at NIC and Georgetown signee, Donaldson, a best of 4:53.75,
and Olding, 10th at Footlocker Nationals and a best of 4:55.
2 miles: Amanda Trotter(Red Bank, NJ), Katie Harrington
( Carmel, IN), Sunni Olding( Minster,OH), Jennifer Beury ( Hidden
Valley, Roanoke, VA ) Joy Griffith ( ACA, AL ), Nikki Bohnsack (
Rockford, MI), Alissa McKaig, (Concordia Lutheran, Ft Wayne, IN
), Katelyn Kaltenbach ( Smoky Hill, Aurora, CO), Francis Koons,
Allentown, PA), and Kathleen Trotter ( Red Bank, NJ) are the leading
entries.
Katy Trotter culminated her outstanding cross country season by
finishing a somewhat surprising 2nd at the Footlocker National Cross
Country Championships. After opening the indoor season very strong,
she and her coach decided to forgo the indoor national championships.
She said later that the break from racing was what she really needed.
At her first big meet, she used a remarkable second 800m to win
the Arcadia Invitational 1600m in 4:48.62, a personal best. She
has a modest season best of 10:44.8 for 3200m entering, but will
be a strong favorite to win.
Amanda Trotter missed qualifying for the Footlocker Cross Country
finals after running with her identical twin, 2nd place at the Footlocker,
Katy for almost all meets during the season. She has equally
as fast times as her sister this year in track. Her fastest
this year, 10:28.31, came in finishing 4th at the Arcadia Invitational.
She also won 1600m and 3200m at the New Jersey Meet of Champions
in 4:52.78 and 10:45.90. Both Trotters will attend Stanford in the
fall.
Harrington has steadily improved since last year’s 7th place
finish in the mile at Golden West, 4:56.04 and her season best of
10:48.5c two mile from last year to become one of the top runners
as a junior. She finished 17th at Footlockers Cross Country Nationals,
2nd in the mile at NIC and 2nd at the Arcadia Invitational
where she posted a best of 10:27.12.
Olding has had a big year so far as she ended her cross country
season with a 10th place finish at Footlocker Nationals. This track
season she has posted a best of 10:32.75 at the Roosevelt Memorial
Invitational. She’s also a two time Ohio state titlist in
cross country, and in the 1600m and 800m in track. Not bad for someone
not listed in the mile or two mile on Dyestat.com’s 2002 elite
list.
After a great freshman year where she helped set the Colorado state
4x800m track record, Katelyn Kaltenbach, sister of Megan, made immense
progress in cross country in the fall. She ended the season with
a 7th place and All American finish at Footlocker Cross Country
Nationals. This track season, she ran her best 3200m time 10:37.60
to finish 6th at the Arcadia Invitational. She has improved her
1600m time to 5:00.40, won her first individual 3200m Colorado title,
and helped lower the 4x800m record to 9:01.83.
Bohnsack was sensational her freshman year, but a growth spurt
hindered her progress. Now, her coach Brad Prins says, she's become
accustomed to the changes and is beginning to show the promise she
once showed. She had a gritty anchor leg to hold off Bayshore in
the 4x800m at NIC's for the win and posted a sub 5:00 leg in the
DMR to set lead her team to a meet record 11:56.87 in the DMR. Outdoors,
she won the 1600m, 4:55.06, the 3200m, 10:57.03 and anchored her
team to victory in the 4x800m.
McKaig has a best of 10:37 for 3200m. Koons took second in the
3200m with a 10:40.88 at the Pennsylvania 3A State Championships.
Molly Huddle set the meet record of 10:01.08 last year and there
is a possible record assault with such a great field.
100m Hurdles: Alandra Sherman( Eisenhower, Houston,
TX ), Porscha Dobson( Kent Place, NJ), Ashlee Brown(JW North, Riverside,
CA),Candice Davis ( Pioneer, Ann Arbor, MI), Ronetta Alexander(
South, Williamsville, NY ), Pavi’Elle James (Northwestern,
Miami, FL), Rachel Wilson, ( Groves, Garden City, GA ), Jessica
Ohanaja ( Westbury, Houston, TX ), Tiffany Mc Donald, ( Peoria,
AZ ), and Shantia Moss( Pompano Beach, FL ), are the leading entries.
Sherman, a junior, enters as the favorite after registering a 13.25
at the Texas 5A meet. She backed that up with a win and MVP honors
at the Great Southwest Classic in Albuquerque, NM. Her time at both
those meets rank her #1 in the US and is tied for the fifth fastest
time ever.
Dobson moved to US #2 after her sensational 13.50 breakthrough
performance at the New Jersey Meet of Champions on June 5th. Prior
to that performance, Dobson had posted a 13.79 best in the prelims
of the New Jersey Parochial B Championships. She also won the 200m
there. She will attend the University of North Carolina, Chapel
Hill in the fall.
Brown posted a windy 13.54 at California southern sections. The
wind was just 0.1 over the allowable. She will attend Penn State
in the fall.
Davis is the 60m hurdles NIC Champ , Alexander, had the fastest
60m hurdle time indoors, McDonald was 4th at NIC, James, a sophomore,
broke the Florida State Meet Record with her 13.69 and has been
selected for the 2003 World Youth team, and Moss, 2A Florida State
Champ complete the strong field.
Joanna Hayes( JW North Riverside, CA) set the meet record in 1995
and one can expect Sherman to slip under that. The national record,
12.95 by Candy Young(Beaver Falls, PA) may be in Sherman’s
sight next year.
400m Hurdles: Nicole Leach( West Catholic, Philadelphia,
PA ), Katya Kostetskaya (Jonesboro, AR), Christina Smith(William
Penn, Philadelphia, PA ), Sierra Hill( Landmark Christian, GA),
and Rachel Wilson( Groves, GA ) are the leading entries.
Leach, a sophomore, blazed to a 2nd place finish and US #1 time
of 59.00 at the Penn Relays. She has been selected to the World
Youth team. Smith ran her best, 59.33, at Morgan state, placed 4th
at Penn in 59.89 and placed 2nd to Kostetskaya with her 1:00.50
at the Golden South Classic. Kostetskaya won the Golden South Classic
easily in 59.26. She also ran 59.36 in the prelims. Her 41.57 at
Fort Smith, AR is the second fastest 300m hurdle time in the US.
She is a very intense competitor and one should pay attention to
her near hour long warm-up which includes a lot of stretching and
full speed runs through two flights of hurdles.
Tawana Watkins(JFK, Paterson, NJ) set the meet record of
57.48. That may be possible as Kostetskaya looked easy winning Golden
South.
2000m Steeplechase: Erin Demchko( Pearl River,
NY ), Katie Dobransky ( Clarkstown South, NY) ,Toni Lynn Salucci(
Shoreham-Wading River, NY ), Courtney Hall (Bishop Kenny, Jacksonville,
FL) are the leading entries.
Demchko won the Loucks Games over Salucci by 2.58 seconds.
Dobransky finished 4th last year. Hall is a two time Florida 3A
State 1600m Champ and placed 2nd at the Golden South mile in a personal
best of 5:00.08.
The meet and national record, 6:52.25, was set by Liz Gesel( Central,
Manchester, NH) which is an average of 1:22.45 per lap or 5:29.80/5:31.72
1600m/mile pace. This could be in the range of many of the entrants
in this rarely contested event.
4x100m Relay: Elsik( Alief, TX), Skyline( Dallas,
TX) Peoria(AZ), Collins Hill( Suwanee, GA), Franklin( Somerset,
NJ), William Penn( Philadelphia, PA), Northwestern(Miami, FL) and
Evanston( IL ) are the leading entries. Elisk has been on a tear
this season posting wins at the 5A Texas State meet and the Great
Southwest Classic. Their non altitude best of 44.90 at the Texas
state meet ranks them 2nd All-Time.It is 1.1 seconds faster than
their winning performance as last year’s AOC. They posted
an AOC meet record of 45.47 in the AOC prelims. Their altitude best
is 44.63. The team of Gloria Asumnu, Chantelle Willard, Francheska
Ketchum and Jamee Jones will certainly threaten their own meet record
of 45.47 and possibly
the national record set by St. Bernard,(Playa del Rey, CA) set in
1997. Skyline placed 2nd to Elsik at the 5A Texas State Champs in
45.51. They won three relay titles, the 4x100m, 4x200m and the 4x400m,
at the Texas Relays, a sensational feat in relay strong Texas.
Collins Hill, Georgia 5A State Champion, Peoria, 2nd at Mt. Sac
and 5A Arizona State Champs, William Penn, 5th at the Penn Relays,
Evanston, Illinois 2A State Champs, Northwestern, Florida 4A State
Champions and Franklin, 4x400m and 4x100m NJ State champs
round out the field.
4 x 200m Relay: Elsik( Alief, TX), Skyline( Dallas,
TX), Evanston( IL),Franklin(Somerset, NJ), Morgan Park, ( Chicago,
IL) , William Penn( Philadelphia, PA) and Wilbur Cross(New
Haven, CT ) are the leading entries.
Elsik again beat out Skyline at the Texas 5A State meet to post
their best mark of the season, 1:34.51. That mark erased the national
record of 1:34.60 set by Westbury (Houston, TX) in 1998. They were
second last year at AOC.
Skyline won the Texas Relays and their mark of 1:35.95 set at the
Texas State meet is tied for #5 All Time. Evanston won the
Illinois 2A State title with Morgan 2nd. Franklin was an indoor
“power” as well as the Connecticut Group L Team State
Champions, Wilbur Cross, powered by top 2 placers in the 100m and
200m( 24.77 and 24.89), Shanea and Shantea Calhoun , and William
Penn with the duo of Christina Smith and Juanita Broaddus, round
out the field.
4 x 400m Relay: Elsik(Alief, TX), Skyline(Dallas,
TX ), Willingboro( NJ) and Northwestern(Miami, FL) are the leading
entrants.
Elsik completed their sweep of the relays at the Texas 5A state
Championships with their 3:43.01 win over Westbury(Houston, TX)
and Skyline, 3:44.49. The time was slightly off their 3:42.95 at
the regional meet. Skyline swept the three relays at the Texas Relays.
Willingboro is powered by New Jersey 400m Class III State Champ,
Ogbuorkiri, who scored 34 of her team’s 46 points for state
runner-up honors. They finished 3rd at last year’s AOC. William
Penn, Philadelphia Public League Team Champions who are anchored
by All-Americans Christina Smith and Juanita Broaddus were 3rd
at NIC this year and 2nd at AOC last year. Northwestern was 3rd
at the Florida 4A State Championships.
4x800m Relay: Bronxville( NY), Saratoga(NY), Voorhees(NJ),
and Bay Shore, NY are the leading entries.
Last year at AOC’s, Bronxville came in and set the national
record in the 4x 1 mile. Kate Ogorzaly, 5:09.5, Caroline Mullen,
5:08.2, Catha Mullen, 5:02.4 and Michelle Rorke 4:51.5 stunned
the early Saturday morning crowd by lowering the national
record by 13 seconds to 20:11.56. Afterwards, they hurried
through awards ceremony and photo opportunities so that two of runners,
Ogorzaly and Rorke could get back for their graduation ceremony
in New York. With those two gone, a big void was left to be
filled. In stepped in Liz Bergold( 2:10.2) and Beth Butler(2:17.8).
The pair have added a new dimension and now have Bronxville threatening
the 4 x 800m meet record, 8:50.60(2001), and national record, 8:50.41(2002)
set by Boys and Girls( Brooklyn, NY). Their best of 8:53.3 was set
in less than favorable conditions. They have two more performances
under 9:00; 8:57.90 at the Louck Games and 8:59.7 in the New York
Sectionals. With two meets remaining, the New York State meet and
AOC, they may have a good shot at lowering the record. Also of note,
Bronxville’s 4x mile quartet average 1500 on the SAT’s
last year. The Mullen sisters will attend Princeton in the fall.
Tradition rich Saratoga enters with a best of 9:03.33 which was
good for fifth place at Penn. They won the 4 x mile at NIC
and have a young group which includes sensational froshes Nicole
Blood and Lindsey Ferguson, and Ruby Solomon and Kirsten Hornbach.
Voorhees enters with the top three in the 800m from the New Jersey
Group II State Champs; Lindsay Owen, 2:18.30, Sara Best, 2:19.82,
and Lauren Rugge, 2:20.24. Bayshore lost by 0.05 seconds in a close
battle with Rockford(MI) to place 2nd at NIC. They will have Footlocker
All –American, Laura Cummings on their roster.
4x Mile Relay: Saratoga(NY), Bronxville(NY), Turpin(Cincinnati,
OH ), Iowa City(IA) and Canyon (Canyon Country, CA ) are the leading
entrants. Saratoga just missed Rockford’s national indoor
record of 20:23.24 with their 20:24.37 at NIC’s. Again they
will have Nicole Blood available, but she is also entered in the
two mile and this would make three races. Outdoors, they could possibly
threaten the 20:11.56 set by Bronxville in 2002.
Bronxville, the national record holders, enters with a outdoor
best of 20:31.4 for the 4x1600m. They had the nation’s third
best time indoors using a different line-up than the 4x800m national
leading team; Hiller Burton and Helen Millson. Turpin set the
next best time, 20:50.52(20:44.52 for the 4x1600m) at Dayton.
Sprint Medley Relay: Willingboro(NJ), Beaumont
( Clevland Heights, OH), West Catholic(Philadelphia, PA)and Southern
Regional( NJ) are the leading entries.
Beaumont enters with a projected time of 3:55, which is just outside
the meet record of 3:54.39 set by William Penn(Philadelphia, PA)
in 1997. Last year, they came extremely close, running 3:55.95.
They have Carrie Gladstone, 58.65 performer, Britney Cofield, a
25.83 performer, Ruby Pickens, a 13.08 100m, Robyn Ray, a 1:00.87
400m runner, and Infield, a 2:13 performer on their roster. Willingboro
had a US #2 SMR time indoors and Southern Regional has the 2nd fastest
time of all the entrants outdoors.
Distance Medley Relay: Red Bank(NJ), Eureka(MO),
Saratoga(NY), Rockford(MI), Bronxville(NY), Marquette(MO), Voorhees,(NJ),
Bay Shore(NY) , Iowa City (West, IA), Pearl River(NY), Beaumont(Cleveland
Heights,OH)and San Marcos(CA) are the leading entrants.
Red Bank set the meet record and just missed the San Lorenzo Valley
CA national record, 11: 41.28 (2000) with their 11:42.17 at last
year at AOC’s. They lost two members from that team. They
have several up and comers to go with bookends, Amanda and Katy
Trotter; frosh Christina Nelson a 5:06.79 1600m runner and 2:25
800m runner and 1:08.89 400m hurdler, Beth Mayer and a 1600m
relay team which boasts a 4:01.20 best. At Penn, Amanda Trotter
led off with 3:34.6, was followed by Beth Mayer’s 61.8, Christina
Nelson’s 2:20.3, and Katy Trotter’s 4:49.9. Their final
time of 11:46.59 is their best this season.
Saratoga Springs set their best, 11:56.39, in placing 2nd to Red
Bank at the Penn Relays. Ruby Solomon, 3:42.1, Kirsten Hornbach
63.1, Lindsey Ferguson 2:20.6, and a 4:50.6 from anchor Nicole
Blood brought them from 6th to 2nd.
Bronxville was third a Penn in 11:57.08; Caroline Mullen, 3:39.5,
Beth Butler,60.7, Elizabeth Bergold, 2:14.8, and Catha Mullen 5:02.1.
Eureka comes in with a projected time of 11:52, the second fastest
of the field. They had an added surprise this past Monday as Meredith
Snow( Millard West, NE) moved into their district after the state
meet making her eligible for the DMR team. Snow placed 2nd in to
Lange in the 1600m, 4:58.89, and won the 3200m,10:48.86. She will
join soph Shannon Leinert, the Missouri State Class 4 800m Champ,
2:09.88, and junior 1600m state champ, Kasey Kimball, 4:59.26, a
62 second quarter miler to shore up an already strong team.
Rockford won the 4x800m and placed 2nd in the 4x mile at NIC. They
have 4:55.06 1600m runner Nikki Bohnsack who has recovered from
a lingering hip/lower back injury suffered last summer that limited
her progress. Beaumont(Cleveland Heights, OH) comes in witha projected
time of 11:52.
High Jump: Ashley Robbins( Mc Mullen County, Tilden,
TX), Maura Burk ( Freehold Township, NJ )and Debra Vento( Freehold
Boro, NJ) are the leading entries.
Robbins, a Texas A&M signee, is defending USATF Junior National
Champ and was 2nd at last year’s AOC’s. She won the
NIC title, has a best mark of 5-11 this year and a lifetime best
of 6-00.25 from last year, and won the Texas 1A State Championship
with a 5-10 clearence. Robbins had arthroscopic surgery on her knee
in December.
Debra Vento was 3rd at NIC and New Jersey Group II champ and is
a Duke signee. Burk, a junior, was Group IV New Jersey State Champ
. Both jumped 5-10 at their state meets to win.
Pole Vault: Jenny Green(Central Catholic, Grand
Island, NE), Anna Mc Farlane (Concord, MA ), Julene Bailey ( Skyview,
Nampa, ID), Sara Young (Thornwell, SC ),Ashley Nolet(Lowell, MA
), Ashley Laughli (Marble Falls, TX ), Melanie Buczko (Butler, PA
),Natalie Moser( Wharton, Tampa, FL,) and Britni Lawrence(
Buda Hays,TX) are the leading entries.
Green cleared her best height, 13-03, at her Nebraska district
meet; the clearance equaled the best mark in the nation at that
point. She also has a 13-02 mark to her credit. She broke her own
meet record, 12-10, with her 13-0 vault to win the Class B Nebraska
State Championship. Indoors she won the NIC’s. She was 4th
at last year’s AOC. She will attend Nebraska in the fall.
McFarlane’s best, 13-01, was set indoors. She placed 2nd
at NIC. Her outdoor best , 11-06, was set in placing 2nd at the
Penn Relays. She was 12th at last year’s AOC.
2001 World Youth Games and 2002 World Juniors team member, Bailey,
had a indoor best of 13-03A on Feb. 7th. She had trouble finding
good weather early in the outdoor track season as wind and cold
wreaked havoc at her meets. On May 6, she finally got was she was
looking for, a 13-0 jump. She will attend Brigham Young in the fall.
Lawrence cleared her best height, 12-10, at the Texas Relays. She
claimed the 5A State title with a 12-06 jump and won the Great Southwest
Classic at 12-9. Indoors, she was 6th at NIC.
The field also includes; Young, 4th at NIC, Nolet, 6th at NIC,
7th last year at AOC, and Moser, the Florida State 4A State Champ.
The meet record, 13-01.5 was set by reigning 2003 NCAA Indoor Champ,
Lacy Janson ( Cardinal Mooney, Sarasota, FL) in 2001 and could be
threatened this year. The national record of 13-08 set by
Shayla Ballentine( Morro Bay,CA) in 2001 could also be in jeopardy.
Long Jump: Gayle Hunter(JW North, Riverside, CA),
Erica Mc Lain( East, Plano, TX ), Tianna Madison(Elyria, OH), Francheska
Ketcham(Elsik, Alief, TX) and Deborah Hawkins (Lower Richland, SC
) are the leading entries.
Hunter, a junior, has the best mark in the nation, 20-8.75 which
she set at Mt. Carmel on March 29th. That’s nearly two feet
better than her best indoor performance in March. She had a windy
best last year of 20-00.5. Ketcham defeated McLain at the 5A Texas
State Track meet with her season best of 20-00.75. Ketcham had the
US # 2 performance last year with her windy 20-08.5 jump to win
the Texas 5A State Champs.
McLain won USATF Juniors last year and finished 12th at the World
Junior Champs. She was 4th at last year’s NIC and 3rd this
year. She placed 3rd in the 5A Texas State Track meet.
Hunter and McClain have been selected to this year's World Youth
team. Madison won NIC in 2002 and was 2nd this year. She was 2nd
at AOC last year. Hawkins won the South Carolina 4A State Champs
with a leap of 19-01.
The meet record is 20-03.75 set by Kim Jones( Grimsley, Greensboro,
NC) in 1999 and could go down.
Triple Jump: Cassie Gullickson (Brentwood, TN),
Erica Mc Lain( East, Plano, TX ), Lauren Stewart( Brentwood, TN),
Michelle Rogers( Dacula, GA), and Deborah Hawkins( Lower Richland,
SC)are the leading entries.
Gullickson was 3rd at NIC’s with a 40-11.75 jump. Since then
she has improved a startling 2 feet to with her 43-00.25 best at
her regional meet. She won the 3A Tennessee State meet with 41-11.75
jump. She also won the pentathlon with a new state meet record of
3687 points, the long jump, 18-02.25,placed 2nd in the high jump,
5-06, and placed 2nd in the 100m hurdles, 14.33 to account
for 46 of her team’s 120.5 points. She will attend Notre Dame
in the fall.
Her teammate, Stewart, a sophomore, finished 2nd at state
in the triple jump with her season best equaling 41-07, 2nd in the
pentathlon, 3415, 1st in the high jump, 5-08, and 6th in the
100m and 300m hurdles, 15.19 and 46.96 to score 32 points. Between
the two, they scored 78 of their team’s 120.5. Their
coach is the 1988 USATF Decathlon Champ and Olympic Team member,
Gary Kinder.
McLain won the Texas 5A State meet and the NIC meet. She finished
2nd at last year’s NIC’s and was 2nd at USATF Juniors.
Her best this season, 42-00 was set in slightly windy conditions;
0.2 over the 2.0mps allowable for record purposes.
Rogers has improved immensely over her 39-01 mark from last year.
Her best of 40-09.75 was set at the Coaches’ Invitational
on March 22. She placed 2nd at the Georgia 5a State Champs
with a 38-05.5 jump. Hawkins was 3rd at the South Carolina 4A State
Champs with a leap of 39-08.25.
The meet record,41-10.75, was set in 1999 by Jodi Schlesinger (
Clarkstown, SW Nyack, NY) and could be beaten by either of the top
three.
Shot Put: Michelle Carter(Red Oak, TX ), Liz Podominick
( Lakeville, MN), Michaela Wallerstadt (Burke, Omaha, NE ) and Della
Clark, Marietta, GA (44-7) are the leading entries.
Carter has had a memorable senior season. She won her fourth consecutive
shot put title at the Texas Relays and fourth consecutive shot put
and discus Texas Class 4A state meet titles. The daughter of 1984
Olympic Silver Medalist, Michael Carter, set the national outdoor
mark of 54-4.5 at the Texas 4A Region 2 Championships to better
the 20-year-old high mark of 53-07.75 set by Natalie Kaaiawahia
(Fullerton, CA) and broke it again at the state meet with a 54-10.75
heave. That goes with her national indoor mark of 54-09.50 set at
the NIC’s on March 16th. She was silver medalist
at the 2001 World Youth Championships in Debrecen, Hungary,
won the shot put at Golden West and AOC last year and placed 3rd
in the shot put at the USATF Junior Champs. She will join the strong
freshman incoming freshman group at Texas in the fall.
Podominick finished 2nd at AOC’s last year and was 1st in
2001. She is a Minnesota signee.
Clark was 5th at NIC’s, is the 5A Georgia Shot put State
Champion and has signed with Clemson, and Wallaerstadt is the Nebraska
Class 1A state shot put champion and was selected to the World Youth
team. Carter fell short of the meet record last year with her 51-01
performance.
Laura Gerraughty (Nashua, NH) set the record in 2000 with her 51-11.25
mark. Carter will most likely improve that and may have a shot at
improving on her national record.
Discus: Liz Podominick( Lakeville, MN), Lindsay
Grigoriev( Atholton, Columbia, NJ), Michelle Carter(Red Oak, TX
) and Amy Bilmanis(Thomas Stone, MD) are the leading entries.
Podominick placed 2nd last year at AOC’s and enters with
a best of 160-08. Carter was 3rd, Grigoriev, 6th and Bilmanis, 8th
at last year’s AOC. Grigoriev won her second straight Penn
Relays this year with a meet record 160-5.
Hammer Throw: Kristen Callan( Monroe-Woodbury,
NY ), Marie Stinger( Lovett, Atlanta, GA ), Danielle Dufresne(Toll
Gate, Warwick, RI) and Kelly Reynolds(Toll Gate, Warwick, RI ) are
the leading entries.
Callan won the 4th last year and won the weight throw at NIC’s
in March. Stringer was 9th at last year’s AOC and placed 3d
at NIC in the weight throw. She will join throw power Florida next
year. Dufresne was 6th last year and placed 5th at NIC in the weight
throw. Reynolds was 3rd last year and 4th at NIC in the weight throw,
won the Golden West Invitational, and will attend Duke next year.
Callan’s season best of 182-04 is close to the meet record
of 187-10 set by Maureen Griifin( Pocatello, ID) in 1997). Stringer’s
best of 179-06 is a very close second. The two could challenge the
record.
Javelin: Ruby Radocaj (Williamsport, PA), Ashley
Keats(Salina, KS ), Kelly Robinson( Raritan, Hazlet, NJ)and Amanda
Harmata( Raritan, Hazlet, NJ) are the leading entrants.
Harmata and Robinson went 1-2 at the NJ Group II State meet. Rodocaj
is the Pennsylvania Class 3A State champion and finished 4th at
last year’s AOC. Keats is the defending AOC Champ and won
the 5A Kansas State Championship. She will attend Virginia Tech
next fall. |